Hey Folks has anyone ever tried cutting a hole in sheet metal under carpet right above gas tank successfully if so could you reveal how you did it ?? Would really like to know

 

many people have done it, but there is nothing "successful" about hacking a hole in a car instead of fixing something the right way. if you need to change your fuel pump or sending unit, just drop the tank. it can be done in about an hour using basic tools and a floor jack.

 

good luck

 

i agree completely, but 1 hour is not nearly enough time. if you have no brokenb bolts to deal with, i would say 3 hours is a safe number provided you ahve the right tools.

this is where to cut, but if i can get you to not do this, i would.
biggest issue is that you have to cut the hard lines to remove the sender, then reassemble them. if you have a mpfi/tunded port car, you HAVE to flare the lines. you can use rubber hose and clamps since they are not rated for the pressure of this application.

this is the hole


this is the only thing close to what i would call the "right way" of reconnecting the lines, anbd what you need to do to correctly reconnect you lines since you have a TPI car.


if yours looks like this when you are done, you failed

or this


funny how some folks think this is a correct way.....

 

and a basic search for this topic would have resulted in the same info without the need for another thread

 

Please do it right and drop the tank, its not THAT hard. I recently had to fix one that looked like this. Not fun:

Jackstands in front of the LCAs, remove wheels, unhook the E-brake cables, sway bar mounts, brake bracket bolt upper and lower panhard bars. Unbolt lower nut on shocks, lower axle until torque arm stops rotation. Unhook fuel lines, unplug connector, remove two bolts for straps. Front of the tank must rotate downward FIRST or it will never come out. Its out. 3-5 hours first time, 2-3 if you've done it before and none of the suspension bolts seize in their sleeves

 

i modified my tank a little after the first time. now i dont even have to drop the rear and it takes about half an hour to get my tank out...

 

What did you do?

 

cut the filler neck near the filler opening and spliced it back together with small peice of fuel filler hose. the filler neck is usually what requires the rear to drop to give it room to clear. where you cut the neck is only a few inches down from the opening but it gives just enough clearance with it removed.

On a side note, i didnt originally cut it for clearance, i cut it because my filler openeing was jacked up and i had a spare 4th gen tank. the 4th gen tank is the same except for the sending unit. so instead of swapping to a 4th gen tank and sending unit, i just cut the filler opening off the 4th gen tank and used it on my 3rd gen tank.

you can pm me for more details on the cut...

 

Using the Search here on TGO, I found some good threads with info & pics:

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/tur...utes-less.html

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tpi/...cces-done.html

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/post...4-post160.html

 

I'm surprised you didn't get flamed yet by a bunch of jerks.

Most new cars have sealed panels to access the fuel pumps.

A lot of the go-fast guys are now putting LS1 fuel senders in the tank (like me), which also lets you use the quick connect fittings. Vetteworks sells the adapter ring that welds to the tank.

I have no problem with cutting a hole, and welding up a ring with studs to make an OEM like "quick panel". It's OK to run tubular control arms, bigger brakes, aftermarket LCA's, but it's not OK to weld in a panel to access the fuel pump?

-- Joe

 

The problem with the fuel pump access is 99% of the people that cut them, just hack them up and dont bother trying to make it right. I have no problem with the access door IF DONE RIGHT. But like stated, most people dont want to take the time to do it right, which requires dropping the tank anyway (welding sparks + fuel tank = bad). I dont have the tools to do it right, there for I modded my tank to make dropping it less of a hassle.

 

Right, but when presented with the question of how to do it, shouldn't the poster get the correct way in answer rather than "don't do it". ?

Like I said, while the tank is out is a good time to go to a bucket sender (LSx) and change to the GM quick connect 3/8" and 5/16" fittings rather than the factory hard lines.

Once the tank is empty, dry ice in the tank will allow you to weld the tank.

If once doesn't want the far superior LSx type sender bucket, you could still modify the factory sender to use fittings either 3/8" and 5/16" NPT or tube to -6AN.

-- Joe

 

Good luck with the car. Perhaps use of the "search" feature will yield more commentary.

-- Joe