Fuel Pump replacement in 98 AWD V8

[rizzjc]

So I started with the 1st gen thread:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...t-gen-gas-tank-fuel-pump-access-panel.182160/

And got about this far along:

Used an air chisel and it cut through like butter, until I got to the crossmember, which slowed it down a little, and not quite as clean, but it did the job.

Now here is where I am, and the seat belt mount is still in the way. Broke the chisel, and don't really want to cut too far into that. I trimmed as much of the cross member as I could.

I was hoping I'd be able to shimmy the pump out, but no room. I guess I have to lower the tank a bit until I can get the clearance I need. Bummer. That's what I was trying to avoid. So close!

 

[SWIGIN]

The time it took to do all that you could have just dropped the tank and not had a hole to fix in your floor.

 

[rizzjc]

Maybe, but laying on my back in the dirt would do me a lot more damage. Plus the tank is full, and I didn't want to mess with the 20 year old hoses attached to the tank. Screwing a piece of metal over the hole and laying the carpet back down is the least of my worries.

 

[rizzjc]

So, I should have listened to the one comment I read earlier relating to the AWD V8 gen 2. I might have gotten away without cutting quite so much, but I still had to work it out a little to clear the body.
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I dropped the skid plate, loosed the two bolts on the front of the tank, but didn't completely remove them. Unbolted the strap at the back of the tank, with the floor jack and a piece of plywood to support the tank.

I lowered the tank just a little, and didn't have to disconnect anything else. Got the pump out and new one installed, and everything hooked back up before lifting the tank back into place.
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Connected the battery back up and she fired right up. Just need to cut a piece of metal to go over the access hole, and put the carpet and seats back.

 

[fjones]

What brand pump and where did you purchase it?

 

[koda2000]

I've changed the fuel pumps in all 6 of our Explorers/Mountaineers and dropped the tank every time. I've got it down to a science and can change a pump in about 1.5 hours (which includes putting my tools away). I've never even considered cutting a hole in the floor. Cutting a hole seems like a lot more work to me. There's only 3 bolts that hold the tank in.

 

[rizzjc]

I got a Delphi pump assembly off Amazon for $80, on a recommendation from someone here. It was only a little more than just the pump alone, and took about 30 seconds to swap out once I was able to get the old pump out.

 

[rizzjc]

I've changed the fuel pumps in all 6 of our Explorers/Mountaineers and dropped the tank every time. I've got it down to a science and can change a pump in about 1.5 hours (which includes putting my tools away). I've never even considered cutting a hole in the floor. Cutting a hole seems like a lot more work to me. There's only 3 bolts that hold the tank in.

There are only 3 bolts, after the 4 bolts that hold the skid plate on. I also didn't want to mess with the 20 year old hoses, and didn't have to touch those. Plus my tank was full, until I had that hole and was able to pump the gas out so I didn't have to wrestle with a full tank. With the hole there, I don't have to wrestle the tank out and in, and can easily access all of the connections from the top. I might have made the hole smaller had I known I'd still need to drop the tank down a little, but now that I've done it once, it would be way easier for me if I had to do it again. I don't fit under the truck like I use to.

 

[nameskreen]

I have a 98 5.0 AWD also. I cut the floor too, but I didn't have any problems with clearance and I did not to drop the tank. I chose to cut the floor and screw in a patch panel so that it would be easier to change it next time.

 

[rizzjc]

I have a 98 5.0 AWD also. I cut the floor too, but I didn't have any problems with clearance and I did not to drop the tank. I chose to cut the floor and screw in a patch panel so that it would be easier to change it next time.

That's really odd because if you look at my pictures there is no way it would come out. They must have changed something after 97, or 96.5 which is really what mine is.

 

[rizzjc]

All buttoned up.

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