Changing fuel pumps

[rav3]

I'm curious if any of you have replaced your fuel tank fuel pump by tilting the truck bed versus removing the gas tank. Seems like it would be so much faster (and easier) to do it like this guy did in his video. Please let me know  your thoughts, opinions,  pros & cons

 

Edited June 21, 2024 by rav3

[asilverblazer]

Twice on a GMT-400. We lifted it off completely and set it aside.

[mikeyk101]

I haven't done it on a Silverado but helped a friend do one on his Ford Ranger. It did seem much easier but did require more than one person. On another car, it was some old Dodge compact, I dropped the gas tank on that. It was a real pain getting it back up again. I also had to replace the straps as they had gotten a bit grungy from winters on Midwestern roads.

 

 

[Sam Corne]

Why not cut an access hole in the bed over top of the pump? Seems easier to me and the plastic bed liner would cover up the access hole without issue 

 

[mikeyk101]

1 hour ago, Sam Corne said:

Why not cut an access hole in the bed over top of the pump? Seems easier to me and the plastic bed liner would cover up the access hole without issue 

 

 

I personally would never cut a hole in the bed for something like this. It may be easier but in the end, it's going to be one more spot that would quickly start to rust and end up a bigger problem. And if I were shopping for a used truck and found that, it would be a hard pass on that truck.

[Sam Corne]

They make spray on undercoating and bedliner spray to prevent rust issues. You will never see it unless you take the bed liner off. 

Quite a few vehicles these days have access doors to the pump location. 

Just makes sense. Making an access door would be very simple to do.

[asilverblazer]

You do you, but as noted, if I found that on a truck I was considering buying it would be an absolute no.

 

-If this hack couldn't be bothered to fix this without cutting the bed up, what else could they not be bothered with fixing properly.

[Diverjer]

Seems like lifting the truck bed up could be a wiring nightmare between all the lights and towing package??  I have access to a lift.  Also truck sets high enough a person could drop the tank without lift.  But that is all from just looking, never have changed a fuel pump in truck when it was located in tank.  Don't know why they came up with that bright idea, but I am old school. 

[mikeyk101]

4 hours ago, Diverjer said:

Seems like lifting the truck bed up could be a wiring nightmare between all the lights and towing package??  I have access to a lift.  Also truck sets high enough a person could drop the tank without lift.  But that is all from just looking, never have changed a fuel pump in truck when it was located in tank.  Don't know why they came up with that bright idea, but I am old school. 

 

In my experience, just about everything I've ever come across with fuel injection has had the fuel pump located inside the gas tank. 

[lundimpact1775]

Fuel acts as coolant to keep the pump from burning up, as I understand it. They say those who run tanks empty all the time burn pumps faster, but I have no data to back that up just info from old mechanics who have been there many times. 

 

I cut an access hole in my old 1997, never caused any problems or premature rust even up here in MN and WI, and was much simpler than box removal or tank drop. If I had to do it with a newer truck I'd probably just drop the tank but it depends, my 2500 has a 36 gallon tank and if it failed while full I know it's a total nightmare to try to empty these without just consuming the fuel.