Hey guys.
We all know how much of a pain it is to change the in-tank fuel pump. You gotta rotate the whole tank to get the filler neck to come out, not to mention making the room to do this by removing the exhaust and dropping the rear way down.
I was thinking you could just cut the filler neck from the tank and attach it with a short length of hose, like on many new cars. Then you could just drop the tank without the hassle of freeing the filler neck. This is the problem I always run into when I change pumps.
I can only think of maybe the pressure in the tank blowing the hose off, but shouldn't it vent anyways?
I dropped the tank on my Blazer the other day, and it was sooo easy, it had a hose between the tank and the filler neck.
what do you think.

ttt

Here's a better....and easier way. Pull up the carpet in the hatch area, use a grinder and cut a square in the tin work right above the fuel pump. Leave one side of it uncut and bend it up. Pull the fuel pump, replace the square, put a piece of duct tape over it, and replace the carpet.

:sillylol:

nasty bird....thats exaclty what i did and it worked great..especially for me because my exhaust was welded together and i couldnt drop it....and after i got he pump and all buttoned up the freakin pulsator came off and i had to go back in...

Most of the time people give me a hard time when i tell them that. No one takes it seriously. But it works and it saves a lot of time. Oh yeah, you HAVE to use duct tape.

I really don't want to cut into the body and sheetmetal of my cars, visible or not.
Not a bad idea though, just not for me.
Any opinions of the filler neck idea? I can bear cutting that as it can be replaced if it doesn't work.
I need to know if there is too much pressure in the tank that it would blow off the hose clamped on there.

hmmmm...cutting the filler neck, that doesn't sound like too bad of an idea (don't know if i'd try it though)
as far as cutting the metal to get at the fuel pump there is no way i would ever do that. if the only thing you guys do to seal it out is using duct tape, you'll be kicking yourselves in a couple of years when you pull up your carpeting and see that the metal is all rusted
right now it's 30-40 degrees F. outside and my friend and I are in the middle of changing his fuel pump ('86 T.A.) and were doing it the right way

yeah.... im sure if GM intended you to cut a hole in the floor the wouldnt put straps on the fuel tank.... LOL dont be a hacker, i can see if your exhaust is welded up and your car isnt that good of shape but dont use duck tape!!! water will get up in there and you can goodbye floor. Our cars flex as it is i would never go cutting holes anywhere in it.

If you're thinking of cutting the filler neck with the tank in the car, you'd better drain the tank, then fill it with water. Even if you didn't use a "gas axe" to cut it, a Sawzall or similar tool will still create enough hot particles to ignite the fuel. At least that way, the tank would be off in a hurry, I guess.....

I don't really see a good way to get a pipe cutter in there, either.

The hole can be cut in the floor in a way that isn't "hack". The duct tape thing was more of a joke. I've heard of guys doing it, but it's not the solution. We weld them back in place and paint over it to protect it from rusting. There's one car we did it on where we actually made an access panel through the carpet and thats how he filled the tank. It was one of the fillers like you see on the outside of Vipers. And I dont think the floor of the trunk is really vital to the cars structural integrity.

You would probably have to take the tank out of the car to cut it. Like Vader said there isn't a whole lot of room to work with unless you use some more dangerous method or cutting. I wish they would make replacement tanks built like that. I don't think there would be a pressure problem beings the tank is vented anyway.

I would drop the tank and do it out of the car with the tank empty, and full of water sounds like a safe thing to do.
My main concern was the possible pressure problem. I know the tanks are vented, but there is still some pressure in there. You know the hissing when you take the cap off to fill up? Don't know if its enough to blow off the hose, but wanted to make sure.

Anyone know for sure the pressure isn't too much, am I worried over nothing?

As for my reason to do this, My exhaust isn't welded up or anything, its just the rotating the tank that takes me forever, if I could just drop it straight down it would make it a snap!

thanx

remember guys there is more pressure in your cooling system than in the fuel tank and they have rubber hoses..