Fuel Pump Heartache - Comment and a Question

You can also remove several bolts from the bed, disconnect any wires, and pick up the bed or slide bed back some and there is the pump on top of the tank. This is alot quicker than removing the tank. I've done this on a S-10, and 1/2 ton.

Jeff

I was just getting ready to post a msg when I seen this thread. Ti-ming is everything. I also have a '92 S-10 with a shot sender I need to replace and was going to ask if it was easier to remove / slide the bed back out of the way or drop the tank. Looks like all you need to do is disconnect the fill tube, ground strap, unplug the taillights and remove the four bolts holding the bed down to the frame. Anyone have any additional comments?

Thanks... If worse comes to wose, I'll just replace the unit and the lines. Probably the best thing to do anyway. It's now day two, and I've calmed down a bit .

Rick

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Flash, sliding the box back is probably the easiest option, though one I didn't have or feel comfortable with. I have a topper on mine that weights a couple hundred pounds, and I was doing my fuel pump alone on the driveway. Undertaking sliding the box back without anyone else around wasn't an option for me. You will have to slide it back probably 2 feet or so, so get some supports worked out for the back end of the box and you should be able to do it with little problem.

Big Chris

You guys could do what I did to my 88 S-10 Blazer. I pulled up the carpet in the back and cut an access door in the floor. Works great. Also did the same with my wife's blazer.

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CHEATER!!!!!

ROFLMAO

"Bob" wrote

I've seen guys do this to late model camaros and firebirds. I'm sure you know what is involved in getting those tanks out, eh? Thank goodness late model Cadillacs have access plates now in the trunk area.

Ian

I replace 2 fuel pumps in 18 months in my 97 Cheyenne crewcab what a lemon!

Those camaro tanks are a PITA, just had one out a couple of weeks ago. You know a guy can do stuff to his own vehicle that he would NEVER do to a customers. I remember 8 or 9 years ago my wife got stranded at a gas station near the Wisconsin Dels on I 90. I took a day off work and went to get her, sure enough the fuel pump was dead and she had just filled the tank. Found a Carquest near bye and bought a fuel pump and a tin snips, took about 15 minutes and she was back on the road again. I'm not proud of it but hey.... it was my car and the alternatives weren't good. Bob

"Bob" wrote

I'd do the same thing in that situation. The guys that did it in our shop also did it to their own vehicle. I'm actually surprised that GM didn't just stick an access plate back up there from the factory.

Ian

It's more than likely that it would cost a lot more to design, build, and test one that would be guaranteed not to come apart in any conceivable collision, the lawyers would have a field day with it. Simple; leave it alone, no cost, or institute a complete program to study all aspects of it, millions spent with increased liability. My guess is the product liability department trumped engineering on this one.

Went ahead and lifted the bed off my sons '92 Sonoma. Easy as pie. I,ve never had a sender / pump unit out before and noticed to my horror that the blade style electrical connectors for the pump and sender rheostat are bare connections. Depending on the amount of fuel in the tank they are either above fuel level or submerged. What keeps my fuel tank from exploding?

over-rich mixture

there's very little oxygen in there

There already are some vehicles out there with access panels for the pump. As simple as they are I can't imagine it to be much of a design challenge and I haven't heard about any lawsuits. Ford used them in some of the Escorts and no one seemed to have any problems. Bob

You should have seen the look on a customers face the first time you show them an electric in-tank fuel pump with a wire burned in two!

"97T" wrote

I'd be more inclined to believe that the bean counters won this battle. There is no particular product liability as many vehicles have these "access" plates for getting at fuel pumps in tanks. My 87 Audi 5000 had one, took all of 15 minutes to change a pump. Cadillac's have them in the last few years, again...takes 15-20 minutes to change them. I'm sure there are many other vehicles that use access plates to get at fuel pumps.

I suppose there is always the possibility that the engineers just didn't believe that electric fuel pumps in the tank would wear out before the warranty period was up.

Ian