Went to change out my fuel filter tonight; should be a pretty simple job, right....not so, the allen bolt holding the filter to the tank bracket just spins. So the question is, should it cut the head of the bolt off with my dremel tool, or remove the bottom fuel line and then pry the bottom tab over a bit so I can slide the filter down so I can get to the top fuel line? I was thinking that if I break the strap, which is secured by the allen bolt, I could use a big hose clamp to secure the filter to the tank bracket. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

I had the same issue. the bolt is probably siezed. On mine the plastic bracket holding the nut was chewed up from trying to hold it still so i chopped it off and replaced it. New nut or bolt or ziptie whatever you feel will hold the filter in place. I did not destroy the plastic strap as I think it is structurally a part of the fuel tank

 

Ditto.
Cut the bolt and use a tie wrap.

 

How did you guys cut the bolt? There's not a lot of room to work. My strategy is to use metal grinding bit on my dremel tool.

 

I tried using a dremel and coudlnt since the work space was too tight. I ended up using just a hacksaw blade with a rag on one end and used that to cut the rusted bolt

 

They also make a wire type blade with handles, havent seen one in a while so I cant tell you where to get one, but a body shop could probably guide you.
Rod

 

I ended up using my pvc hacksaw, which is a miniature version of the real thing. Once I got the bolt cut, the job was a piece of cake. I ended up using a zip tie, as suggested, and it worked fine. Thanks for the input

 

Just had this problem today. The bolt was rusted to ****. For anyone doing this job in the future DO NOT pry at the plastic ring or cut it. It IS part of the gas tank. The easiest way to remove the filer without ripping it off the ring is to hack off the bolt. just find a loose nut and bolt to replace it with once your ready for re install. Left to get a glass of water while I was doing my filter and my buddy was trying to rip the plastic holder off with needle nose pliers. I almost smacked the **** out of him lol.

 

The clamp is part of the tank and not available seperately from Audi.
The way to keep everything intact and not mangle anything or resort to zip ties (at $109 an hour, even the dealers do it,ugh):
If backing nut spins in the plastic clamp, it is important to tap the fuel filter out of the clamp to permanently eliminate the problem. It was easy for me because the fuel filter I was replacing had an identification sticker wrapped around it. First I loosened the banjo bolts holding the fuel lines to the filter(old style). The fuel leaking out melted the addhesive of that sticker which acted as lubricant. This helped me tap the filter forward and out of the still tightened clamp(after all, it is only plastic). With that out of the way, now you can work on the clamp. The Torx bolt is seized to the nut by rust but definitely not rusted together. This is because, as I found out, Audi did take some care by making the nut out of brass. So, you can feel confident in it coming loose by using a Vise Grip to squeeze the nut into the clamp. Done right, nothing will be damaged. I then cleaned the nut down to bare brass and chased the threads with a 6MM x 1.00 tap.
I cleaned the surface of the plastic clamp with acetone and then glued the nut back into it with epoxy for plastic. I cleaned the Torx nut and coated it with anti-sieze. That solves the problem so filter replacement is a cinch the next time. Want to go a step further? Replace the Torx bolt with a 6MM x 1.00 stainless steel button or hex head bolt.

 

yes i had the exact same problem. this seems to be a re-occurring problem for them. i cut the bolt with a small air buzz saw. however, fuel filter replacement is extremely helpful for fuel milage and performance. i saw a 4mpg increase after the job (on the dashboard ave. fuel economy, which might not be so acurate)

here is a site i found that was actually written by a fellow AudiWorld comrade. it explains fuel filter replacement in great detail. it helped me and could help anyone who who wants to do the job. https://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng49.shtml