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Fuel pump

Debbie

Member
Joined
October 24, 1999
Messages
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City, State
Red Bluff CA Home of the largest three day Rodeo in the world!
Year, Model & Trim Level
91 XLT
My 92 died today, had to have it towed in! Fuel pump is supposed to be the problem. Had blown the fuse (EEC?) Now seems to be fuel pump needs to be replaced...in the tank...quote $378.00, $130 for the pump..the rest is the labor and the fuses? ...Can I replace the pump in the tank with an electric one outside the tank?
 



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NO!!!!! Do not do it!!!

[Edited by mrboyle on 10-05-2000 at 07:15 PM]
 






more trouble

now the problem is in the computer loop...don't know if the pump shorted out the resistor and that is the problem or the problem was in the loop and that shorted out the fuel pump...sad state of affairs all around!
 






electric pump...

...sounds like a possible good idea to me! If you supply the right pressure to the engine, and sensor, it should work. So long as the old pump or pickup in the tank doesn't give too much resistance when the pump pulls the gass out.

I have done this on a carburetured system, and I know that fuel injection runs at much higher pressure.

Fittings and wiring would be the hard part. You could always remove and patch the line if it proved not to work.
 






Don't listen to any of thoes little voices that are telling you that strapping a pump to the frame and plumbing it in will cure all your woes. It will only be the start of more to come! Remember what I said earlier...DON'T DO IT!
 






Debbie,

Listen to MrBoyle. Go with the factory replacement pump. Fuel injected systems require much higher fuel pressures than carburetted engines. Its highly unlikely the new outboard pump could draw enough fuel through a dead in the tank pump to be effective. Fuel pumps are a trouble spot on Explorers, but not a mojor one. I have changed my own fuel pump. and the shops earn their labor charge, IMHO. It was quite a bit of work, draining and dropping the tank etc. not complicated, just time consuming, removing skid plates, etc.

Another important issue is SAFETY!!! The high pressure fuel injection pumps are in the tank for a good safety reason: Because of the higher pressures, if they start to leak, they'd spray fuel gasoline all over the place, like on the hot catalytic converter etc, and presto: FIRE! Installed in the tank, if they leak, no prob, also the fuel serves to keep the pumps cool. They use the same system (in tank fuel pumps) in aircrafdt for the same reasons.
 






since were ont eh subject... to those that have installed it, is it basically just drain out all the gas you can get, take fof the gas tank skid plate, lower the gas tank, pop something off, put in something new, put the gas tank back up and put skid plates ina gain, or is itm ore complicated then that?
 






I have replaced them before on other vehicles and it isn't that bad. The best thing is to wait until you have almost a empty tank, then you don't have to take any gas out. Just drop the tank down and the top usually just turns of or has a metal ring holding it on. Take the old pump out and put the new one back in. If you buy the pump get it from Ford. They are usually better then a parts store and most of the time you can't get them at a parts store.
You should get it cheaper then they would get it at the shop and charge you.
Good luck.
 






Changing the Fuel Pump

Matt,

Yeah, you've about got it, and Perry's right about the locking ring which you turn using a large screwdriver and a hammer. The tricky part is dealing with the fuel. If you have the option, running the tank as close to empty is optimum, cause a full tank is very heavy, and dealing with 15 or more gallons of gas is a pain, you have to siphon it out 'cause the the tanks don't have a drain and all the connections are at the top, where you can't get to until the tank is lowered. The fill neck has an Anti-siphom baffle to prevent fuel theft just to complicate things! Unfortunately, Murphy is hard at work, and fuel pumps don't usually fail when the tank is low. :) Fortunately, when I dropped my tank, it was to replace a noisy pump, that still worked and also I took the opportunity to install the RFI radio interference filter kit which attaches to the pump, at the same time, so I had the luxury of picking my time, when the tank was empty. Most aren't that lucky.

Another tricky part of the tank R&R is dealing with about 5 hoses, like the filler line, filler vent, fuel feed, fuel return and some sort of a vapor recycling line, all attached to the top, a couple of which have to be unconnected and reconnected with the tank only slightly lowered, and you're connecting hoses and clamps by braille. Don't forget the electrical connections, which are hidden too. In short. it's pretty much an all day job, especially the first time, and being done on the driveway, without a hoist, that requires two persons for some parts of the operation.

Again, not rocket science, just time consuming.
 






little voices

mrboyle:

thoes (your spelling) little voices - do you talk down to everyone? It is technically posible to put an external pump on a vehicle, or any other piece of equipment. Being a mechanical engineer, with many years of experience with different types of mnaufacturing equipment, this "little voice" says this modification "could" be done right.


Ray Hutchinson:

I'm sure the pump is in the tank for manufacturing cost savings reasons, ie: (ford) pinto gas tank, (ford) al4d trannies, (ford) putting twin traction beam on explorers after long accident history with bronco II, etc... The fuel filter could also "spray fuel gasoline all over the place", but it isn't placed in the tank!

Your arguments could also be turned towards not modifying the stock suspensions on explorers, especially in light of the inherent instability of the stock design, but we all have modified in one form or another.

I love my explorer as much as the next guy, things just have to be done right.

Peace and logic.

[Edited by roadkill on 10-09-2000 at 09:47 AM]
 






Debbie,
What finally came of the problem?
Was it the EEC or the fuel pump?
 






By the way Autozone sells the pump for about 50 bucks.
 






The fuel pump had shorted out the computer, by replacing it and the fuse that went to it...I got it fixed. My garage charged me $87 for a new pump and the labor...
 






Hey Debbie

What year is your explorer? I'm getting my 91 a new fuel pump right now as we speak. Do you think I should have the guy check out the computer also, like yours.
 






The computer chips and fuses will be checked by them automatically. Otherwise it won't run. Good luck. Debbie
 






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