Okay, eventually got it. Don't know why but it was
really hard—I eventually had to reach up there with a flat screw driver and get leverage that way, twisting the blade between the connector and the filter (as I squeezed on the retaining collar). Shortly after that I read in the Bentley manual where they said, "Disconnect fuel connections only in a straight line. Never use excessive force." At that point I got a little nervous...had I jacked up the fuel line connector in the process of disconnecting it from the filter? Was the damn thing gonna leak when I got it all put back together?
Then I developed another issue. Working the filter to get the line disconnected, then working it (the filter) out of the tight space, I ended up with the metal holding strap coming out
with the filter. Pretty sure that was supposed to stay put. So I had to figure out how to engage that strap with the bracket that tightens onto the coolant lines—without actually being able to SEE the top of the bracket, ie the part that fits with the strap. But then, once I figured that out, all of a sudden I hit that magic point where everything went as smooth as silk and suddenly I was done. Started her up (still on jack stands)...looked underneath with a flashlight: no leaks. The whole process was all WAY more difficult than it should have been (I will not disclose how long it took, way too embarrassing!).
Anyway, thanks for the help! I still have NO idea why that fitting was so difficult to get apart, but I guess I won't worry about it. Until next time
