Do you seriously have to cut off the exhaust to get to the fuel pump?
Please tell me that GM put an access panel under the carpet.
Thought I would ask before I started ripping lol

 

No access panel. Some folks cut one them selves but I don't recommend this. After you drop the axle, you will find that you can detach the exhaust behind the cat and let it hang. Of course this is much easier when the job is done on a rack.

 

You don't have to "cut" off the exhaust, unless you have it all welded. I simplt disconnected the I-pipe from the back of the cat and pulled the exhaust out the rear, dropped the tank, did the pump, replaced tank, bolted exhaust back up. I make it sound easy, it's not hard, just time consuming - think it took me 5 hours alone in the driveway.

 

Yea whatever smack tard owned it before me cut off the cat and had a bunch of goofy stuff welded in. I had the cat replaced and its still kinda piecemeal from behind the cat. Guess ill wait till the pump totally goes out, save some cash and redo the exhaust after the cat at the same time. I noticed you dropped the axle, do you have to drop it to get the tank out?

 

You only have detach the shocks from the axle housing. This gives you enough clearance to wrestle out the exhaust and drop the tank.

 

i cut a hole in mine and then just got sheet metal and made a rubber gasket and sealed it all back up for easy access if ti goes out again, i say cut the hole, it will make a 5 or 6 hour job into about 45 min to an hour and 30 tops,

then once your carpet it back over it no one will know but you, and itll be alot easier if you ever have to change it again

 

I would be very angry if I bought a 3rd gen and found someone had cut a hole in it. You realize you save yourself almost no time doing that? The tank drop is not that bad if you just go through the steps. Plus, I do in tank fuel pumps by the dozens every year. Once replaced with a quality unit using professional methods, they don't fail again, not for years and years. Now you have rubber sections in your fuel lines sealed with hose clamps. You just created one more weak link.

Truth is, I run dual external fuel pumps. I have never liked in tank pumps. I have a Holley Blue race pump at the tank with AN10 braided into the tank through a bulkhead connector. Fuel runs through 1/2 line to a reservoir at the engine bay. The reservoir prevents fuel cutout in hard corners. If you carefully read my sig, you'll see the IROC Beast can corner very hard. From the reservoir, an Aeromotive EFI pump supplies the rails, pressure(70psi) is controlled by a Mallory EFI FPR.

Don't fool around with access doors. If you don't want to replace intank pumps, do away with them.

 

Im just gonna cut my exhaust off right after the cat, because its junk anyway. Do i still need to detach the shocks?

 

Yes, you will need to detach the shocks, only from the axle tube. That's two bolts. This allows you to drop the axle out of the way.

 

Okay thanks, guess ill just save a little more and replace the rear shocks as well!

 

You and I agree on most things except here. Yes, there are hokey hack jobs done. GM should have a hatch, there is no doubt to that. But, you could use a flaring tool and have a leak free connection. There is nothing wrong with the hatch method when done correctly. The term "done correctly" also means the hatch must be "attractive"

 

I'll admit, just because I don't agree doesn't mean it isn't true.