Fuel pump: Drop it or cut a hole?

[JTH1972]

SO, tomorrow I'm tackling the job. If you had a choice, which would you do: drop the tank or cut a hole in the body?

 

[j8346]

drop the tank,, its not that bad.. i do mine about twice a year, my x eats fuel pumps. dont know why, just about every 6 to 7 months it eats another one v8 awd..

 

[lil red wagon]

i just droped mine.. not bad at all for me. i had a impact and universal so its was no big deal.. 4 skid plate bolts+1 8mm bolt ,i only had one tank strap the 2 hoses to the filler neck, and two fuel lines and a vent hose and one power wire plug.... if ur far from auto part store grab a back of clips for the fuel lines... woulda saved me a day!! anti sieze tank bolts on install for next time. personally the only benifit i can see would be not having to draining the tank (or wrestling it)

 

[Anime]

Depends on what shape your ride is in. If it's a beater or falling apart, cutting it up might not be a big deal. If it's in great shape, cutting it up might not be the best idea for the long term.

I'll only drop the tank on mine, it's a good excuse to clean up the whole tank and the body/frame area around it as well.

 

[JTH1972]

yea now I'm wishing I didn't stick $30 in it the other day. I was hoping to limp it along for another bit, but after the way it was acting yesterday, I need to get it done. Any tips on draining the tank?

 

[Anime]

You can try siphoning, either with the filler hose attached, or if that doesn't work, disconnect the end of the hose from the tank, stick the siphon hose in the tank directly, and drain it that way.

It's a lot easier to just do the job when it's got less than 1/4 tank.

 

[malohnes]

I'd go counter and cut the hole. I have a rusty truck and the thought of dropping the tank makes me cringe. The only way I'll drop the tank is unless I have a hole in it, or I decide to do the spare tire tank mod.

That is just me...either way will get you to your pump.

 

[JTH1972]

Depends on what shape your ride is in. If it's a beater or falling apart, cutting it up might not be a big deal. If it's in great shape, cutting it up might not be the best idea for the long term.

Decided to drop it, as it's actually in really good shape (no rust!). Ended up being a pain, but not because of dropping it. One of the fittings on the fuel pump was a bugger as was the retaining ring. Actually kind of easy once you figure out what bolts need to be pulled. Glad I had my father-in-law helping me or I'd be completely screwed in this project! Took all day to get it off and the tank cleaned out. Not a lot of sediment in the tank, but I was surprised at the presence of water in there! Tomorrow we get it all put back together.

 

[lil red wagon]

Just curious, how many tank straps did u have to remove?? Mines a 4x4 4 door

 

[JTH1972]

two straps if memory serves me correctly.

Couple tips to save time: Two people make the job much easier. 4 large bolts to remove the skid plate, but there are a few smaller ones along the tin shield that need to be removed too.

The fuel lines on the fuel pump are two different sizes. My fuel lines use the spring retainer, so disconnect tools are necessary. The Ford disconnect kit comes with 3/8" and 1/2". 3/8 works great for the smaller one (standard size) but it's too small for the larger fitting and the 1/2 inch is too big. You need a Chevy 5/16 disconnect tool to remove the larger fuel line (this killed a good couple hours of the days). Pry off the old retaining ring and just buy a new one, especially if it's really rusted.