When you are removing the rear end do you just take the shocks off from the exle or is it easier to do it from the top (behind the seat). Or is there a easier way to get the gas tank out?

 

Put car in air high and stable(triple check)

If your call falls on you for shoddy jacks or bad placement on your behalf I dont say "How sad!", I will point and laugh.

Now:

Remove rear wheels.

unbolt exhaust.

Unbolt lower shock bolts.

lower rear end with jack

Remove exhaust intact over pass wheel :-)

remove all heat shielding in way of gas tank

unbolt fuel lines up to the front of the car.

lower rear end as far as it will go(brake line, watch out for it)

unbolt filler neck surround.

unbolt tank and twist towards rear of car as u drop the far corner of it.

swap pump and reverse.

later
Jeremy

Should take 3-4 hours if your mechanically inclined

 

Wow, Dont remove your rear end .. Lower it

Here is a quick explanation

EDIT: Been beaten to the punch

 

Now the fuel hoses are the ones on the driver side right, there is like 4 hoses that you use a flat screwdriver to take them off right. And the one connection in the middle of the car.

 

Just pulled mine today. In addition to what 3.8 said above, remove end-links on the anti-sway bar if equipped (good time to replace them!). If the rear then drops enough that the springs fall out, you probably have enough room. I marked (indexed) where the end of the springs were on the bottom perch before they fell out.

 

That's allot of work.

There is an easy way. Though GM didn't think of this till 00 and put in a hole so you could do this, then they cancled the line?

Jap cars are smart and do this by adding a hole factory.

 

Should mention some folks will say these cars are so flimsy it will fall apart if you cut that metal back there. And others will say it so strong back there it will never move "your RSTB does nothing".

Myself I have done this, there was no side effects but I also didn't butcher it as bad. But I also installed a rear shock tower brace. Again some say it does notihng, other think my car will fall apart with out it.

I found no difference after cutting the hole but did notice it a bit stiffer after adding the RSTB. I used steel braided fuel line and double clamps on each end for the fuel lines. Steel braided can turn sharp n not kink. Reg rubber will work but you may need to stick a spare hose clamp in the middle of the bend to make it stay round, not kink.

I use some of the same hose n clamps for my fuel filter. I just get the same large one but with nipple ends, not threaded.

 

Now I cant get the tank out cause my exhaust pipe is on the passinger side. so what do i do now?

 

You have to remove the exhaust - disconnect it from the cat, and pull it out over the axle - leaving your muffler in tact - that way you don't have to readjust your muffler pipes.

To do this, I found the car must be jacked and on stands at least 18 inches up off ground. Then the entire intermediate pipe with muffler and tailpipes attached will come out over the rear axle.

 

I just took my tank off last week. Wasn't able to pull the exhaust pipe/muffler completely out after disconnecting in from the cat because of the shape of the pipe,.. I just raised the body far enough to work the tank out. Would have been nice if the freakin filler neck was disconnectable. I also put a long stick in the filler neck from the outside to kind of giude it out with force. If your car is anything like mine, and you took the track bar / brace off, then when you're putting it back together, remember to put the exhaust pipe above the damn track bar before you re-install the track bar! This really pissed me off when I realized I forgot!

 

While its apart you would be a fool not to replace busing and such.

 

I;m in the process fo doing this job right now. I got the exhaust out (had to cut), removed the panhard bars, loosened the tank only to look and see a hole was already cut in the past. That pissed me off!

 

Easy job. I can have the gas tank and rear end out of a thirdgen in less than 40 miutes, working by myself.