Fuel pump swap on a 402

[gmckenny]

I swaped out my fuel pump today on my 72 with a factory 402 BB. It had been leaving big drip spots of fuel after driving and I suspected that it was leaking the $3.50 a gallon life blood out of my fuel tank. Turns out I was right. The fuel pump was failed and it weaped all of the fuel from the carborator on down out each time I parked (except the float bowl so it always fired right up and refilled the line for the next dump). The give away for the failure was the weap hole leaking. I couldn't observe that when it was in the truck. It was clearly clean from leaking on that side after removal. I put vise grips on the two rubber fuel lines (5/16 in line and 1/4 return line) and then cut them. I got wet with fuel. I then disconnected the outlet which is the metal line to the carb. I guess it wasn't completely through it's draining cycle. I should have had a contrainer to catch the $. Instead I tried wearing it. I even screwed it back together at one point until I realized that I had already isolated the fuel tank! It stopped flowing just about the time I started thinking what a good idea it would have been to disconnect the ground on the battery before embarking on this misadventure. At least have a fire extinquisher handy! But no! I went on. I had to remove the plug under the push rod (square head, below the fuel pump) in order to get the mechanical pump arm under the rod. I held the pump suspended by hooking it back up to the metal outlet line to the carb. Then I pushed the rod up with the smallest standard screwdriver in my kit. I confirmed the position with a mirror with a reach arm on it through the plug hole. The I tightened up the two screws to the pump, one click at a time, just like it came off (Damn air conditioning compressor), with the smallest rachet and a swivel and a long 7/16th socket. Board yet? I'm not finished. I tightened the bolts, snugged up the outlet flare nut, tighted the push rud plug and put fresh fuel line tails on the new pump using a socket driver (Sears, brown(3/16?)) to tighten the hose clamps. Then I bravely removed the hose calmps from the vise gripped original lines and pulled off the feeder fully expecting the gush. I didn't have on my safety glasses at the time. I was too lazy to crawl out and locate them in the engine compartment. With fuel stinging in my eyes I attempted to quell the gusher of fuel by connecting the correctly cut and installed new line to the offending outlet. F__k, it had to have taken half a minute! the damn hose was just hung up on the end of the fuel line and it was only maginally accessable to my one tired arm. I was wearing at least 4$ worth of fuel by the time I succeeded in making the love connection. I imagined myself and my truck in a ball of flame. I pulled out from under that truck blinking from the sting and fully away of the danger of my situation only to see some jerk on the sidewalk (oh. did I mention that this was a city street project) ignorantly lighting a cigarette at ten paces. I distanced myself from the truck but quick. After stripping off my saturated shirt in exchange for a rag variety which I had handy, I returned to the project and connected the final line without further excitement. My aqdvice to others. First, the parts shop does not know what fuel pump you have. Chevy used a number of different ones. Eyeball it well before setting out to replace it. Mine was huge with a total of three inlets/outlets and was the third one the parts place provided after a visual inspection of thr removed part($41). Second, but should have been first. Disconnect the negative terminal! Third, safety glasses, and three pieces of cardboard with which to slide under the truck on ( they keep getting saturated with gas). Good luck!