Tips and Tricks

[doyoulikeithere]

I'm with the other guys. I have a 11 yr old pump that still works great. How often are you really gonna do that?
A weak and rusty floor doesn't seem worth it to me. Besides, it gives you the opportunity to check the condition of all the other "futzy" parts you mentioned. That's why I do all my own work instead of giving it to someone else.

X2

[reaper]

I have thought about cutting the floor for ease of pump replacement.
I ended up dropping the tank instead.
WAY faster - Tanks can be dropped for pump access within 15 mins.

[Meterpig]

I'm with the other guys. I have a 11 yr old pump that still works great. How often are you really gonna do that?
A weak and rusty floor doesn't seem worth it to me. Besides, it gives you the opportunity to check the condition of all the other "futzy" parts you mentioned. That's why I do all my own work instead of giving it to someone else.

I would paint the edges up with some Krylon.

[Meterpig]

I have thought about cutting the floor for ease of pump replacement.
I ended up dropping the tank instead.
WAY faster - Tanks can be dropped for pump access within 15 mins.

15 minutes? Is that starting from no tools or after you have the lift under the tank with all your tools prepped?

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Depending on what year van you have, you must drop the tank anyway to cut the hole. When I replaced the fuel pump in the SPB, I elected to cut a hole. What I found was a steel plate about 1/16" thick sitting on top of the tank. I ended up dropping the tank anyways to remove the plate. I wanted the hole for ease of pump access in case of an issue while out wheeling. I wouldn't ever do it to a street driven van.

[ihatemybike]

Seven vans in, I have never seen a completely dead pump, only weak ones.

Remove the guard on the passenger side of the tank.
Disconnect the fuel line connectors between the tank and the drive shaft.
Jump the fuel pump to pump out the tank.
Disconnect the filler neck.
Support the tank with cam-lock straps attached to the body (one front, one rear).
Remove the passenger side bolt on each tank strap (no need to do all four).
Rotate the straps out of the way.
Working back and forth, hold the free end of the cam-lock strap, release the cam-lock, slowly lower the tank.
Pull tank out from under van (might need to jack van up to do so).
Replace pump.
Reverse to install.

Last time I did this I skipped pumping the fuel out, with an estimated 15 gallons still in the tank (6.2 lbs/gal = 93 lbs, really not that heavy). This made lowering and raising the tank a little harder but not terrible.

[reaper]

15 minutes? Is that starting from no tools or after you have the lift under the tank with all your tools prepped?

from start to having the tank in a position to acess the pump.
It is a very simple process & by a mile better method than cutting
the floor.

[Smiliesafari]

Here's a tip. Use a transmission jack. It makes the job of removing and replacing the tank a piece of cake. It doesn't matter how much gas is in it.

[Meterpig]

15 minutes? Is that starting from no tools or after you have the lift under the tank with all your tools prepped?

from start to having the tank in a position to acess the pump.
It is a very simple process & by a mile better method than cutting
the floor.

The math just doesn't add up.

Remove the guard on the passenger side of the tank.
Disconnect the fuel line connectors between the tank and the drive shaft.
Jump the fuel pump to pump out the tank.
Disconnect the filler neck.
Support the tank with cam-lock straps attached to the body (one front, one rear).
Remove the passenger side bolt on each tank strap (no need to do all four).
Rotate the straps out of the way.
Working back and forth, hold the free end of the cam-lock strap, release the cam-lock, slowly lower the tank.
Pull tank out from under van (might need to jack van up to do so).
Replace pump.
Reverse to install.

[reaper]

Tanks can be dropped for pump access within 15 mins.

re read what I have said here.

[Meterpig]

Tanks can be dropped for pump access within 15 mins.

re read what I have said here.

I read it but you said from start to when the pump is accessible. Tell you what, post it on youtube and if you can prove it-I will donate 10 bucks to AstroSafarivans.com. Maybe a mechanic can learn a thing or two from you.

[Meterpig]

Here's a tip. Use a transmission jack. It makes the job of removing and replacing the tank a piece of cake. It doesn't matter how much gas is in it.

I would add that time of procuring/renting a tranny jack to this seemingly quick job.

[1Gary]

Let's say you have a dead short,but can't seem to find it.Well if you interrupt the connection of your battery you might be able to find it this way.Take off the neg cable of the battery.Then connect a test light between the neg cable and a ground on the frame.That disrupts the battery circuit and if the test light is on,it is showing a dead short of the positive side of the battery where the battery is find a ground somewhere else.Then have someone watch the lite up test light while you pull fuses one at a time.Once the light goes off,you look closer at that circuit to find the short.Now I admit that only works on the circuits that are apart of the fuse block,but more often than not,the shorts are in those circuits.

Hope it helps someone.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

I will donate 10 bucks to AstroSafarivans.com. Maybe a mechanic can learn a thing or two from you.

How about you donate anyway. You've saved that money 10 times over with just a couple tips from here.

[1Gary]

Tanks can be dropped for pump access within 15 mins.

re read what I have said here.

I read it but you said from start to when the pump is accessible. Tell you what, post it on youtube and if you can prove it-I will donate 10 bucks to AstroSafarivans.com. Maybe a mechanic can learn a thing or two from you.

I admit I "might" be reading this wrong. But over the yrs with these guys,I thought I found tons of mechanics here already.Question is why go anywhere to prove anything??.

Reaper-somethings never change.You can suggest,but there is always one........