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Fuel Pump Tips?

BpuVR4

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Jul 11, 2005
Messages
813
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Chicago
Any new tips for doing the fuel pump? Car's been down since Thursday, and I've been regularly spraying the nuts with Liquid Wrench in the inevitable battle w rusty studs since then, waiting for the walbro 190 to show up. The tank only has a couple gallons in it I'm assuming.
 

gvr4ever

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Aug 6, 2002
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Location
central Indiana
An impact driver?!?

If your talking about the fuel lines, be sure to use flair wrenches. You will have to use force, but if you keep the lines from bending using two wrenches, it should come off. Keep spraying with the liquid wrench.
 

turbowop

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Quoting rgeier11:
Use an impact driver instead of a ratchet.



/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif Are you talking about an impact wrench? That's a good way to rip the studs off. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/uhh.gif If you're talking about an impact driver that you hit with a BFH, you need to find the thread that discusses separation of the throttle body halves.

If you've been spraying them down with penetrative oil, that's a good start. Just make sure the nuts aren't galling horribly when threading off the studs. If they start giving you issues, spray them down with more penetrating oil and take a break, then come back and try again. It depends on the car and the rust. Some cars will be so bad the studs will break no matter what you do.
 
Last edited:

FlyingEagle

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Mar 5, 2005
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THE Ottawa
Tank may have a drain bolt, so check for that.
Starting the nuts by ever so slightly tightening them, spraying more fluid in, and then backing them out till a little more tension builds.
Get them to move a pinch of a turn at a time as they are coming out, then spray, then back in, spray, back out,spray. You get the idea.
I do this god knows how many times a day, and unless you can clean the threads above the nut with a wire brush or something, this is the only way to help
get the crud washed out, or the crud will cause the nut to jam and take the stud with it.
If they are going to come off they will, if not ... well yeah.

I've been looking at the new tool off the MAC truck that uses a larger wire and electromagnetic head induction (or whatever he said), to super heat whatever you wrap in the wire.
Got a bolt red hot in under 30 seconds. Would be great if that tool could get sent around the country to help those with rusty fuel tank bolts! Don't ask how much it cost though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif
 

BpuVR4

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Messages
813
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Chicago
thank you for the tips thus far guys. this is the first time im doing a pump in tank- all others were on old big blocks, so i was kind of dreading this moment ha.
 

gvr4ever

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central Indiana
When it comes to the bolts off the pump housing. A helpful (but not sure proof) way of not snapping the studs is to loosen and actually re-tighten the bolt. Then start to back it off again. Repeat the loosening and tightening till the tension is not extreme. Doing this helps prevent too much torque from snapping the tiny studs off. Depending on how much rust is on the housing, and if its never been off before, it might be tricky. This method only helps prevent snapping of bolts/studs. It works a lot of times for me, but not 100% of the time.

If you already have the fuel lines off, worst case, you can get a used fuel pump housing unit without breaking the bank too much if you do break something.
 

EHmotorsports

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Beaverton
We use a wire wheel/brush if it's rusty. Worst case would be to use a portable sand blaster to clean all the rust off. Then soak it in PB blaster then give it a ping with a wrench or very small punch and hammer. Let set and use the techniques stated in the above posts. I've never had a bolt snap using this process. Sadly I deal with very rusty British and American cars/trucks daily so I've learned the hard way haha.
 

EHmotorsports

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I guess another thing to add is be paitent in the process. It's easy to get in a hurry.
 

BpuVR4

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Chicago





just so you guys see what im dealing with, not sure if its a bit better or worse than the norm. kinda wish it happened a couple days earlier, as the weather was in 60's last week, and now in the 40's- of course.

wondering, on the fuel line, do i have ot just take off the hose clamp above the pump? or go all the way up to the fittings?
 
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turbowop

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Yakima, WA
That doesn't look good. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif And it looks like somebody already did a shadetree repair on the fuel feed line with clamps and hose. Good luck to you!
 

EHmotorsports

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I would start sourcing out a new/good used FP hanger. If you have a compressor I would get this.... click
 

BpuVR4

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Quoting turbowop:
That doesn't look good. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif And it looks like somebody already did a shadetree repair on the fuel feed line with clamps and hose. Good luck to you!



lets just say the prev owner is real special /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 

BpuVR4

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Chicago
Quoting EHmotorsports:
I would start sourcing out a new/good used FP hanger. If you have a compressor I would get this.... click



holy crap...the car is on a city side street albeit in front of my apt, so def no compressor. im just really hoping i get lucky on this one and it goes smoother than usual haha.
 

EHmotorsports

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Then wire wheel the crap out of the nuts and studs. Get as much of that rust off of them as possible.
 

JNR

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Apr 23, 2004
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ca
Here's what I did to fix the messed up oem fittings (scroll to post 11 or so)...Mine wasn't even really that rusty and it still broke right off (the nipple), so wouldn't take a chance there, since it's fuel and under a good deal of pressure (leaks, build-up and stuff).

Was originally going to just make an all new cover/frame, but this was so simple and works great...I still have a couple pair of fittings/adapters if you're interested in going this route.
 

gvr4ever

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Aug 6, 2002
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central Indiana
Quoting MoMoVR4:





just so you guys see what im dealing with, not sure if its a bit better or worse than the norm. kinda wish it happened a couple days earlier, as the weather was in 60's last week, and now in the 40's- of course.

wondering, on the fuel line, do i have ot just take off the hose clamp above the pump? or go all the way up to the fittings?



Nice of them to not use stainless steel hardware on that ghetto repair job.

Mitsu needs a run of fuel tanks and sending units...
 

BpuVR4

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Jul 11, 2005
Messages
813
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Chicago
well the good news guys, is that soaking them in Liquid Wrench did it's job.

bad news is...Liquid Wrench doesn't do you a damn thing when half the nuts seem to be stripped just enough to make the sockets spin.
 

G

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Feb 24, 2004
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zompton
You are sol, Have to cut off nuts with a dremel. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif That rust is pretty bad.
 

BpuVR4

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Jul 11, 2005
Messages
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Location
Chicago
I had luck with a small pair of Craftsman pliers when i did my fuel filter and of course- the nut of that was stripped too. Gonna have to grab it from my friend's place and give it one more go before i throw in the towel on those studs...the ones that came off turned so easily, i think if i get one good grip i can turn them and save the studs. Gonna definitely take my time on this one.
 
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