Hi there, I have an 89 IROC and need to change my fuel pump. I was wondering the exact spot I need to cut in the floor to remove the pump ( I don't want to drop the tank). Also how big does the hole have to be? I don't want to cut an access panel in the wrong spot and risk having to make it bigger than I have to. Any help would be great!

Thanks,
Matt

 

Before this get flamed up dont bother seriously just drop the tank. It's not like your going to be changing fuel pumps on a regular basis so just do it right. I'd suspect pulling the carpet and starting the cut would take more time then droping the exh down. One jack and 2 good jack stands with a minor selection of tools it can be done quickly the right way.

 

everybody will hate you if you cut an access door

 

I tried that. I have an access panel for nothing. Its more work than dropping the tank. I ended up dropping the tank anyway because I did not want to cut all the fuel lines and have to flare the ends in order to put on fittings to put it all back together. Just asking for leaks that way. Aside from that it's hard to get the sending unit out when its in the car because your somewhat space limited. It's real easy to screw that thing up. Then your fuel reading will be off. Drop the tank man, it's not that bad.

 

What everybody is saying and what others will continue to say. DROP THE TANK.

What if you had a leak back there. Wouldn't want those sparks going all over the place now. Lol.

Do it right, and do right by your car.

 

I just put a pump in mine.(first timer) It was not a cake walk but not all that bad. The exhaust has to come out, dropping the rear end on the ground is a must, this was a good time to do a lube change. Need to find the right twist of the tank to get the filler neck by the sheet metal but that will be obvious (maybe not obvious but you will see what I mean). Than 15 minutes to change the pump and reverse the process. Hope this helps Jim

 

Thanks a lot for the info guys. In the past I read a lot of things that said "just cut a access panel its way easier", good thing I didn't listen to them! Guess I'll have to steal the garage from my dad for a day and drop her out.

 

Speaking of the devil, I decided to pull my carpet up and look what the PO did!

Wonderful.

 

if you replace the fuel line..make sure its submersible fuel line...my vert pump kept going out cause of faulyt fuel line..it would dissolve and clog the pump....

 

Hey everyone, I'm planning on making my acess panel this weekend with a buddy of mine. My fuel pump went bad and I have no time, money, or garage or place or many tools to be dropping this tank. Can y'all give me some pointers on the best way to do this. I'm good at working with metal but i'm nervous about the physical removal of the pump once i open up the panel. And I heard that if the pump doesn't sit correctly it can throw the gauge off????? And how do the lines come off to take out the whole sending unit? and how does the wiring harness come off? and is it diffucult to replace the pump and strainer once the whole assembly is out? Please help and thank you guys
*** Also I don't want to do anything special with lines or anything. I just want to replace the pump and strainer and gasket if needed (also do i need to put any kind of lubricant on the rubber seals or gaskets or O-rings for the pump) I just want to fix what's needed and be done with it and possibly make a hinge for the panel. I'm 18 years old and i'm going to have the help of my friend who doesn't know much more than me, but he also has a camaro and he wants to help and also learn as I do so he knows in the future what has to be done. Please help guys. Thanks
I appreciate it

 

servo...regardless of what the purists will say, it's not that bad to cut the access panel. I did the same thing because previous owners welded the enitre exhaust and i didnt have the room to drop. once you have everything out, its simple to change it out. you'll have to use a small tubing cutter to cut the tubes, and high pressure fuel line and high press. clamps to sleeve them if you dont want to, or cant use compression fittings. i cut mine on three sides, folded it back, and used aluminum flat stock and 1/8th screws with clear silicone to seal it back down.

 

Why do I HAVE to cut the tubes? Isn't there rubber lines on there already, because i thought it was like a few inches of steel tubing from the unit then it went to rubber lines that came down from the tank for flexing and whatever :S

 

unfortunately no, the lines run all the way down the tank..

 

http://www.theautopartsshop.com/ashx...rb/6920137-003

 

Ohh, Wtf. I have an 88 camaro, even that has steel lines running all the way down? And how would a tubing cutter fit in there?

 

it'll fit if you have a small tubing cutter that you can get at any parts store. thats how i did mine, there's just enough give in the lines to get the cutter in.

 

Yea you gotta cut em or make a big mess cutting the hole.

Rubber hose rated for FI will patch it back just fine.
[AZ has the good Goodyear FI rated hose by the ft]

Use stainless steel covered hose if you want to make it perdy.
If you have any problem with say a bend where the hose wants to kink, put hose clamps in the cents n fore n aft of it and use them to make it stay round/bend how you want.


THESE ARE NOT MY PICS

 

Dam man... Alright. I'm trusting you on this haha. What do I ask for when getting the rubber hose? like what size? and how does the electrical connector come out? and where does the hacksaw come in??? or do I not need that, i'm pretty sure it would make sparks :/

 

When I did mine, I used a sharp V grove air chisel, no sparks.


Can't member the hose sizes. [ just don't mix them up ]

just ask for rubber fuel hose, reguarless if you have FI or not, AZ sells you the FI rated hose. [Stamped right on the side what its rated for.]

Oh the electrical connector, well with the backseat stuff n carpet out you can see where the wires run into and through the metal. On the other side of that is a plug in connector for the FP. [which you can easily unplug from the top through your new access hole, or crawl under the car n feel around like the blind ]

That's where I had problems. Had to rewire around it.

 

agreed on the connector, i found it best to get from underneath. I went the extra length and got the hose rated for 100 psi, why take chances. you'll know the sized once you get at the tubes. i went the opposite on mine and cut the three sides to where the folding side was against the rear seats, made the most sense to me..sorry i dont have pics to post.

 

 

When I did mine a couple years ago, I actually dropped the tank but I figured I didn't want to do that again, so I decided to cut an access panel while I was at it. I have an old thread with pics on the process, it all worked out good. If my fuel pump fails again then it's only a 20 min. job. Later.

 

Sorry, I'm not totally sure what the back seat has to do with the wires, Don't they run underneath the car? And does it litterally just unplug?
*** I'm real F***ing nervous about the dam steel fuel lines I gotta cut... Are you sure they will be ok to cut them with like a small brake line tubing cutter???

 

yes, they will be fine if you use a brake tube cutter. and when you have the hole cut, you'll see where the harness plugs in.

 

No all the wiring is inside the car, till it has to run though the body to outside.
[not a good idea to run wires outside the body any more then you have too when its a year round daily.]

that 2nd pic I posted, you can see the inside part of the wire connectors just above the carpet. The plug is right on the other side of that.

 

Ok cool thanks, When I tap the lock ring out and take the pump assembly out of the tank is there a way to easily mess up the float so that the reading would be off. I mean obviously don't bend the thing. but if i accidentally move the float arm up or down will it **** up ****?

 

I kinda understand. I just want to make sure theres no danger of cutting the wires when i open the panel. but it should be ok right? I mean. I cut the carpet and theres no wires under there... its under the body above the fuel tank...

 

Keep in mind that until you cut the hard lines, the pump & pickup will not come out of an installed tank.

The hard lines run forward as you've seen in the pics, turn 90 degrees toward the drivers side, drop down to the bottom of the tank & THEN connect to rubber lines.

In the pic I attached, you can see that the hard lines are basically between the tank & body, until they get near the rear end. So the hard lines have to be cut, if your not gonna drop the tank, to get the pump/pick-up assembly out.

 

Ok. I understand. So I just make the cut to seperate everything do the pump and whatnot then cut an extra inch off for room to put in the high pressure rubber hoses? I think I completly understand. I just wanted to my my homework before I decide to do this, Like I said, i'm 18 and i barely got money to do this haha, but I should be fine. And the lines are different sizes??? So id have to get different size hoses correct?

 

correct...and if you're going to use the hoses you don't really need to cut any extra. The hoses will basically just sleeve over the lines(and clamp of course)

 

I pull the exhaust, panhard bar, and brace. I don't pull the rear end out. The tank is hard to get out but easy to put back in after it is empty.

 

Ok guys, I cut the panel. little rusty on the lines but its expected. I vaccumed the dust and metal shavings and gave it a good spray of wd 40 along the lines and around the metal snap ring. HOW THE HELL DID YOU GUYS CUT THE LINES? THERES NOT MUCH ROOM FOR A BRAKE LINE CUTTER I IMAGINE?? Please help

 

it is possible. it just takes a little work. the key is to get a mini tube cutter, the lines will give just enough to cut them. just takes a little time, and patience. dont rush it.

 

I just use tin snips n then fixed the crushed ends, as once cut you can lift n work on em. But I was lazy, take your time if you not good at reshaping the crushed end.

 

GOOD NEWS GUYS! I got it fixed. I said **** it and used a hack saw to cut the lines. I used wd40 as a lubricant. and i matched the lines with 180PSI hoses that napa gave me. one problem though... the stock black fuel sock that goes on the end of the pump. it was filled with sand now does that sock filter sand or should i be draining my tank right now?

 

Look down the into the hole of the gas tank for junk.

I tossed a magnet in mine near the sock location when it was open.

but sounds like you need a new sock anyways

 

Sounds like your in for dropping the take & rinsing out the sediment in the bottom.

Look at the upside.....Next time it will be easier to get to the pump.

I've always said that doing this mod requires dropping the tank one last time.

 

I never really liked the idea of using regular hose on fuel lines. Theres no barbs or anything to hold the lines on. I got (or almost got) burned by doing that and having a line slip off. Pretty scary watching a garden hose sized stream of gas shoot out the engine compartment.

Ive considered doing an access door if I ever have to pull the tank again. But, Id flare the lines, and use proper compression fittings, as well as a sturdy sealed panel that can handle an accident.

 

Don't think that will help much, it has to be the places he gets gas.

Anything that is in the bottom of the tank isn't going anywhere.

The stuff that makes it past the fuel sock was not solid, until it passed the sock.

Ever wonder how your fuel filter can get clogged in the first place with the fuel sock as the first defender?

On my carbed car, I have had 3 in a row, fuel sock, inline filter and carb body filter and still had to change the carb one. When the first two should of stopped it.

Its cause of crap that came in the gas, that didn't turn solid till well down the chain / where its warmer. [why it turned solid once past the sock, warmer in there]

A change of regular station is in order, someone has crap in their gas where he fills up often.

 

Yea double clamps are a good idea, if you don't flare the end some, making it a chore just to get on, let alone off.

 

If you use a fuel pump, the filter is mainly there to help stop all the brush material as well as whatever wears off the commutator of the motor. Fuel pumps are open inside. Basically, if you take one apart, its just a DC motor direct driving a gerotor, vane pump, or whatever. The gas flows through the interior of the motor, around the armature to keep the pump from overheating. Since it has brushes, a lot of crap can make it into the fuel filter as the pump wears. Not to say that there isnt already stuff in the gas to begin with, but the motor contributes to a lot of it as well.

 

I'm still not interested in making a access panel but I have thought of putting a bulk head fitting in the bottom of the tank with a cap on it so that the tank can be drained.

 

So basically your saying the sand or whatever in my tank is ok because it couldn't clog anything thing up right?? the only problem is the fuel filter becoming clogged then it overheats the pump...? I can't wait to find out who put that **** in my tank. It obviously cant be much because if it was alot and it was getting sucked up the pump wouldn't it have died by now. I been driving it for like 4 days now....

 

We dropped the tank & swapped the pump on Ricky's car
today. From drive into my shop to test drive after was only
3.5 hours. It's not that hard to do it right. These cars flex
enough without cutting big holes in them.

 

Id get the sand out. If it gets into the sock, the pump will overheat, and nuke itself.

 

Yeah. well, wouldn't it have overheated by now?

 

Hard to tell. The sock can be mostly obstructed, but still allow enough fuel to feed the engine under light load. You can risk it, and just leave it like that, if you dont mind spending another $100 bucks or so if the pump does take a dump. The more likely thing to happen is for the pump inlet to become so blocked that it starves the engine for fuel at WOT.

How coarse was the sand? If the grain size is relatively large, it probably will fall away when the pump shuts down. Still, though, its a good idea not to leave it in there. Who knows if and when it can become a problem.

You cut an access panel, anyway, right? Why not take the pump out, and suck all the crap out of the tank. Its not like you have to pull it again.

 

The sand was fine. I'm not sure if it could be just sediment at the bottom of the tank... Idk. But yes I cut the panel and my fuel pump was like 75 bucks. I'm just going to run it. If it dies then I will take it out and clean the crap. how would I suck the sand out??? Shop vac???? I do have to change my fuel filter as well, and I think i have a missfire at 8 cylinder.I drove it yesterday and the car was stumbling but didn't stall and I reved it up and it didn't stumble then. We have snow here in south jersey so when it melts im guna go for a drive and hammer the gas and see what happens. What should I feel for? and just out of curiosity... what should the oil pressure be when warm? I know my engine is tired with 200,000 miles and when warm and in drive it hangs a little above the red. but i read somewhere that its supposed to be like 16 psi or whatever for oil pressure. It does raise obviously when cold and when i drive cuz the rpms are high

 

Just throwing a little story in here, got me a 89 camaro 350, ended up bein a 305 with a bad fuel pump, I have another camaro I checked to see if I could make an access panel on and I decided not to. So I skipped checking if the 89 I got had one so I ended up dropping the tank and come to find out, that **** had a access panel already cut in it. They rigged the fuel pump together whenever the PO did it. Kinda ticked me off lmao

 

Yeah, i'd be pissed!