Cutting Fuel Pump Access Panel and Removing Fuel Pump Assembly - 86 Trans AM with 02 Gas Tank
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
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Been a little while since I had any videos to share! But now I have quite a few to edit and upload so stay tuned!
This is some shots of me making my access panel for my fuel pump in my 86 Trans AM. The fuel tank is a 2002 plastic fuel tank. You'll notice with this combination, I dont need to cut the football field sized hole that you need to cut with the 82-92 and 93-98 metal tanks. Its a pretty small opening.
I make sure I radius cut the corners to keep the stress points down. I will be making a nice cover to seal this up. I might put it in another video, but most likely Ill do it and comment on it in another video.
Im not 100% thrilled with how the nibbler worked. I should have practiced with it a little to get a feel for how it was going to cut. But, it worked.
Thanks for watching!
Your disclaimers are spot-on. Anyone who complains doesn't understand you're walking between taking expert advice and finding your own path.
Air hammer with a sheet metal cutting bit works great for cutting the hole. Clean edges and no sparks... just my 2 cents. Nice video.
I have done it to all of my cars it makes it easier and less money in the end nicely done
I just pull up the carpet and spare tire cover in my trunk and that's it! access hole right there. Done deal... I like watching all kinds of DIY videos just to check out the different ways people make do, get some great ideas Thanks!... But I do miss good ole American Muscle...
2002 Chevy Avalanche...I made my own hole to replace the fuel pump through. Worked just fine.
This was quite informative and practical.....even exercising caution. I even did the same thing to a 2001 Chevy Malibu on 12/20/20. I made sure there were NO gas fumes prior to using my angle grinder and a metal cutting disc. Problem solved and just much quicker.Thanks for this information.
Glad you liked the video! I like to think I did a neat job and its still safe and accessible.
i like this solution as long as its done nice and properly. should be there from factory in my opinion.
farerse A more expensive car often has an access panel for the fuel pump. Access panels for a fuel pumps existed before the 3rd generation F car was designed in 1978 to 81. Thus GM did the typical thing of what car buyers want a lower base price. All the added fluff is rung out of the costs of building consumer items. With volumes going into the millions the parts are figured to tenths and hundreds of cents. Few in 1986 are going say they are willing to spend 20 bucks extra on the sticker price for an access panel. In one consumer item I was a designer on the volumes were several million. One tenth cent on 1 million units is 1000 dollars. Thus often Engineers and Designers do have these ideas but the bean counters kill them so there can be a profit to be around another day. The 3rd gen F cars run aluminum wire in the bottom left rocker panel to save weight and cost too.
Damn right, they should have an access panel. A guy had to replace a fuel pump on his Jag, to his horror the entire rear sub-frame has to be dropped to gain access to the fuel tank. The garage wanted a $1,000.00 dollars just for labor. I told him cut out a hole, however, he frowned on the idea. FYI early model Sabbs have a factory access door in their trunk, they are the only manufacture that has one to my knowledge.
Agreed!
Work smarter not harder ....02 Chevy SS Camaro 💯
That is a nice idea, and I wish the companies making the vehicles had put access panels in the vehicle where it is easier to remove the fuel pumps. Thanks for sharing and I will remember this for the work on my 1999 Ford Explorer.
I have done this procedure on a car and 2 or 3 pkups. . I have dropped gas tanks in the past to change out the fuel pumps and will not do it again. In my opinion this is the only way to go. Nice job..
Thanks!
Joseph M how would you create an access hole for a pickup when the tank is right below the truck bed?
Very simple, take some measurements to make sure you're directly above the fuel tank opening to access the fuel pump. Simply draw a square with a black marker, use an angle grinder with a cutting blade and cut three sides first being careful not to go to deep. Once you have 3 sides cut, cut the fourth side about 2 inches on either side, pry up the cut piece and bend it back. Replace the fuel pump and bend it back in place. If you have a bed-liner just put it back on, if not tack weld it or use JB weld.
If it's a newer vehicle you may not want to take this route, however, it works fine and does no harm to the gas tank and you can cover up the cut with a bit of bondo, primer and paint if you're worried about appearance.
lift the front of the bed up about a foot. Leave the back of the bed down enough so you can keep your taillight wiring hooked up...
An suv yes but why a pickup its so easy to unbolt the bed
This method is fine! most imports already have a factory access panel. make sure and clean top well then blow off good with compressed air. just get another piece of shear metal an inch or so bigger than the hole and seal it down with black butyl tape. could also use urethane auto glass sealant.
Always make sure your fuel pump is able to be lifted out of the cut hole. Some fuel pumps have pipes and hoses extended from it that will not allow you to do this.
That's a good point. Generally, if the car didn't come with an access panel, the metal or plastic pipes usually DON'T have a coupling there at the top; its further down along the side or at the bottom of the tank. Cutting the access panel in a case such as this is only half of the job, the metal lines still need to be cut and re-connected afterward.
This car here in the video is an exception since his tank is a 2002.
You gotta cut it
An air chisel with a sheet metal cutting bit works great.
The biggest down side to cutting the interior floor panel to access the fuel tank is you now have a seem in a place that could put you at a slightly higher risk of having fire enter the interior in the event of an accident. Even if you get a large panel from a donor car to allow for a large overlapping flange and use body seam sealer, there is still a slight chance that the panel could deform in a crash resulting in a gap that could allow fire or fuel vapors to enter the interior of the car easier.
+JeepCollector91 True on the air chisel. Probably mostly true on the danger. However its no more dangerous than a newer car that has an access door already in place. Heck my subaru has two access points. The tank is a two hump design. Each tank is directly under the two rear passenger seats. Each side has a LARGE access panel. No where near as stout as my cover. Of course, its further from the rear of the car, hence less likely to get damaged in a rear end crash or something. But still. If I get hit THAT hard in my TA, I will have plenty of issues as it is haha. Thanks for the comment!
Your absolutely rite. There needs to be a factory access panel in every car. Especially the F-Body. These cars are hard to work on and have a lot of issues like this. I'm going to perform this on my 4rth gen.
I made them on 2 ford exploders I used an old license plate black rtv and 4 self tapping bolts wallah an awesome accessory hatch!
Great detailed video really appreciate the in depth step.by step. I don't see why you wouldn't do it any other way, definitely saves on time money and headache of dropping the tank.
I agree! Thanks for watching and commenting!
to cut that out, use an air chisel with a PANEL CUTTER bit. same as used by bodyshops to cut quarter panels, floors, etc. out. and you can use the bit alone, by hitting it with a hammer. it will cut a hole in 5 minutes by hand. or 1 minute using air chisel. it's a bit end like a big can opener.
Yup...that'll work too. Less mess than a nibbler as well. I was finding little steel "fingernail clippings" for years after this. But...still made a clean cut with no risk to the fuel lines or tank.
th-cam.com/video/55lzbCH7VK0/w-d-xo.html
I cut one out today for fuel pump access.
Hey! Keg; that would be a Good Idea! To make a vid showing how to put the cutted piece of tin converted into a metal cover in order for you (and us) seal it and open it again in future times
! Great Vid! Man!
Thanks for the comment! I am actually going to re-make the cover. I wasnt totally happy with how I did it. Its solid, and safe, but I want it to be cleaner. Ill take video of that one when I make it!
Yeah! You had me when i seen the sender. Lol. Had me scratching my head. Nice. I didnt know that swap. Swwet.
that trap door would make changing the pump a hell of alot easier. but how did you find the exact spot to cut..
I was thinking the same thing
yeh I agree, thanks for your thoughts all the best Tim.
I like the idea (that’s why I’m here) I’ve got an ‘03 Lincoln TownCar that sat 2 years and now it’s not getting fuel . Seems like there must be an easy way to jumper it to make sure it is getting power to the pump . Called to get an idea of cost and was told $750 + didn’t think to ask if that was OEM or aftermarket. But it’s more than I can afford. Any Ideas or professional opinions would be greatly appreciated. It’s in my next door neighbor’s driveway and snow is gonna be here soon so I gotta get busy and get er’ done!
***** Outstanding Tip!!! Great work and patience, thank you! Can't wait till your next video of installing fuel pump and sealing this up.
Springfield,VA
+Gary Kohan Thanks Gary! I wish I had video of me sealing it up. I still want to redo it though haha. Right now its sealed with a ton of RTV, a nice aluminum plate, and some short sheet screws. But I want to do something much nicer and Ill be sure to catch it on video when I do.
Access holes should've been engineered at the factory.That in my opinion isn't hack dropping the gas tank taking exhaust apart is allot of work especially on a car.Not to mention a bit dangerous I ve never liked really under a car with Jack stands.I ve had Jack's break letting the car down.so keep safety in mine.
Ideas like "Access holes" are often on imports and more expensive American cars. It is not an engineering problem, it is a cost issue. All these cool ideas get nixed to get the production costs lower. More expensive GM cars of the same era have an access panel, Subarus and Mazda cars often do to. One has the tooling cost of the extra panel, the cost of the seal the fasteners. Over the production run of a 1 million cars it saved GM several million to leave out the panel. If all the " should've been engineered at the factory" things were done then the Camaro would cost a lot more. Thus as an Engineer one tied to get cool things into a design but they often get killed do to costs. ie they sweat costs down to thousands of a cent and sweat the labor to do the extra gizmo.
Thx for this. I think I'll drop the tank first & then cut the hole for the next time I need access. It's ridiculous to have ever eliminated these pump access panels.
No problem. I wish I would have done it while the tank was out as well. I could have made the hole even nicer, and done something different to close it up. Its very nice to be able to get in there when needed without having to even lift the car up.
At least you can unhook the fuel lines on the housing ..on a grand am they don't come off. So I just cut them and used 2 compression fitting
So my 1996 MK2 Ford Mondeo has a rubber grommet to access the whole fuel pump assembly behind the rear seats yet it never failed lol. Now I had to drop the fuel tank of my Ford Focus and I thought it wasn't so much of a deal to do it once, now the pump has quit on me again and I had to fix it out under snowing weather. I regret not cutting a hole for simplicity sake. Have seen people doing it nicely with screws and rubber sealing.
Yeah I catch tons of flack for this. But I have had the access for years now. Car hasnt exploded. I smell no fuel. Its not rusting out. And I sure as heck wont be crawling around under the car to replace the pump or make upgrades :)
I like the idea of using a nibbler. Though it seems a bit messy, seems far safer than using a cut off wheel by far. I think I'll get a air nibbler to do this. I'm mostly doing this to fix the fuel sending unit, which I saw a fix in a different video., but since I'm going through all this, I might as well replace the fuel pump. Is the racetronix fuel pump worth it? I hear gm's fuel pump is unreliable.
I have a 98 gmc jimmy , I cut an access hole behind the rear seat to get to the pump and covered it back up with a bit bigger new piece of metal with foam door weather stripping on the back side of it to seal it and screwed it down with some short self tapping screws. I put a new pump in it I got off ebay for $26 shipping included . I got two and keep the other one onboard so if the pump goes again all I have to do is get off the road and I can remove the access panel and replace the pump in 20 minutes . So far so good ! I haven't needed the second pump yet .
I was moments away from cutting a hole with an angle grinder...dropped tank instead. To my surprise, there is a hose missing and I might have lit my truck on fire. Hindsight: If you belive a tweeker owned your ride before... do everything by the book cause you dont know what safety is missing.
Nibblers likr plasma cutter work WAY BETTER with a straight edge guide 😁.
Using a cut wheel and SCORE ur lines multiple times.. i like variable speed tools for this kind of work. Lucky for you yours is under the seat. Mine's right in the tail end of the back of my blazer and on a corrugated bed 😮😢. I had to have a shop custom make me a piece to match the corrugation on the piece that I cut out it came out very clean but I had no lip on which to set it on to !!😂
That's a great idea. Never heard of anyone making a hatch.
That's thinking if your going to keep the vehicle, and when it comes time to replace it again,….it will be a slam dunk.
But,...The only thing wrong with your idea is "(if your going to keep the truck for years )",..then dropping the fuel tank is part of maintaining your vehicle. Gas tanks rust out too, and while your changing your fuel pump, you can check out your tank, clean out the grunge around the straps that also rust out and give it some paint and some new strap gaskets.
Decent points! I plan to keep this car til my dying day! In the event that I have to sell, anyone that buys this car will appreciate the method haha. I hope to not have to replace the pump again. But I do plan on changing the fuel lines. Also, the tank is plastic :). I just cleaned the inside and can do so through the opening. Straps are galvanized and haven't rusted in almost 30 years so they're here to stay! I wouldn't do this to a show car, and if I had a nice garage with a lift I probably wouldn't have done it either. But a fuel pump change, sender fix, hose replacement, etc is a job measured in minutes while in my driveway with minimal tools! Thanks for watching!!!
Hello, What is the nibbler? Is it a tip that fits on an air tool? I have to cut a hole for my Astro van fuel pump and Im looking for options. I like this because there are very few sparks. I have a small air compressor. I think it will be enough pressure for this small job. Just wondering what name to look for to order the nibbler tool. Thanks Chris
The nibbler is the entire tool that I used. The name implies what it does. It just takes little nibbles out of the sheet metal. The advantage is, it doesnt make sparks, makes a fairly clean cut, and doesnt need to plunge far below the sheet metal. The downside is its VERY noisy, makes a huge mess of chips, and leaves a pretty large gap on either side of the cut.
Will definitely be going this route on my 1982 trans am. As this is the second time the fuel pump has failed. Went the expensive way the first time at a cost of $950.00 bucks.
+kitt2000car Ouch!! Yeah if you are paying someone else to replace the pump, this way will definitely be a bit cheaper vs. the labor cost of pulling everything. Just keep in mind that if your 82 has the stock tank and all, your hole will be in a slightly different location, and much larger. So do some digging on the forums before you commit to that method on that car. If you've done a tank swap, then have at it! Thanks for watching!
+JEG's Garage Thanks for the info didn't relize the hole will have to be different than yours?? To my knowlege it is a stock tank. Won't be doing it until the spring gives me time to do some digging around.
+kitt2000car Yeah its very different. I dont think I would personally do it on a stock tank car. The hole needs to be on the "seat" side of the hump vs the 'trunk" side like mine, and it has to be at least twice as long. The lines on the 82 will have to be cut, then spliced back together with hose I think. But do a little digging on thirdgen.org because plenty of folks have done it. You can certainly still do it. Def take your time and make a nice cut though since its bigger.
One downward slip on knicking those plastic lines combines with the sparks from cutting the metal.
What sparks? No way the nibbler was nicking the lines...
use the nibbler buy a cookie pan teflon drill pop rivet holes silicon the floor pop rivet
them togther next fule pump change drill out the rivets.
same with trans bolt hole drilling!!!!! perfect analogy
Used a pair of red handled tin snips to cut mine out
Me 2
Must look like a total hack job.
@@CPMest81 does it matter ?seat sits on top of it . Screwed an old license plate over it .
@@Libdiddy up to you I guess bud, it's your car.
Gotta be careful what you say. Someone might come along and say that you’re a total hack job.
I have done this on a 99 Tahoe, an 83 z28 and a 99 firehawk slp I used an old no parking sign and a piano hinge with some butyl tape to seal it. Covered with carpet you will never know what i did
Having tried it both ways now, it's actually easier to drop the tank - in my opinion. Getting the tank down is a bit of a hassle, but the work on the fuel pump is much, much easier, especially getting that mounting ring off. dh
Hey David. Thanks for the comment! Thats the beauty of this hobby. Everyone can do it the way they like best :) I had to go back into my tank 3 times after install...so for me, the panel has already paid off. Also, the 4th gen tank sender ring comes off way easier than the thirdgen unit in my opinion. Only needs a few taps with the brass drift to get it spinning off. I still find it much easier for me, and thats even with the 4th gen tank and its rubber filler hose which makes taking the tank out cake. If I had a lift...or even a garage, I would be more open to dropping it down when needed. I hate having to go under this car for anything though. Thanks for watching!
Hand saw and water too cut it out on my 96 tbird. Ohh and i hada 12 pack for the patience 🤦🏾♂️
@callmeko Haha thanks. Yeah sometimes I get wrapped up and dont turn the camera back on. A cinematographer I am not... What was it that you wanted to see? Let me guess...making/securing of the cover? I admit its something I wanted to show, but timing never worked out for getting it on video. My projects are on a tight schedule, with other obligations and family and all. I need to work fast. I wish I had time to set up my shots, get different angles, maybe have a helper etc etc. Ill be in there again though...and I want to make a new/better cover.
awesome thanks only did that in race cars
Al McQueen u@
The bucket swelling is common. I had to slightly cut the tank top get mine out of an 03 seville. They come with access panel thankfully but I'll be doing this to other cars I have.
wdym you had to cut it slightly
HRVAT1975 This particular car was an LG4 car. Computer controlled carb. In a nut shell, I used NOTHING from the stock thirdgen. I literally strip the car front to back of everything except for the wiring for horns/lights/wipers and interior. Starting at the rear, its a 4th gen plastic tank. I install the 4th gen bulkhead connector behind the rear seats in place of the stock harness. So its plug and play from the tank into the car. Then I used the fuel lines from the 4th gen as well. They are a nice fit until the front subframe, where the 4th gen lines "kick out". I modified the lines, and brought them up into the engine bay in the same spot as the 4th gen. Then hooked to the fuel rail with some russel quick disconnect fittings and braided line.
How can I purchase one of them fuel pumps you talking about on the video
My 2006 honda accord has fuel pump access hole already made by the factory in the trunk. Easy. I guess it all depends on What kind of car you buy.
Yup. Some have them, some dont. I think you'll find most import cars (for the U.S.) have them, and a whole bunch of newer cars regardless of make and model. Its just a smarter way to work on it. There is no downside to having one. The only downside is when people hack into the floors and dont do a neat job, and dont cover it up nicely. If you do it clean, I see zero harm...unless you're cutting up a super rare car haha.
I did the same thing to my 1999 Chevy truck, now I can change a fuel pump in a few minutes. Not hours.
I hope it wasnt a pickup truck
@@DMD81773 yes it was...
The main things that would concern me: 1) would the firewall be capped in a way to withstand a crash as well as, or better than the original structure? 2) does it affect the structural integrity? 3) what happens in a fire?
Hi Tuvoca. Fair concerns. 1) The hole is sealed in a way that during a crash I doubt it would pop open. Its not only sealed with fuel resistant RTV, but its riveted in place. 2) It shouldn't affect structure at all. That area is basically just a cover for the fuel tank area. All the structure comes from the rear sub-frame and this is just thin sheet metal up top. The hole is fairly small as well. 3) In the event of a fire...whatever would have happened before will happen now. The hole is totally sealed. If the vehicle is hit hard enough to cause the cover to come off and fuel to spray in...it probably would have cracked/tore/busted the factory sheet metal as well. Let me put it this way. My Subaru had TWO fuel covers under the back seat. They were very thin tin, and had a foam gasket, and 4 tiny sheet metal screws to secure them. That is under the back seat. What I have done shouldn't be any worse than that from a safety standpoint and in fact might even be sealed better.
This is a good short cut. Anyone who knows anything about the structural strength of a uni-body car know the integrity is now compromised and now , if the car ever needs a certification and the mechanic sees this hole it will cause the vehicle to fail. Some cars do have this type of access, great idea but the engineers factor the crumble rate in crash tests where this does not. I had hoped to see you close up the hole but guess you didn’t make that video.
okay man we'll see what happens see how it goes will standby man let us know Ten-Four
thanks for going into detail. most youtubers dont. great video
+Entertainment Tonight thanks for watching and commenting!
gray that'll be something done from the factory but it needs to be showing you how to seal it properly in this video thank you
Hi Robert. Yeah I realized I left a big portion of the job out of the video. I will be re-making the cover at some point just to clean it up. I will take video then for sure!
Drop the tank so that you can also clean the tank! A dirty tank will kill your pump fast. I did the access hole (or is it A. Hole) method 4 times because my pump kept dying. When you cut a hole you really can't see the entire tank. I kept blaming aftermarket parts (even Delphi) but I now know it was a dirty tank.
Hi Tom. Check the video I posted shortly after this one. I actually show video of the inside of the tank. The whole reason I did this was to install an aftermarket pump and harness. Aftermarket stuff has a habit of being unreliable, so I wanted to make sure I could get back in there easy. The tank inside, which is plastic by the way, was spotless.
How do you close the hole you made, looks like a fire hazard in a crash. There is a reason they have metal between the tank and the interior.
Ray, I used a panel that is sealed and bolted in place. Have you seen factory access panels? My Subaru had TWO of these under the back seat. And the covers were nothing more than thin sheet metal with a foam seal and 4 self tappers holding it down. That's why I felt ok doing it. Plenty of cars with these panels in trunks, under seats, etc. Thanks for the comment!
Is there an update video with how good this worked?
No specifically...but there are one or two videos where I had to remove the sender, and also clean the tank. Both of which were super easy with this access. I sold the car just this year, but its been good since this video. No fumes. No smell. Car didn't crumple in half haha. Don't regret doing it, and I'll do it again on the next one!
Was this originally a "carb" car? if it was, then did you use 4th gen fuel harness and 4th gen lines or harness and lines from a 3rd gen TPI? Thanks
Any recommendations on cutting this trap door with something that won't create sparks? A little paranoid that if there's a leak on the top, some vapors might ignite.
Sorry for the delayed response Jon. You are probably done by now. I liked the nibbler too that I used. It was a bit violent but no sparks. I was concerned about hitting hoses or lines more than sparks... So whatever you use, it has to be a non abbrasive cutter like this.
I don't cut piece completely out leave one side for a hinge. No need for extra piece of metal. silicone cut cracks you good to go.
Also a good method! I like the piece to overlap so it can seal. Just like factory access panels. But I think what you described would work ok.
i love your video sir. have you run into any problems? are u able to pull the fuel pump now without going under the car?
Hi James. No problems. I have pulled it twice since doing this, without getting under the car at all. It is a slight pain to move the carpet in that area, but NO WHERE near as bad as removing exhaust/axle/etc. I thought about cutting an access panel in the carpet as well, but decided against that. I havent been in there in a couple years at this point.
Very helpful, I especially like the 2002 plastic tank, was there any trouble with "fitment" installing it into your 3rd gen? This solves a host of problems in my mind. Thanks.
Hi Dave. The plastic tank 100% physically bolts in. You will need to use the fill neck setup for the plastic tank as well...it has a rubber hose connecting the tank to the fill spout. You need to trim that rubber hose a bit until it fits. Then its good to go. Obviously you'll need to re-work the lines a bit for your application as well. It seems to hold a tad more gas and the newer pump set up is nice.
@@JEGsGarage Excellent! Appreciate the confirmation. I will pass this along to several others who are looking at then same upgrade. Thanks again.
I did this to mi 1990 trans am, and it was easy to replace the fuel electric pump.i did once lowering the tank it was a pain in the ....the shop wanted to charge 500dlls
500 is cheap for today. I paid that in Southern California 27 years ago. Dealer here quoted me 1200 a few years ago.
Great video. You say you have a 2002 tank. Did you install that? Do you have any info on the pitfalls of that job? As you mentioned, with the standard '86 tank/plumbing this wound work, the lines are NOT removable at the sending unit assembly. Since my '86 T/A pump is shot & I have to drop the tank, I'd like to install the tank with the removable lines so I can do it your way the next time. Thanks for any help.
Sorry for the late reply Neil. The 4th gen plastic tank bolts right into place. The filler neck is actually rubber hose, and you have to trim it a little bit. What I did was removed the filler neck from the tank, mounted the tank, then mounted the filler "mouth" in place. Took a measurement, then trimmed the hose.
my el cheapo renault clio has an opening for the fuel pump and you only need 5 minutes top to change the pump also it has a plastic cover on top of it without any gasket but never had fumes inside the car
Got a question for u man I have a 88 gta trans am that I thank the pumps going bad. Will I need to cut the hole where u did or will it be different because the year even knows its not far apart
did this with a vw splitscreen van to get at the fuel gauge sender worked a treat
I tried this on a 88 iroc z. or was a disaster! im guessing because mine has t tops the brackets used to strap the glass down has extra supports under the trunk floor. not only thst I had to cut an additional access port because my connects are located about a foot away from the pump access in the tank. i had to cut my fuel lines to remove it. my car caught on fire burning down the entire trailer park! my mullet sustained 3rd degree burns I ruined my whitesnake jacket trying to beat the flames off my soon to be 4th ex wife. now the fire chief wants to talk to me as well as my parole officer.why did I have to cut the 3rd gen!
Hahaha... Had me going as the first part of your comment is totally accurate. I would never do this on a stock car. 4th gen tank makes for a VERY small opening and easy connections. Sorry to hear about the trailer park. Hope no one was hurt...besides your mullet. Was it the party side or the business side that got burned? I sure hope it was just the business side. And you wasted a whitesnake jacket on your wife? Fire or not...bad form man. Just LS swap your Iroc, fix the floor, use the plastic tank, and outrun the fire chief when he comes calling. Problem solved. :)
Sir Smokes allot true story? I have a t top , thing about cutting out a hole.
jr cruz in hindsight.. I still dont regret making the access hatch for the pump. But I did experience a fuel leak and had to make additional cuts into the body to get the connectors undone. Make sure you seal it
Too bad you couldn't afford a 4th. Gen .... Har har #GearHeadsWorld 😂
I did it on a TA with a chisel to start it off and a snip not easy but thank god I did it case aftermarket fuel pump failed on me a few weeks later
I'm installing a '02 Camaro tank in my '87 TA right now, and was wondering what you did with the vent lines? I noticed that you didn't have anything connected to the pressure sensor at the top of the pump module so I'm assuming that you don't have the evap actually functioning on it, do you have the plumbing/canister hooked up? What did you hook up to the vent line (well center line on the pump module, and I'm not sure exactly what the other 2 lines going to the fittings further up on the tank are, or vice versa, the evap line in the car that goes to the front passenger side of the car and the pressure relief that goes to the white filter/valve in front of the tank)?
Hey Mark. I actually have everything plugged in at the top of the sender. The hoses on top are fuel feed, fuel "return" from the filter, and EVAP to intake.Ill answer the easy question first... My vent line is just disconnected and hangs near the fuel filter area. Up out of the way. So anything coming out passes through the charcoal filter...I THINK. Ive seen no negative effects from doing this. The wiring harness from the sender unit, to the bulkhead in the body, is 100% intact factory 4th gen. However...from there forward, the evap related wires are left disconnected. I originally tried to run EVAP from the LS1. It will not work unless you run the full LS1 dash cluster, PCM and BCM. The ONLY way it will work without, is if you dont hook up an aftermarket fuel gauge. At that point, you'd need to somehow run a separate level sender, which in a plastic tank might not be possible. If you search for me on thirdgen dot org, you'll find info about the EVAP system. Shoot me a message over there if you want (ghettocruiser) and Ill give you some links to the info. To my knowledge, no one has been able to make the 4th gen EVAP work 100% without the dash/bcm combo.
As long as I have a bed that can be removed, no way I’m cutting a big hole in it. Remove four bolts on drivers side and loosen the four on passenger side, disconnect gas fill hose, jack bed up on driver’s side and waalaa!! Easy access to the fuel pump!
11:02 Try pulling the bucket out of a c5 / c6 corvette the bucket is a tight ass fit. I was gonna cut mine but I decided against it because of the 1le RPO code. Im running a dual walbro and the racetronix power harness (the harness is awesome full voltage to the pump)
We did do this on my friends old 4th gen. Went pretty smoothly. def an easy pump swap but the car was totaled a year later so we didnt get the full advantage of the access panel.
any tips mines is stuck rn
@@mikeverything4098 A bunch of small mainly thin blade screwdrivers and some helping hands, Try not to rip the lower bucket off. IDK what engineer though the tight fit was a good idea on these plastic tanks. They still do it to this day. Maybe the hole shrinks after first assembly at the plant. Just have patience and try to work the bucket edge inside the hole evenly with no snags. A slight twist force might help. Dont break it unless you have a complete new bucket. It would still be a pita to remove the lower bucket if it broke off so you would have to do the same work. Dont use an airtex pump it will die in a month. Im 3 for 3 failing airtex. Ill never buy another. Even a few different friends who bought one had them fail weeks later. Even had an airtex external sbc pump fail. Spraying fuel out the weep hole of the pump. Absolute trash
Cool! Say, gas tank should be 1/4 or less for fuel pump change? Why not with 3/4 tank?
Other than just being less gas Im not sure. I mean, if the pump fails with a full tank, youre changing the pump regardless haha.
If you pull the tank out like the factory way the tank weights less with less gasoline. A 1/4 tank is say 4 gallons, about 25 Lbs of gas. 3/4tank is 12 gallons say 75 Lbs.
You have too the weight of the empty tank. One has to fart around and angle the tank with the filler neck to get it back in place. It is easier when it weighs less.
What size sockets will I need to change the fuel pump and fuel filter in a 2006 Pontiac G6 I don't know if it's a GT or what how would I find out I'm not with the car at the time
No clue. Metric for sure. Sockets won't be your worry...special tools to disconnect the fuel lines will be important. Google would probably be your best bet. Good luck!
nice work, thanks for sharing!.
Thanks for watching!
could you let us know the measurements of the hole and how you placed it front to back side to side. A drawing or sketch would greatly help as I wish ot do the same to my 1986Trans am.
Thank you Tim.
+Tim Dillon Hi Tim. Im hesitant to give the exact dimensions, because each car might be a little different. On your 86, are you running the factory tank? If so, your hole will be much larger, and towards the front of the car. If you have a new LS1 version of the tank, then you can make your cut like I did. I think it was something like 5" x 5". And I knew about where to cut just from seeing where the 98-01 guys were cutting. Rear of the car is essentially the same from 82-02. Check on thirdgen.org for the cutting location and size of the hole if you are running the factory tank. Im not sure I would cut if I wasnt running the new style with the small fuel sender.
Thank you for the quick response much appreciated. My car is 100% original with the 305HO motor and 5 speed stick, if i have to cut large hole then I would not bother.
Youd did a nice job on you your car thanks for the information all the best Tim.
+Tim Dillon No problem Tim. If your car is otherwise unmolested, it probably wouldn't be my choice to cut the hole. You end up making a large rectangular hole, and put a small "L" shape at the end behind the back seats. This is because the lines coming out of the fuel sender are steel all the way across the top of the tank. The ONLY reason I cut mine, was because A) the car was already modified extensively, including cutting sheet metal. And B) the hole I had to cut was very small, and very easy to seal back up.
This is what you'll be looking at on your car:
i9.photobucket.com/albums/a53/brutzelbude/Camaro%20fuel%20pump/image004.jpg
Not terrible, but too big of a hole for me.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks will do .
DON'T TRY THIS UNLESS YOU DRILL INTO THE CENTER FIRST TO SEE WHERE THE WALL OF GAS TANK COMES UP FROM THE FUEL PUMP SPACE! Something this guy did not mention, is that there is NOT a half inch gap above your whole fuel tank. I was trying this on an HHR and one of my gas lines is pretty much strapped to the ceiling of the thing that he is grinding on... So I grinned a big old hole in it and it's now spraying gas all over the inside of my car. It's a nice touch. I just went about an inch too far away from the fuel pump though. Imagine the area where your fuel pump is located is like an in ground pool that has a cover over it and the cover extends over the surrounding concrete of the pool. If you don't only cut into the area of your fuel pump is located (the empty pool area), then you hit your gas tank and or fuel lines (cement.)
+Jacob Nolan Hi Jacob. Sorry you had trouble with this mod. While I didn't come right out and say it, I clearly give warning in the opening titles about watching where you're cutting. It's also the reason I didn't use a cut off wheel. The nibbler won't cut lines or puncture the tank. You NEED to know where you need to cut and what's there. I've had my car apart so many times, I knew where all the lines were and where I needed to mske the opening. And I still made an exploratory cut so I could verify it. Most tanks should NOT be up against the floor sheet metal. There is almost always some foam spacers. Otherwise you get noises, and wear/tear on the plastic that's touching. Hopefully you can easily fix your fuel line. Make sure you seal the opening well when you're finished!
JEG, thanks for replying to my comment. I was able to use a mending kit and fix the issue on my line and now it's working fine. I still think this is a good way to do this for sure, just dangerous especially since I watched a different video and was using a grinder with sparks flying everywhere and with an open gas line right beneath me which I was unaware of haha.
Haha yeah that'll ruin your day real quick. Im glad you posted though, because then others that come by the video will have a first hand warning about it. So Im sure you will help others with your experience...and thats exactly the basis for my channel.
Since everyone is saying that this is an easier way, I suppose the real question is, "How often do you need to change out your fuel pump?" And besides, why not do the wiring harness at the same time?
You have a valid point. I havent had to change my pump yet. However, it had the stock pump in it when I decided to upgrade. If I had the hot wire kit, and the new pump while building this car, I would have installed it all at that time. That being said, with an aftermarket pump, you're opening yourself up to having an issue. The stock pumps seem to go forever, but you never know once you go aftermarket. When/if the day comes that the pump fails...or something silly happens like the feed hose comes off, you're labor to fix it will be EXTREMELY low compared. Im a perfect example. I forgot to install a lock on the one connector. So I had to pull it back out. Had I dropped the tank to do the install, this would have been a real PITA. Stupid mistake...but at least I didnt pay for it by having to rip it all down again.
I have a 2007 chev up lander where to drill hole inside car I don't know where pump is in fuel tank in the in the middle or end of tank let me know if you will thanks.
No clue Ray. You'll need to locate the pump, verify clearances, and then decide where you can cut. Every vehicle will be different.
I think they should start making an access door for the fuel pump. makes the job more easier that way then having to drop the tank
+Tommy Strong Hey Tommy. That's the thing. Most newer cars already have an access cover. My Subaru had two of them. One under each rear seat. And those covers were NOT that substantial. So if its ok for my children to sit over top of those, cutting a hole and putting in a cover in my TA shouldn't be a problem haha.
What year Camaro was this? I have an 87 Iroc that I need to change the pump in and was wondering can I cut the same size hole in the same area in my car?
Did my cut and replaced the pump with racetronics pump started her up and she fired right up . Only thing is my wire harness didn't come with instructions and going to the racetronics website is a pain to navigate . How did you do yours ?
+Anuno26 Are you speaking about the hotwire kit? If so, those have instructions that are pretty straightforward. But basically, since I used the 4th gen tank and wiring, and the 4th gen fuse/relay boxes, I just installed it like I was doing it in an LS1 car. I had to lower the tank a tiny bit by loosening the straps to get the wire/plugs up over the tank. Then I just ran the wires up front towards the engine bay. I did run the main wire inside the car near the back so it didnt have to travel along the exhaust. Then just used an existing firewall hole to go into the engine bay.
They make difficult to access so you can go to the dealer and pay them to do it!
Nice. Well done.
Thanks!
Why Cut the Whole Panel Out, I Cut a U shape out an lift the U up from the bottom, like a flap, that way when I install the new unit, all I have to do is fold the flap down & tape the flap down an seal it with Metal Tape, then apply Duck Tape for the final sealing
Because I wanted a cleaner cover. Bending it distorts the area at the fold, promotes cracking where the cut ends and I wanted a bolt down cover with seal vs just using the tape. Not saying you're way is wrong just that's the reason I did it this way.
What did you use to cover it back up?
I cut a piece of aluminum larger then the opening, used windshield sealant and screwed it down. I want to redo it next time I am back there. Going to either use a premade hatch, or use nutserts vs sheet metal screws.
I almost did the same thing to my 1989 camaro... Let me tell you it's really hard dropping the tank... To be honest there should be an access hole there factory... I think the newer mustangs have an access hole... Makes sense! Great video!
why wouldn't you just put a panel with hinges back when done... that way next time all you gotta do is open the hatch?
Use a air nibbler it works great ..and. cutting a access hole won't hurt the body ...as long as the hole ain't to big.
Thats essentially what this is. Just in a different form. Worked well...but if I had to it over, I would have practiced on some scrap metal first haha.
What year is this I have a caddy eldorodo brittiz 1991 we're is my fuel pump located
86...no clue on the Caddy. Sorry!
Interesting, in 1992, Honda made an access panel whereby a person can take out and replace the fuel pump. On many things, the Japanese engineer a better solution. As for the cover, easy enough to make a sheet metal cover.
Yup! Cover was easy. I didnt video it...and I dont know why at this point. But I mention it in later videos. Im going to pull the pump out this spring (already glad I cut the access!) and I will probably make a video showing how I covered it.
Nothing wrong with this,many cars have access panels from factory.
what size air compressor did you use i have a nibbler as well but i only have a 3 gallon air compressor idk if it will work
I have a 30 gallon tank. It will work with a 3 gallon, but your compressor is going to run a LOT. You will likely have to take some breaks and let the pump catch up. Luckily the nibblers work pretty fast if the material isnt too thick, so you might be able to make the best of the air you have. Give it a try and see how it goes.
Nice job, I like it. Why make it harder than it has to be?
+Jim Modrak Exactly. Ive already been in there a couple times. Its modified...anytime you modify something, you pretty much guarantee that you will have to fiddle with it again sometime. One less thing I have to crawl around on the ground on a car that is too low to fix. Thanks for watching!
+JEG's Garage We have a 1997 Riviera and it is leaking fuel when we fill it up from the smaller line that runs with the fill tube for the tank. I looks as though the large fill hose after the neck is rubber right to the plastic tank but the smaller one appears to go from rubber back to metal before it connects to the tank and I believe that is rusted and leaks when full and sloshing around. To drop the tank in the Riviera looks to be a MAJOR pain in the butt. So if I go after it I will be using this approach without a doubt.
The wire harnesses how hard was it to run it down from the trap door back to the engine ?
Antonio Nuno Not hard at all. There isnt a TON of space there, but you can route it easily. I actually loosened the tank straps a bit. While there is room for the wire loom, fishing the plug bodies through was tough. Kept getting caught. So i dropped the tank straps a bit and was able to fish them up there very easily.
***** 10-4 Thanks for the info .
+JEG's Garage Thanks for the info brother it has helped alot. But yes it is a hotwire kit.
loosen to Tank lower the tank give you a little more clearance loosen it lower it. and place thick metal to protect tank from holes
Yeah in hindsight I should have. I figured since I wasnt using a cutting wheel, it would be ok. That nibbler wouldnt cut through anything but the metal. It would just stop moving. Ultimately, I would like to drop the tank, and weld in a ring with threaded holes, or nuts welded on, so I could make a nice bolt down cover.
you can use riv nuts and avoid welding all together
I've heard HVAC duct mastic is good for sealing things back up but I've never tried it myself. Any thoughts from people who have tried?
Howdy. Ive never tried that...but anything that seals against fuel fumes would be fine. A nice rubber gasket/seal would be good too.
Question would it be the same with the stock tank on a 91 or would there be a little more clearance
It would be quite different. You'd have to make your cut longer, and on the seat side of the tank hump. Not sure if you'd have more clearance between the sheet metal and lines. I personally wouldn't have done this with a stock tank. The hole ends up being too large. But check the forums, there are lots of pics!
Thanks for the video mines acting up
This is the best solution for fbody💥
can someone please help me.
where do i cut floor panel on a 2003 ford explorer to get to the fuel pump.( not any other year)
just 2003 please.
Hi Janet, You will need to check the ford explorer forums. That would be the best place for that information. Otherwise, you will have to just find where your fuel sender is, and measure/mark the floor for cutting.
Hello, I have a 3rd camaro, when the fuel tank is less than half, it seals when it drives, when the tank is full it does not leak. could you help me to know why? I'm from Brazil. Thank you.
Where does it leak from?
It is not leaking, is it the float or tank filter?
Whats the name of that cutter?