TBI fuel pump.. need help

[87 Blue Beast]

anyone ever changed the pump in a k5? i worked on dropping the tank for 2 and a half hours today and i got no where. you cant get to the back tank bolts cause the hitch is in the way, but i cant get the hitch off because the nuts of the bolts are inside the frame, which i cant get to. so the whole bolt just spins. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!!

 

[njonl]

When I did mine, I was able to put the tailgate down. Look in the crack between the bottom of the tailgate and the bumper. You should just be able to get to them. Good luck!

 

[87 Blue Beast]

wow.. never thought of that. ill look tomarrow. Thanks alot! Anyone have any other advice to make it go smoother?

 

[dyeager535]

Pull off your bumper, and that trim piece that covers the gap between the tailgate and the top of the bumper. The rear tank strap studs (with the nuts) are sitting right there. Remove those, tank will come down. The hitch does NOT need to come off.

Skidplate makes it a bit tougher, but since you didn't mention it, assuming you don't have one.

You are sure the tank is the problem, before you go through this hassle, right?

 

[87 Blue Beast]

first off.. yes, i do have the skid plate . second, yes im sure its the fuel pump because it wouldnt run at all unless your poured gas down the intake. then, when i got it back home and started takin it apart, i tried starting it again. it started. the vibration from the impact gun caused it to work again. classic fuel pump symptoms. btw, i tried takin the bumper off but i cant get to the bolts because of the hitch..

 

[dyeager535]

If it's a stock hitch/bumper, with a flex coupling, you can take the bumper off. I've done it numerous times.

You need to pull the bolts of the skidplate off, then from underneath, bend the skidplate down at the front, which will bend the rear tabs just a hair, allowing the skidplate to fall down/out. It's bolted front and rear, and IIRC, the two or three rear bolts go in the same general location of the tank strap stud/nuts.

 

[87 Blue Beast]

so your saying the skid plate is only bolted on in the front, and just tabs hold it in the rear?

 

[dyeager535]

No, I'm saying the tabs in the rear are bolted. But even unbolted, the skidplate won't come off in the rear because the tabs make it too wide to fit between (I think) the rear crossmember and hitch. Just a slight bending from the front forces the tabs a bit more vertical, which is enough to wriggle it downward.

When you go to install it, you just get it back in place starting in the rear, get the bolts started, then move to the front, bend the skidplate back up, and bolt those down snug, then hit the back ones again.

 

[loafer]

When I did mine, I was able to put the tailgate down. Look in the crack between the bottom of the tailgate and the bumper. You should just be able to get to them. Good luck!

Yup. this is the way I do it. No need to remove the bumper or hitch.


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[bluehen]

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187245

Here's how I did mine.

 

[87 Blue Beast]

thanks alot guys. this will help tremendously

 

[jimmy'sjimmy]

If your not afraid of cutting, you should cut a hole directly over the tank. It is by far the easiest way to change the fuel pump. I thought it was a joke when others suggested but now i wonder why i didnt do it the first time! Buy some little hinges and you can make a nice little door for quick access. Just my 2 cent

 

[Bubba Ray Boudreaux]

If your not afraid of cutting, you should cut a hole directly over the tank. It is by far the easiest way to change the fuel pump. I thought it was a joke when others suggested but now i wonder why i didnt do it the first time! Buy some little hinges and you can make a nice little door for quick access. Just my 2 cent

That idea was posted years ago on here and it's probably one of the Top 5 Tech Tips ever posted. Makes life so much easier. I just did it to mine about two weeks ago. Pretty simple to do really.

First off, I recommend having a helper on this. There are the fuel lines and power wires that have to be cleared while cutting.

As for locating the hole, it's easier than it appears.

-Locate the center of the bed, measuring from side to side.

-From the center of the fuel filler molding on the inside, measure 4 inches from center side to side.

-From front to back, we hedged our bets. Instead of going 8" this way, we went 10" to make sure everything was cleared.

Once the panel was cut, the fuel pump is right there. The longest part of the operation was the cutting, since I wrecked a couple of blades and our constant checking for clearance. Within about thirty minutes, the fuel pump was replaced.

As for the sheetmetal, I had a body scrapping a Suburban at the same time. I sliced off a hunk of the bed to use as the panel. I haven't completed this step of the operation yet since my garage is blocked off.