Hi everyone, Has anybody ever cut out a hole just above the fuel tank from the inside of the 3rd Gen Camaro or Firebird to gain easy access to the fuel pump? I figured that it would be an easy modification dont you think?

A thread like this gets started almost weekly. Yes people have, yes it makes things easier.

Before applying the sawzall to the rear seat panel, get an adequate
view of the sender/tube assembly you're trying to service. On my
Formula, the unit has 2' of fuel line tubes, with a 90 deg. bend.
To remove that with the tank in place (the ultimate goal right...)
would have required an access panel close to the size of the rear seat.

"Measure twice, cut once." is definitely worth consideing.

Good luck

I'm personally against cutting holes in my car.....I just pull tank from bottom like your supposed too.....nothing wrong with making access hole.....it's your car.....but it's not hard to drop tank....just time consuming....but you should only have to do it once in a GREAT while....buy a good pump....

Agreed. Your pump shouldnt go out often. Just slap a walbro255 in there and your set for practically the life of the car, barring any major mechanical defects. Its probably just as time consuming cutting a hole to replace something that only goes bad once in a good while. I mean dropping the tank to replace the car takes about 3-4 hours. Cutting a hole, patching it up and replacing the pump must take just as long, if not longer. 3 hours seems like ages, but introduce fab work, and suddenly your at an all day job. Not to mention our pumps have some weird *** hard lines which would require a huge hole, or some type of modification to the lines to allow easy replacement of the fuel pump.

another vote for no cutting, unless you just dont have the equipment to do the job, and no money to pay someone else to do it.

Another option, if you do remove the tank, it to convert to a external pump. Then no more take removal. Or just but a good pump and be set for another 100k miles. I would go with a delco pump, the walbro pumps seem to have gone down in quality and dont last as long as they used to.

I vote NO on cutting the hole.

I have cut the hole and I ended up welding it back up and dropping the tank anyway. Like stated above the hard lines make it almost impossible to change out the pump unless you cut them. Then my friend you have entered into hack-job territory.

Do you have to move the exhaust to drop the tank?

take a look underneath your car. You'll need to drop the rear end and the exhaust.

Yes you'll have to remove or at least drop it as far as you can.......do a search for "Fuel tank removal" This job is a time consuming PITA but I feel its well worth the effort.

Somebody wrote a good tech article style post on this, just search for it. Whenever people ask about it, it just starts a flame war between the purists and the people who want the easy way out and doesnt get very productive

edit: found it for you, http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/fa...cess-hole.html (FUEL PUMP ACCESS HOLE)

i have had pump go bad 3 in a row , less than months any idea what the heck is going on .?? i used a new gm pump each time ?

I dont know the numbers and procedure off of the top of my head but when you do a fuel pump, you need to test the wires going to and from it. Granted a lot of gms lose them at some point in time, repeated failures on one car is most likely an electrical issue.

is there a spec for volts ohms ect , going to and from pump? any help is needed thanks paul

is the answer to run new wire and on off switch and bypass factory wiring?

Ya theres some tests to do, I dont have any information in front of me. Hopefully some kind soul will share it with you otherwise I may look it up in my service manual at work tomorrow.

Piece of slightly off topic advice, go on ebay and see if you cant pick up a factory service manual for your year, itll be the best $30 you can spend.

thanks if you look in manual let me know , what are your thoughts on running new wiring and bypass factory wires ?

Shop TSB on multiple Fuel pump failures on F body Vehicles

Number: 89-112-6C Section: 6C Date: MARCH, 1989 Subject: FUEL PUMP STRAINER (IN-TANK FILTER/SOCK) REPLACEMENT Model and Year: 1984-89 CHEVROLET PASSENGER CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS WITH ELECTRIC IN-TANK FUEL PUMP TO: ALL CHEVROLET DEALERS There have been some comments of vehicles experiencing multiple fuel pump failures where it has been determined that the failure of the replacement pumps was the direct result of transferring a contaminated strainer from the original pump. Sometimes the contamination is on the inside of the strainer and not readily visible.
In order to eliminate the possibility of damage or diminishing longevity of a service replacement fuel pump, it is always necessary to replace the fuel strainer at the same time as replacing the pump.

Yeah, I agreed with all you guys. I already dropped the tank, including the exaust, and axle. When I saw that the fuel lines drop off to the side I though, how would I remove the pump, up and out if the tubes are made of metal? So I just went the long way. Thanks for the advise fellaz.