anyone done a trap door for the fuel pump on a 1st gen?

[williecume]

if anybody has done a trap door to replace the fuel pump without having to drop the tank could you please post pictures and maybe a simple how to?

i need to replace the fuel pump and sender but dont want to drop the tank, any help on the best place to cut and the best trap door to replace the hole with would be great.

rex

 

[88vert]

My buddy did it on his old 92 I did it once on a old chevy wagon I had saved alot of time.I know he used a variable speed scroll saw to cut the hole

 

[RiverRat]

If you use a sawzall be careful around the tank. You could end up one HotDog!

It seems like it would be more work to remove seats, trim, carpet than to just drop the tank. Remove and replacing the pump shouldn't take much more than an hour.

 

[williecume]

just just figured it would be easier to do than to try and run the tank empty to make it lighter.

 

[Mbrooks420]

IMO, siphoning out of the filler neck, would be a lot easier than pulling the carpet, and cutting out a hole in the floor. The tank isn't that hard to drop.

 

[sqwirl]

I cut one in my focus when I had it. Anyone familiar with them knows about the fuel pump problems in the early models and how hard it is to drop the tank. Anyways I used a dremel tool with a heavy duty cut off wheel. I went through about 7 wheels to cut a 10"10" hole. I think the safety factor of the dremel over a sawzall was worth the extra time though. Im sure the body is roughly the same thickness in the ex as it is in a focus.

 

[DeRocha]

I'm on the fence on this one. I think cutting through the floor board isn't worth the additional trouble, but I can see where it could be handy to have the additional access. I dropped my tank, the hardest part was disconnected the darn fuel lines (get a good quality metal tool for this).

 

[4x4Wheeler]

I dropped the tank and could not get the origanal straps back on...its a pain in the azz to do. I wish I would have cut a simple hole. I have also replaced the carpet and know that the rear seats are very easy to remove and the carpet is only held down by the plastic door runner thingy ( 2 screws )

Make sure you cut a u shape 12"x12" so you can bend the metal up and out of your way. Perform the change and then bend the metal back down and use liquid nails to secure it...or another metal bonding agent. I would think you could cut the metal with a good pair of Tin Snips.

 

[DeRocha]

See the following for a step by step process (dropping the tank)
Dead Link Removed

 

[410Fortune]

You can have the tank completely out of the truck in an hour.......

Not worth cutting a hole if you ask me, the tank comes out easy enough.

 

[Bruce Rock]

I vote for dropping the tank. I've done it and I've also removed the rear seats. You need plenty of room to remove the locking ring and the steel lines at the top of the unit.

 

[410Fortune]

Thats right, plus you risk cutting something with the saw, also once you are done you have to find a way to patch up the new "trap door"

Also the rear seat is held in with those HUGE t bit bolts that are typically FROZEN in place. By the time you finish cutting them you could have dropped the tank

 

[williecume]

i'm not in a big hurry since we dont drive it much. i will probably do it when i get the 2nd gen front clip and take the time off to do all the work i need to do on it.

but thanks for all the replies both for and against it.