Fuel Pump Access Panel?
 

Has anyone here ever done the trunk access panel to swap a fuel pump? Im almost tempted to do it myself since it will keep my cars down-time to a minimal and it sounds simpler then droping the entire rear-end.

Has anyone ever tried it? Done it successfully? Does anyone have any how-to guides? Pictures/Diagrams?

Awesome question Alex. I was thinking the same thing. The damn sending unit is going on my car. So i figue i'll just do the whole pump since it has 143,xxx miles on the original fuel pump.

you dont have to drop the rear, just the exhaust. i did the tank in my SS on my back in my garage. I wouldnt cut a hole in the body, especially if your running a cutout back there, fumes WILL get in, but thats just me.

OoO damn. u gotta cut the floor? Ef that. I'll drop the tank. I'll just put the MR2 on the road for now.

hey tim you want to sell that MR2 by any chance?

I wouldn't cut unless the tank was out. One slip and boom. To save a little time? And yes, you need to seal it when you are done.

I would think someone who's such a big appearance guy and into keeping his car nice and clean would NOT want to go cutting it up...

Another vote for doing it the right way and dropping the tank

So you just have to drop the exhaust on an LT1?

Is it possible on a drive on style ramp? Who wants to help?

i wouldnt recommend a ramp since you want the rear to be as low as possible. basically jack up the rear and put jackstands under the body and let the rear come back down so the suspension unloads.

i did it on the camaro and i had to cut the exhaust out and disconect the rear shocks and lower the rear down with a jack..... ill never do it again lol

Mine was pretty easy, then again I swapped rears last February, so the bolts for all the suspension weren't rusted onto anything. I dropped the rear (took off panhard rod/shocks) disconnected the exhaust at the cat and pulled it all out. Easily a days job if you can devote a whole saturday or sunday to do it. Just make sure the fuel pump you get works :lol:

~Ted

HAHAHAHAHAha. Seeing that gas just went up. Most likely the MR2 will be on the road by wed. So nice that i'll be able to just run 87.

I had the rear out and sitting behind my car in less then a hour and a half working slow. Not to sound conceited or nothing, but its easy and gets easier everytime you do it.

I did the "cut the hole" method once and its more of a pain then its worth. Unless you constantly burn out fuel pumps and need a quick hinged trap door, drop the rear.

If your fuel pump still works, make sure you have little gas in hte tank. its not fun to bench press all that weight when loosening the straps, and then dropping it down and out from above you.

Ehh. Im just gunna drop the tank. Ef cutting the floor pan

Be careful with just dropping the tank. If you put too much stress on the filler neck area it will break the weld and you'll have a fume and pressure leak that will lead to future SES codes. Take your time and do it right so you don't have to do it again.

I bent the neck on one. It is a PITA, take your time. But it is easier than the heater core in a 2nd gen.

I agree. Just drop the tank, but try not to bend the straps. They are a bitch to put back up.

Im not doing it now but in the near future im gunna do it. I'll do it at work on the lift.

When I installed the 12 bolt on my car 3 years ago, I replaced the fuel pump at the same time. I also cut an access hatch in the floor right above the tank. I have no idea why GM didnt put one in these cars, like many other cars do, in paticular imports. I replaced the fuel pump on a few Hondas, and a Volkswagen, and they all had an access panel in the floor, right under the back seat. This made it a breeze to change the pump. Its completely rediculous that you have to dismantle the entire rear section of an F-Body to repace the fuel pump. The section of metal that you cut out for it does not compromise the structure in any way. I covered the opening with an 1/8 thick piece of sheetmetal that 2 inches larger all around for the hatch, painted it the same body color, and insulated the perimeter to seal it from elements or exhaust fumes. I always like to do things by the book, but this mod or shortcut is worth doing. Even with the rear out of my car, and exhaust out, the tank was a whore to wiggle out. Do the mod, you will be glad you did.

Good point. I just remembered that the 84-89 Toyota 4Runner's have an access panel under the rear seat floor to get to the top of the tank if you need to replace the fuel pump or sending unit. It can't really be that dangerous if they put them in half the cars made. Or, they've been trying to kill us all along!:axe:

I think just about every import car has them. When you pull back the carpet on an f body, you can almost see a template, or stamping in the floor, right where an access hatch would be, and right where I cut mine.

Oh, putting one in is not a bad idea. But you have to take the tank out first, and as mentioned, the replacement plate needs to be sealed, like the OE ones.

I’m surprised they didn’t put one in the 4th gens. You think they would have learned.

Yea, the problem is not having the access panel there, it's cutting the access panel while the tank is still in the car, and then properly sealing the panel when you are done. I can just see some ya-hoo getting too carried away with a cutoff wheel and slice through a fuel line. I can see that not ending up good....

- Justin

:stupid: I think letting the rear hang down and removing the exhaust to drop the tank is just as easy as it would be to have to remove your seats, remove the plastic trim and pull up the carpet because once that is all done, you still need to disocnnect the lines and be careful not to get gas all over the inside of your car. Once the tank is dropped, it doesn't matter if gas goes anywhere.

~Ted