I think my fuel pump is shot, and my question is on my 92 does it have an access panel on top somewhere like some of the later model cars or do I still have to drop the tank out.
Thanks.

 

i believe you still have to drop the tank.

------------------
ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd
MM Black Diamond Lodge 538 F&AM

 

Jay, you have to drop the fuel tank out. Karl Hunter and I recently changed my fuel pump to a higher volume pump, and we had to drop the tank. I too have a 92 z28.

 

you also have to drop the rear exhaust

------------------
1991 banditt2 #130 of 600
Project 350 TPI Banditt II
http://www.street-dawg-racing.cityslide.com
http://photos.yahoo.com/tonysams72
http:/discussion-board.com/GreaterCincinnatiFBodyAssociation

 

Let me also add that you will have to undo the swaybar and shocks so you can lower the rearend enough to get the tank out.

------------------
89 IROC-Z 350 TPI

-Flowmaster Catback
-Performance Resource Chip
-700R4 (Rebuilt) Too much done to actually list
-K&N Airfilters
-Ported Plenum
-2.77 Gears (not much to brag about but eh, its there)
-MSD 8.5 mm plug wires
-Gutted cat
-!AIR

 

That job sucks bigtime

------------------
86 Tramaro 90% Trans Am/ 10% IROC/Z (nose, hood,& fenders)
Trans Am Mods as of 1/10/01
3inch
T.E.S/Flowmaster setup,gutted cat,gutted maf,relocated mat,373 gears,upgraded factory chip,255 liter h/press. walpro f/pump & throttle body coolant bypass
njdaewoo@excite.com

 

Basically, drop everything....Your spare time, your evening with the girlfriend, etc., etc.

For real though....Yes, you need to drop the tank. And yes, the exhaust needs to be dropped.....And most importantly, don't go thinking you can get away with simply LOWERING the rearend. You need to drop that too, which means disconnecting everything from the rearend so that it can practically sit on the ground.

------------------
86 Trans Am WS6 Black with tinted windows, shaved door handles
ZZ4, Mini-ram, true duals
***Too many other mods to mention***

"In the future, cities will become deserts,
roads will become battlefields, and the hope of mankind
will appear as a stranger" The Road Warrior

 

I just pulled the carpet up and made my own access panel. I saves lots of time.

 

I have gotten away with leaving the exhaust in (but dropped down) and the brake hose still connected to the diff, but it wasnt any fun. Its easier the more you have out of the way. Be real careful if you decide to leave the brake line in place, make sure you dont put too much strain on it, because its the last thing that will hold the diff from dropping more when you get that far.

Life will be easier if you bend the lip out of the way on the inner panel next to the filler neck towards the back of the car.

I knew it was just a matter of time before someone chimed in with cutting the car up...


If you have a TPI car, I would hate to see the size of the 'panel'
In fact, I have. There was a picture posted here once before and lemme tell ya, it was ugly. About 4" square, and then 3" wide towards the front, and just over the edge of the panel there, and then to the driver side of the car next to where the shock mount is. I shoulda saved that pic.

If you wanna hack your car, thats fine. Keep in mind the unibody on the thirdgen is weak as it is and it doesnt need any more holes in it. I'd rather spend the 4 hours it took me last time to drop the tank and put it back rather than cut my car up and make a panel.

[This message has been edited by madmax (edited April 07, 2001).]

 

My pump is on the side of the motor, so you can ignore this post. However, the access panel sounds like a resonable alternative. It's hidden by the carpet and you could weld a panel(slightly larger than the hole) to retain any strength you lost. Mechanical pumps sure are nice to replace.

------------------
82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro

 

i'm going to be putting a 5.7 tpi in my 305 tbi firebird and i do not look forward to swapping the fuel pumps.i have mixed feelings about cutting a big hole in my car for this "access panel"does any one have a picture of this so i know where i would have to cute?

------------------
1991 banditt2 #130 of 600
Project 350 TPI Banditt II
http://www.street-dawg-racing.cityslide.com
http://photos.yahoo.com/tonysams72
http:/discussion-board.com/GreaterCincinnatiFBodyAssociation/

 

I just put a Walbro 255lph pump and new sending unit in mine. I had everything out of the car already since I'm putting in a 97 rear, so I just dropped the exhaust and the tank came out pretty easy. One bitch though, the three bolts that hold the track bar brace to the body all broke off. They were so rusty that I couldn't use an EZout. I ended up making a nut plate out of 1/8" steel and drilling and tapping 3 7/16 UNF holes in it, and welding it to the body. Be forewarned, those bolts suck! Soak them down with PB and heat them before you take them out because broken bolts suck hard.

------------------
-Jason M. 1991 Camaro Z28

 

Someone found a pic somewhere, so I'm borrowing it and posting it here. This is an example of hack job #2, which requires cutting the metal lines that run forward and down and then to the right from the location shown here. Notice the dark areas in the photo, and on a couple of the lines, which are quite obviously from fuel leakage. You wanna do this, be my guest.



There are some other pics on there you are welcome to look at. If you can read French, you can read whatever is written there as well

http://www.camaro-3gen.com/Trappe.htm

 

Hmmmm...Ugly as sin, just as you said Madmax.

The ONLY way I would EVER build a "hatch" in order to remove my in-tank FP is if I spent about 1,005,990 hours and built a structural integrity hatch complete with ribbing and gussets and perimeter sealing gaskets. Then i would build a T6 aircraft aluminum port plate complete with TIG welded stiffeners and counter-sunk holes for the titanium Tridel fasteners....In other words, not happening any time soon.

------------------
86 Trans Am WS6 Black with tinted windows, shaved door handles
ZZ4, Mini-ram, true duals
***Too many other mods to mention***

"In the future, cities will become deserts,
roads will become battlefields, and the hope of mankind
will appear as a stranger" The Road Warrior

 

Thanks for posting that Madmax...hopefully people will realize what they're getting into if they hack the floor up. I'd hate to see what the rest of that dude's car looks like.

Do it right the first time! It only takes me 3-4 hours to change pumps...it's not that hard at all.

 

Hey guys,
Just a thought: Is there any way to convert over to an inline pump, and mount it somewhere safe and more accessable? I don't really have a clue what this would entail, but my thinking is that if you only had to drop the tank/exhaust/suspension the once, it would save some headaches if you ever have to replace the pump again! Just for the record, I have not had to replace my fuel pump yet, so this is mearly speculation.

------------------
'87 IROC Z28
TPI 305
5-speed w/ Centerforce clutch
3 1/2" exhaust w/ Flowmaster
Clarion, Kenwood, Eclipse, Polk, MTX, Autotek 800 watt stereo system
Grant wheel
Otherwise stock, & good for a 14.68 at DeSoto Dragstrip
More to come soon...
Shooting for high 13's with bolt-on's

 

Yea, you can do it. You have to run a pickup tube in place of the old pump, and run the wires to the inline. Inlines are louder (read:really noisy) and usually cost more. Probably the best place would be somewhere near where the fuel filter is would work, I didnt look too closely. I'd still stick with the intank, they dont go bad that often.

You will see in some places about leaving the intank in and just hooking up the inline. I have heard of that working, and of it not working. Seems to be really hit+miss. Safe and sure way is to take the old one out.

 

Max,
Thanks for the insight. If I were to convert to an inline pump, I wouldn't take the short-cut of leaving the old pump in the tank to suck the fuel through. I don't mind taking the time to a job the right. I've got way too much time, energy, and emotion wrapped up in this car to start skimping on details, as I'm sure a lot of people on this board do!

------------------
'87 IROC Z28
TPI 305
5-speed w/ Centerforce clutch
3 1/2" exhaust w/ Flowmaster
Clarion, Kenwood, Eclipse, Polk, MTX, Autotek 800 watt stereo system
Grant wheel
Otherwise stock, & good for a 14.68 at DeSoto Dragstrip
More to come soon...
Shooting for high 13's with bolt-on's

 

Well I think my Fuel Pump is Toast. Running very lean at idle and just wont run. I know mines in the tank 92 RS 305TBI I like the idea of being able to get to it through the panel rather than dropping the tank out but I guess no one want's to do that to the Panels besides it's GAS. Well I got a quote for 351.00 plus tax to drop my tank put in a new Fuel Pump sock and O ring and gasket from Firestone. Guess I will see what happens it's the only thing left that hasn't been replaced and the car runs like crap at Idle Sputtering like mad and 15 cranks tonight still wont stay running.

------------------
92 RS Camaro 305TBI Black w/t-tops 90,000 original miles
Anniversary Edition.
Owner of fl-thirdgen.org Florida F Body Thirdgen Website

 

i have an old in tank pump for TBI and also an aftermarket inline pump for my TPI , and they are both crap lol j/k, the inline is pretty noisy sounds like a bad electric fan running but my exhaust covers up the sound. Recently my old pump in the tank finally went out completely and now the inline pump is fighting the old pump so your best bet is installing a new in tank one, i'll be doing it tomorrow since i have thanksgiving weekend off, but i say stick to dropping the rear end i've done rear end swaps in an hour with hand tools so the tank should be simple and since everyone says to cut a hole and beware it's very true, i'm a welder and i'm never going to do any welding that close to the tank, especially with how thin the metal is for the floor pan.

 

Well it's nice that you're using the Search but ummmm this is 6 years old.