About Removing Gas Tank/fuel Pump?

DSN46 · August 31, 2008

Hello,

I have the dreaded "pitch-changing whine" starting on my 02 Tahoe from the fuel pump. (only 60,000 miles)

I have owned 2 other GM vehicles (an 85 and then an 87 K5 Blazer) and had to replace the fuel pumps in both of them. The 85 I had to do TWICE within a week because other than genuine GM part! (will never buy aftermarket again when it comes to fuel pumps)

At any rate, I know it's headed for a crash and I dont want to be miles from nowhere when it goes.... think side of highway at 11:00 PM with the darn 85...

So, I want to do this myself, but the Haynes manual says that I have to unhook the Evap cannister lines to drop the tank. Just so I get this right:

I have to unhook the fuel lines, then unhook the evap cannister, then drop the tank just enough to reach in and unhook the pump electrical? Does this sound right? Or do I have to mess with the evap cannister at all?

Im absolutely not looking forward to this job. I have half a tank left!! Anything else I can replace while I have this tank dropped?

Thank you for any input. I searched, but did not find answers to my questions.

James

97SierraGMC · August 31, 2008

well if it hasnt quit yet i would run it till there almost no gas left in there..

and it should be a little easier considering you have a 6" lift and more room to work..

minibike132 · August 31, 2008

well if it hasnt quit yet i would run it till there almost no gas left in there..

and it should be a little easier considering you have a 6" lift and more room to work..

What he said. Also you shouldn't have to remove the canister but it gives a little more clearance to do the job. The manual probably doesn't say you need to remove the drive shaft either but I do also for clearance issues. WARNING: I'm sure you know this but set the parking brake and block the wheels before removing the drive shaft so you don't get a run away vehicle, it's bad when that happens it's worse when your under it. If you remove the shaft make sure and mark the u-joint and pinion so it gets installed the same way it came off.

ziptow · August 31, 2008

Make sure you "unbolt" the sending unit ground wire from the frame before dropping the tank. You can lower the tank some to get at the fuel lines..but the ground wire is very short.

DSN46 · August 31, 2008

Thank you all very much

Regarding the driveshaft: Very good point about blocking the wheels prior to unhooking the U-Joint. One would think that this would be a "no brainer", but YEP, I have personally almost killed myself one day in the driveway (well maybe only crushed the femure bones in my legs) when I unbolted the straps and started to pull the shaft against the slip joint to dislodge the rear joint. The Grand Cherokee started to inch and lurch as the joint came out. I QUICKLY jammed it back in and it caught the edges of the joint in a bind.... just enough to stop it. I scrambled out and grabbed a toolbox and stuffed it under the tire!

I then went out behind the woodshed and beat myself about the head with a board for being so stupid! Maybe not... but I felt like it. Scary what you can forget when in a hurry.

I will also try to run the gas out of it as much as I can.. good point!

Thanks again.

James