Fuel pump replacement....task related questions

[roswell998]

1. Should back of car be up on ramps or is there enough clearance with the wheels flat on the ground.

2. I won't have help this weekend but would like to get this out of the way. How tough is it for 1 person to do (fuel tank almost empty)?

3. About how long should this take if all is well with bolt removal etc.?

Thanks

 

[Sho-Driver]

My opinion... I would not drop the tank. I've done the fuel pumps in three SHO's and have cut access holes in each one of them. In one SHO, I changed the fuel pump 3 times. The first time I dropped the tank, every time after, I have cut an access hole for every other SHO I have worked on. Cutting the access hole is actually quicker and easier and will allow you to get in there again if need be.

EDIT: To add to the above... I used a Dremel with some heavy duty cutting disks. If you don't use the heavy duty disks, you will run through many of them.

 

[shoson]

I agree with Sho-Driver. I cut access holes when I had to replace my mtx and atx fuel pumps. I used this link for the cutting dimensions: http://www3.sympatico.ca/david.sansom/SCTaurusGasPump.html
There are a couple of links for cutting the access holes, they are all really the same, this one has dimensions which leave a smaller hole, about 6x6, with plenty of room to work. Definately make shallow, careful cuts. The gas and vapor lines are close. I got both new pumps from apeusa.com, great service and prices.

 

[roswell998]

I'd like to keep the car stock if reasonable (I'm original owner....93atx) but might do the cutout since everyone leans so strongly that direction.

But.............if I do decide to drop tank could someone describe the task asked in the original thread subject?

Thanks again.

 

[Slo-Sho]

I just sheared the bolts off and reused the straps. Have a floor jack to help you maneuver the tank down. Disconnect all lines/wiring/hoses and the tank will come out. Get new bolts/washers for the straps and throw a new fuel filter in as well. I wouldn't cut a hole in the floor, but that's just me. Bottom line, two bolts and the tank is down.

 

[shoson]

At first, I also didn't want to cut a hole in the car, but did so since it seemed so much easier and even did it a second time. This link should help if you want to drop the tank: http://www.shotimes.com/php-bin/mod...le=article&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0&sid=75

 

[FAST4DR]

Ok, since everybody says cut a hole, I will be the antagonist.

I would not cut a hole in the floor. To me, there is no reason, it is very easy to change the fuel pump without cutting a hole in the floor. It shouldn't take more than two hours at the most and that is doing the first time. I can change it in under 30 minutes. We have changed fuel pumps, in the parking lot at the track, that's how big of a non-issue it is. All you need is a jack and two jack stands. A large jack is really what you need. One of those little two ton jacks, might not get you high enough to put jack stands that are big enough under the car.

1. Jack the rear up reasonably high and put the jack stands under the rear torque boxes on each side.
2. Take out the three scews/bolts inside the fuel filler door that you see around the fuel neck.
3. Get under the car and loosen the hose clamps on the lines going to the fuel neck metal part. Take out the one bolt holding the fuel neck assembly to the car.
4. Put the jack under the tank and jack it up until it touches the tank. Heat the bolts(to loosen the up if your car is rusty) going to the straps that hold the tank in and take the bolts out.
5. Lower tank. You will have to work the hoses off of the fuel neck assembly.

If the tank is almost out of fuel, it is not heavy, so you could wedge your legs up under the tank as you take out the two bolts and then lower it down with your legs. (of course do not get under the car unless you have some good jack stands holding it up that are very secure.)

Once you lower the tank down at an angle, you can reach up and pull out the plastic clips that hold the fuel lines on and pull them off.

The pump is held in with a collar. You simply take a drift and knock it the opposite way and then lift the fuel pump out of the tank carefully and slowly. Pay attention to how you have to angle it to get it out, so it will be easier to get back in.

Reverse order.

Will

Here is on old crappy picture. (notice the four jack stands, I don't like to take chances, when it comes to crushing me )

 

[FAST4DR]

I guess I should have read the post before mine and I could have saved all the typing. Glad I type fast.

Will

 

[Rockledge]

I dropped the tank myself on my '94 no problem when I changed my fuel pump. If I had to do it again I would drop the tank again. Just my preference.

If you decide to drop the tank, try and drive your SHO until the tank is almost empty right before doing the job. Although a near empty tank is quite light, it is still a bit awkward, so I ran a wood plank underneath the tank to help me keep it propped up while I finished disconnecting the straps. The plank itself I propped up on wood blocks placed on either side of the car (out of the way). Same thing helped with installation.

I would soak the strap bolts good with PB Blaster or equivalent in advance. Mine were in good shape, I had no problems with them and reused them.

I always work fairly slow and deliberate, and it still only took me a couple of hours to do the job.

 

[roswell998]

So far so good...............tank out..........oh the joy of being the original owner of a car in the South which has never seen the rust belt. The 2 bolts that hold the tank straps look like new!

 

[sdpatt]

I can drop the tank and have the new pump installed before you guys cut the hole in the floor pan. In the non-rust zones, it just isn't that big a deal.

And if you install a quality fuel pump, such as the Walbro 155 lph pump I put in mine, you'll probably never have to do it again. Mine has been in there for 200,000 miles. I have a spare on hand and the thought of dropping the tank to replace it is just not something I worry about.

[Later edit: Apr 27, 2010] The Walbro pump finally went to meet its maker (or disposer) after 16 years and 308,000 miles. I hope its like replacement has as long a life. Thankfully I had the spare as the pump failed to spin while the car sat on my driveway. That was about as convenient a fuel pump failure as you can hope for. I just hope the replacement is a smooth as I recalled in this post.

 

[roswell998]

Stumped until I get this answered (I'm in middle of job)

Well...............now I'm in the middle of this job and stumped by a question.


The directions with my pump from APE are not clear. On the original pump there is a surge eliminator or something that the top fitting on the fuel pump plugs into. From some pictures on other sites it appears to be replaced with a short section of hose.

Questions:

1. What is the device?

2. Should it be reused or replaced with the rubber hose?

3. If it is replaced, why?

EDIT: Actually the written instructions call it a pulse dampener and state that it should be reused. However...........the pictures posted on the web show a short section of fuel line used in place of the pulse dampener. The kit from APE includes a short piece of fuel line and 2 clamps. Which gets back to the original question..........Should I reuse the pulse dampener or replace it with a short piece of fuel line?

FYI...........Pump is Walbro 155 lph

Thanks

 

[shoson]

You should use the pulse dampner unless it will not fit in the assembly with the new pump. However with the walbro 155 or 190 it should fit and not be a probelm. Use the hose as a replacement only if you have to.

 

[Sho-Driver]

I can drop the tank and have the new pump installed before you guys cut the hole in the floor pan. In the non-rust zones, it just isn't that big a deal.

FWIW, a friend and I cut a hole for the fuel pump access door a few weeks ago. We had the job completely finished in less then 30 minutes. On top of that, there was no hassel jacking the car up, laying down on the ground, and balance a tank.

 

[TimboSHO]

I live in the rust belt, and I broke both bolts. It would have been nicer to not have to deal with that by cutting a hole, but too late now. If you live in the south, definately drop the tank. It took me a couple of hours, but most of the time was spent fighting the rusty bolts and whatnot.

 

[roswell998]

Job finished! My $.02 on a couple of items

1. Job went smoothly and Walbro 155 lph pump from APE plus fuel filter installed.

2. After reading the comments over the past months/years regarding differing opinions on cutting a hole in the floor for access to the pump, I would not even consider doing that for several reasons. First, the job is not that tough as sdpatt already stated in this thread. Second, the floor is part of the structure, and in the event of a collision there is a very good chance that the patch would rupture and possibly allow fuel to enter the passenger compartment which could have catastrophic consequences.

3. I don't think that a 155 lph pump is working less hard than a smaller stock pump because these pumps are constant displacement and any of them operate at full capacity no matter how much or little fuel is bled off the closed loop through the injectors. These pumps are incredibly reliable but it makes me wonder if the smaller capacity pumps are the same mechanism operating at lower rpm and if so it would be likely that the smaller pump would actually wear less per hour of operation. That said, I still like the idea of a 155 lph pump on a stock engine because it does have enough reserve capacity to be assured that all the fuel demanded by the engine under hard acceleration is supplied. If anyone knows the rpm vs displacement specs on these pumps, their reply would be appreciated to satisfy my curiosity.

4. FWIW, as original owner of this 93atx I remember that Ford issued a recall to replace the fuel pump which was done at about 40K miles. When removing the pump yesterday, I noticed that the one installed by the Ford dealer was a Walbro with the following numbers on it.........F3DU-9350-CA and 199960-1B

5. After removing the tank, I put it up on a workbench and siphoned out the remaining little bit of fuel and that was a help having a totally empty tank to reinstall.

In any event, thanks to everyone for the help in getting this job done.

 

[Sho-Driver]

I noticed that the one installed by the Ford dealer was a Walbro with the following numbers on it.........F3DU-9350-CA and 199960-1B

The stock fuel pumps in the SHO are a Walbro.

 

[SolidState]

sorry to bring this back from the 'dead'

I just recieved my 155L walbro pump from APE.

roswell: did you reuse the pulse dampener, or the section of hose?

 

[FAST4DR]

sorry to bring this back from the 'dead'

I just recieved my 155L walbro pump from APE.

roswell: did you reuse the pulse dampener, or the section of hose?

I did not reuse the pulse dampner. As a matter of fact, I couldn't. The pump I installed was longer than the factory and the pulse dampner wouldn't fit anyhow.

Don't worry about a wiring harness. Cut the wires and solder and heat shrink tube them together. Soldering them together is the only way to guarantee that you won't have to drop the tank again, which happened to a guy when I was at summit point. Car wouln'd run and he finally narrowed it down the the crimp on connections at the fuel pump.

Here is an old picture from way back. I think this was the 255 lph that I installed and have since taken out and put in a 190.

Will

 

[DigDeez]

I would definitely try and find out for sure that you fuel issue is indeed the fuel pump. I dunno, maybe you've already gotten that far as I brisked through this thread.

I did the whole cutout thing to access the fuel pump, but came to find out it was just my CCRM.........LOL!!! Well, I wasn't mad about it though.

That was the most nerve wrecking thing I've done to my car, because you can't see what's under that very thin layer of plastic-like metal when you're cutting, and all the sparks flying, around the fuel area. It will be completely dry though, so mainly worry about not cutting a splice in one of the lines.

However, I didn't completely cut the square piece out. I cut on three sides, and then bent it back toward the back of the seat. I dremel tool cost around $35/$40. It's a good tool to have, but mind didn't last not even a year. Just went out for no reason, I guess.... Use wet towels to stop the sparks from hitting the seats!