how hard is it to remove the gas tank?

 

Its a chore if youve never done it before. Set aside a WHOLE day. It took IIRC 8+ hours the first time, then about 5 the second time (including undercoating the tank this time).

 

hard? no. Time consuming... YES (and that is about the biggest understatement ever - anyone who has done will agree)

And once it is out, do yourself a favor and cut an access panel in the rear deck so you can get to the pump without dropping next time.

I think my old 91, I could get to the pump after I...
Lifted the rear end a foot off the ground
unhooked track (pan hard) bar
unhooked the filler neck
unhooked straps and pitched it to the back
Have lots of time and rust breaker spray

It was tight, but I did not have to actually put in "on the ground".

 

the easest way i have found is to pull back carpet out and was a sawz all or jig saw and cut out above the pump be sure to hold saw where blade is barely cutting through so you dont cut the tank. or do as a friend did and use a die grinder not real safe but it worked. dont do as my neighbor and use a torch he went for a flight through the air about 10 feet.

 

I’m a newbie at working on a Firebird and if I can do it I’m sure you can too. I didn’t cut an access panel to get at the pump I just replaced the old pump that was in there at the same time I took the old tank out along with the strainer and I’d strongly recommend doing this. If your lucks like mine, the moment you fit the new tank back in and put the suspension back together and get on the road the pump packs up and it’s back to square one! Course when I found that my tank had a small leak I thought there was no way I could do everything it said in the Haynes manual, but if you follow it closely and don’t rush it, it’s more time consuming rather than hard, good luck!

Speed.

 

pm sent dude

 

I've got to drop the entire exhuast! I don't have a CAT on this car. This could really suck. I took the tank out of my GRand Am in and out in about 2 hrs.

 

yep, back half o the exhaust has gotta come down. Thats when I had my offroad y-pipe put on, I had them keep the ball/flange joint.

BTW, remember the pm, that got cancelled, so I'm around the phone.

 

my luck was when i changed my pump after the tank was out of the car i found the hole someone else had cut before me. when i dropped my tank it wasn't that hard only took 3 or 4 hours. jack the car up as high as possible and put it on stands by the pinch rails. then dissconnect all the rear suspension except the trailing arms and let it hang(put the jack under the rear axle first). watch your brake lines. once the axle is down and exhaust is out of the way unhook the fuel lines and wires for the pump. make sure the tank is empty or close to. if its not its hard to hold a tank with sloshing fuel. loosen the tank straps and twist the tank(top towards front of car) and slide to the passenger side at the same time and it should come right out as long as the car is high enough