I know this is a very basic question but since I do not have an owners manual with my newly aquired 1995 6.5 TD pick up could someone please tell me the procedure for changing the fuel filter on my truck? How do I drain the bowl?
Thanks

turkey baster and rags

There's a black plastic ring around the upper end of the bowl. It holds the filter in the bowl. You unscrew the plastic ring and then pull the old filter element out of the bowl. Have something handy to put the old filter element into --- it is sucked with fuel that will drop off of it.

The drain is a small T-handle on the front of the engine, passenger side. It is for draining water from the filter. I don't know if you can use it to empty the bowl before you put the new filter element in. It's a good idea to somehow empty the bowl and clean it out before the new filter goes in.

Once the new filter is in, open the bleed valve which is on top of the filter, about one full turn or almost two. Attach some tube to the outlet on the bleed valve and run it into a bottle. Then, run the lift pump or crank the engine.

Air and fuel will come out of the bleed valve, you should leave it open until no more air comes out. Besides getting the air out, bleeding after changing the filter is very important because it will help keeping any residue that might be left in the bowl from getting past the filter and into the IP by washing it out of the bleed valve. Therefore, it's best to empty the bowl and clean it out before inserting the new filter.

Thank you

I use a plastic coke bottle.

Pepsi, mountain dew or whatever you have handy would probably work as well, I never tried them though;)

Place the hose from the water drain at the front of the engine (near the thermostat) into the bottle, lay it over towards the driver side of the engine compartment out of harms way.

With the engine running, open the brass pet**** to drain into the bottle.

Open the air bleed valve on the top of the filter.

Kill the engine

Fuel will continue to siphon out of the filter, leaves about an inch or so.

Suck that out with a turkey baster.

Wipe with paper towel to finish the chore.

Actually, I may have learned that from the owners manual.