Advice please on unfamiliar fuel filter (pic) & antifreeze

Two cars, different problems due to lack of service manuals. I am not familiar with this type of connection on a (Fiat 1.9D) Diesel fuel filter, could someone please advise on how to remove the connections? Also on whether this filter needs to be filled with Derv before fitting. ( I only have experience with the spin on canister type) Link to pic http://www.dingx2.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html/Image2.html
Also need advice on antifreeze. Fiat Doblo JTD. Terrible struggle to change it (Glycol ) Today. Undertray to remove. Undid hose on radiator (connection previously used by garage) laying under car on ramps, arm at full stretch upward into engine bay. unable to get clear when pulling it off soaked in antifreeze :( All to get 2 1/2 litres out. To try to flush it from that position with a hose would be like being under a shower, no access at all from the top. The header tank holds 1 1/2 litres and system capacity 6 litres. It made me wonder... What if I sucked the 1 1/2 litres out of the tank with my sealy suction fluid remover every 6 months or so and replaced it with fresh? instead of all that trouble to get 2 1/2 litres out. Also the second pic link http://www.dingx2.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html/Image1.html showing oil filter on bottom of Doblo JTD engine. Are these WATER pipes on the back of the oil filter ( why?) cant see where they run to but if they are water pipes is this a possible drain point? Incidentally, the undertray now has service access holes :) Many thanks for any replies to this post as I am struggling to do SOME of the servicing at least to cut costs.

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Fuel Filter Front pipe - The shiny silver clip pulls out towards you, and then the connection with the pipes lifts out. Rear pipe - The white part pushes in, and the connector will lift off Middle pipe - Should be similar to the rear pipe (can't really tell due to the photo, but normally similar types off connectors are used)
Once you've change the filter, provided there is no bleeder fitted, just start the engine and let it idle. That should be enough to draw the fuel back up through the system. If it cuts out, keep cranking the engine over in short bursts until it starts. If it doesn't start after quite a few attempts, then you'll have to bleed the system as per the manual (99% off the time you get away without having to bleed it)
Cooling System The hoses that appear to be going behind the oil filter are for the oil cooler. The oil cooler is sandwiched between the oil filter and filter mount. It's quite a common oil cooler set-up.

Moray Cuthill wrote:
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Thanks Moray. Following your advice I looked again at the filter and can now see clearly how the gold bits that the silver clip fits into are part of the filter itself. (the little holes in the gold bits had me fooled) Re the oil cooler...Thanks again. Never had a car with an oil cooler and I thought is was some sort of water/oil coolant heat exchanger interface at the back of the filter, with the pipes carrying water..... :) If anyone can advise on the antifreeze I would be grateful. I guess i`m not up for the antifreeze "shower" holding a hose above me while laying on my back underneath.... But .. a 1/4 total change can be done just by sucking out the header tank... is this sufficient if done..say twice a year??? If not, I guess its for the garage to do .. But would they have a flushing routine for such a difficult access?

On 14 May 2005 14:24:50 -0700, Mikail wrote:
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If you undo the radiator then all the water in the block will just stay there unless the the stat is open. Far better the take the stat out and drain the bottom radiator hose I've always found.

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Take the bottom hose off, and the thermostat out, most of the coolant should come out. Then flush through with a hose in the header tank, in the hole where the stat has come from etc, until it runs clean, then allow to drain, reconnect everything, put in 3 litres of antifreeze and top up with water.
Fiats usually have a drain plug on the bottom of the rad, alternative flushing method is to remove this, allow it to empty, the stick hose into expansion tank (with drain still out) run hose till expansion tank is overflowing then leave like this with engine running for 1/2 an hour or so. After the drain has been running clear for a while, stop engine, remove hose, replace plug, then add 3 litres antifreeze and top up with water.

SimonJ wrote:
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Thanks for the replies, Chris and Simon. I am trying to post more pics of the engine bays and as a result have messed up the original links. Apologies to anyone new reading this thread.

Here is a new link of the engine bays of the Doblo JTD & 1.9D Punto ( 10 Seconds refresh rate)
http://www.dingx2.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html/Image1.html
I would be grateful if someone could identify the stat housing. (these things were so obvious on the old cars I worked on for the last 35 years or so )
Also pics 2 & 9 are of the JTD fuel filter. Does it just spin on ? what is the black housing above the filter, is it a fuel heater ? and will it stay put when I put a strap wrench on the filter ?. Shot 2 is taken from below the filter .. how does this unplug ? and if it is a device to measure water how does it work? It looks like a multiwire plug. not used to such compexity :) The last car I fully serviced for years was a Clubman D with the good old Perkins ..welll noisy and smoky, but simple. Thanks for all your help in bringing me up to speed in modern (ish:) engine bays.

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In picture 6, its the bit with "behr" cast into it.
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There is a wire clip on the plug, push this towards the plug body and pull the plug off.
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Not sure how it work, but don't worry, it does! Usually just 3 wires.

SimonJ wrote:
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Thank you Simon (and Moray and Chris) Thats really good info. Could you please advise me on just one more point concerning changing the antifreeze?. I am really interested in just sticking a hose in the header tank , running the engine and letting it drain and flush as you suggested as an option. Can`t find a radiator drain plug however. (I am a bit uneasy about getting the stat out as its well hidden.) Moray, wrote that this shot http://www.dingx2.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html/Image1.html is of the oil cooler.But are the pipes full of cooling system fluid with the black thing on the back of the filter being the oil cooler? Or are those pipes full of engine oil running to a finned radiator style oil cooler somewhere?. If they are cooling system hoses I wondered if I could partially disconnect one and stick a running hose in the header tank to flush it all out? These hoses are very easy access now that I have cut an "inspection hatch" in the undertray to get at the oil filter more easily. If so, I assume starting the engine from cold and running until the stat starts to open? Will this be OK with cold tapwater being run into the header tank as it starts to warm up? You have all been really great helping me with these points. I wondered which forum you were answering from if you dont mind me asking, as I had some concerns about cross posting.

On 15 May 2005 07:04:22 -0700, Mikail wrote:
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The oil filter is the screwon can, the only oil pipes will feed that can (up the middle and out the side.
The two pipes you can see will take coolant into and out of the flat boxy thing which is the oil cooler. The idea is not to cool the engine oil to ambiant as that makes it far far too thick - about the same temperature as hot coolant is where it wants to be so these pipes will be on the hot loop of the engine coolant circuit.
If access is easy then draining the hot side by unding one of these pipes and the cold side by doing the radiator is also an option. Don't introduce cold water into a hot engine though as that can thermally shock the engine and warp the head which obviously is bad news

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Yep, that would work, it may take a little longer to flush, as the thermostat will not open due to the cold water going in, but it should come clear eventually.
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SimonJ wrote:
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Thanks for that extra info on the cooling system, Chris and Simon. I will leave the engine bay pics up for a couple of days incase anyone else can benefit from your advice.