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TBI fuel pump access with pickup truck

mrk5

mrk5

The Sticker Guy
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I need to replace the fuel pump in one of my saddle tanks on the crew cab. I'm wondering if I can get to the sender/pump assembly with the bed off the truck. Or if I could cut an access hole in the floor of the bed. Ultimately the bed I have now is getting replaced; it's too beat up.
 
not familiar with the way a crew cab is, but i did a fuel pump on a 99 chevy and 6 bolts and 2 headlight plugs removes the bed and it made it so much easier to get to the tank. Didnt have to drain it or mess with fuel lines that were all rusty. Popped the old pump out and the new one in and then 6 bolts and the bed was back on. Good to to! I think its way easier than dropping a tank, especially if you are alone.
 
its tight on trucks but possible if bed is off.

8 bolts tho and 3 screws for filler neck and 3 hose conections and tank with brackets drops stright down .
 
Sounds like I may just drop the tank then. Run it as low on fuel as I can stand the crappy engine performance below 1/4 tank level.
 
You can drain the tank using the fuel pump. Just disconnect the wire harness at the tank and connect 12V to the grey wire.

I 'think' you can also do this by applying a fused 12V source to pin G (lower left pin) of the ALDL connector. Someone else should clarify this before trying it though.
 
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disconect 3/8 line and rubber hose it to a can .

add 12 volts to the red wire on firewall off the fuel pump relay . its direct test wire to pump .

or rubber hose down the filler neck and drain it. there is no check ball or spring in our trucks. i just did one the other day . but my drain hose has a 12volt pump on it. :D
 
If you have something to lift the bed, like an aframe with a chainfall. Along with an impact gun, removing the bed is pretty easy.
 
on my 87 k10 taking the bed off wouldn't help at all because the pump is under the cab,(its a reg cab short bed). so I cut the straps(they were shot) and then its just those frame brackets holding up the tank. so then you just soak those bracket bolts with pb blaster. there are 8 bolts. mine looked rusty but they surprisingly came out 14mm socket really fits them tight. there are no nuts on the back side, the brackets are threaded. this is the way I would go if I was you.
 
With the long bed, the tank is still positioned right up near the front hanger for the rear springs. So more of the tank would be exposed with the bed off.

I'll probably just see how I'm feeling Friday as to which way I go. I have a crane and forklift, so lift the bed off is feasible. Or even just moving it back.

I wouldn't mind being able to get to both tanks actually. Only the driver side tank is in operation. Some previous owner (PO) removed the tank selector switch. I'm theorizing maybe the pump in the passenger tank failed so they removed the switch to keep from inadvertently switching to a dead tank. I'd like to take a look at it and see if I can figure anything out.
 
if forklift its super easy to drop tank .

set forks just under tank . unbolt and drop out 100% faster than pulling the bed.

for my 2 trucks with twin tanks i use pass side for jerry can . and pump it from pass to driver side as needed . if efi you wont like the price for a switcher valve .
 
Well damn, I just figured out I ordered the wrong pump. I forgot an 89 crewcab would be the R/V series not C/K. There even seems to be a difference in the pump for left and right side. Hopefully I don't have trouble doing an exchange thru RockAuto.
 
Yeah I was going to do the full assembly but it's easier to get just the pump for the R/V3500. Plus I can get a pump locally. Went ahead and ordered a Bosch pump and a strainer sock thingy.
 
you can do the pump with the bed off.. it just clears the cab... easy peezy on Mutt, but with a bed, I'd probably drop the tank.. unless the bed was a recent install and easy to get off...
 
No, haven't touched the bed bolts. It occurs to me that I could massage a dent on the bed if I drop the tank.
 
sweetk30 said:
if forklift its super easy to drop tank .

set forks just under tank . unbolt and drop out 100% faster than pulling the bed.

for my 2 trucks with twin tanks i use pass side for jerry can . and pump it from pass to driver side as needed . if efi you wont like the price for a switcher valve .
Click to expand...

So I was thinking about this more. A fella could rig up an external electric pump to use for transferring fuel between tanks. Wonder if you could plumb it to work on the fly.
 
I had the one side out.. I found it easiest to just unbolt the brackets right from the frame, 8 bolts.. tank is a bit awkward shaped, but a bunch of lumber and a floor jack, easy enough... if empty-ish of course... ;)
 
mrk5 said:
So I was thinking about this more. A fella could rig up an external electric pump to use for transferring fuel between tanks. Wonder if you could plumb it to work on the fly.
Click to expand...


ya toggle switch on dash and watch the gas gauge so you don't over flow. :doah:
 
Many years ago, my cousin, Baitfish2 bought a 50 gallon under the toolbox gas tank for his Chevy.
Unlike today, there were not a lot of options for those type of things. If it had a place for a gauge sender, we could not find one to fit.

Carbed engine of course, so we just put a "T" in the line between his stock tank and the 50 with an on-off valve he could reach inside the truck.
Normal procedure was to fill up both tanks, then when the stock tank got low, he would turn on the big tank and let it fill the stock one.

One day, headed to the hunting camp, he filled up the 50, at about $1.50 per gal. His stock tank was about half full, but the big one took most of his cash.
When he left the station, he turned on the valve to fill the stock tank so he would have a full tank to hunt on.

He never told what happened, but I suspect he either saw a good looking girl, or maybe a good song came on the radio.
All I know is, I was standing in the camp when I saw him come around the corner of the road.
Looked like there was something running out of the side of his truck.......

Sure enough, it was the last few drops of the 50. He had forgotten to turn off the valve, and it ran out the vent in the cap all the way to the camp.

He was not pleased. I got a good laugh out of it though.......
 
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