After Market Out of the Tank fuel pump upgrade

[88lowrider]

Just wondering if anyone has done this as I am sure looking into trying it.

My truck is a 88 short bed step side, 350 EFI and auto trans. I am now too old to try to pull this off and of course, don't really want to cough up the $200 in labor to have a new pump put in. Not going to cut holes or try to lift the bed either.

So with that, I have seen some after market EFI high pressure fuel pumps available and was just thinking of the possibility of mounting one of those in a place that was, well, more accessible. Putting a fuel pump In the tank has always made me wonder, what the hell were they thinking ? Take me to your Stealership was the first thing, anyway, I like this old truck and want to keep her but this idea of the fuel pump in the tank is BS.
Any help out there ?

[Tom]

They were thinking "hey!, all this gas is super good at cooling electrical motors!", and they were right.
You still need to pull the pump in the tank if you install aftermarket otherwise it'll just be a giant blockage to your new pump trying to suck in fuel. Sucking is much harder for a pump then pushing. Combine that with no cooling gas around it and you'll kill the new pump real quick.

BTW, it takes all of 2 bolts to drop the tank. Its a 45min job to replace the pump.

[88lowrider]

Originally Posted by Tom

They were thinking "hey!, all this gas is super good at cooling electrical motors!", and they were right.
You still need to pull the pump in the tank if you install aftermarket otherwise it'll just be a giant blockage to your new pump trying to suck in fuel. Sucking is much harder for a pump then pushing. Combine that with no cooling gas around it and you'll kill the new pump real quick.

BTW, it takes all of 2 bolts to drop the tank. Its a 45min job to replace the pump.

Now you see, being a Old mechanic, a welding fabracator among other things, cooling a electric motor in Gasoline just doesn't seem like a very good idea. In my head its a big explosion looking for a time and place to happen.

Then we get to the point were my disability limits me to enjoy working on some things that require me of getting down under something, twisting, reaching, so just too many injuries limit that kind of thing any longer. Then there is the fact that I didn't get anything other than my SS to live on which is only 1/2 of minimum wage to live on.

The pump I was looking at was a Racing fuel pump, designed to not be in the tank.

I don't normally mention things like this but I Do like my truck, was a mechanic for some time and I am not ready to give up my truck.
I was just hoping that someone had come up with some way to get around that dropping the tank to replace pumps.
My truck is over 300K and she still runs good, looks good, no smoke, plenty of poop still and its dropped as a low rider.

So, I might be able to pull this off one more time. The tank is also full of gas.

Any way, I hope I am not whining, just was looking for a easy'er way is all.

I am going to try to attach a picture of her. Found a couple with the rack I built to haul a couple of critters back and forth in. It normally has a black tonnele? cover on it.

[ChevyTech]

I agree with Tom that I would not want the new pump to be sucking the fuel through the old pump in the tank. I know people that have done it, and got by with it, but I still would not do it.

All the techs I worked with, and all the people I know that have done the job both ways, dropping the tank or lifting the bed, prefer to lift the bed to change the pump.

If you are physically limited then I suggest lifting the bed with some pulleys, and engine hoist, ropes to some garage rafters, or to strong tree branches. To me that would be much easier then emptying a tank, crawling around under the truck trying to disconnect fuel lines, and wires, while reaching up over a tank that is in my lap.

Some people do it using a jack to lift one side of the bed, because it is fast and easy. I am not sticking my head and body under a bed that way.

I would remove the rear bumper to protect the box from damage when lifting the bed. Your truck looks nice enough to take the time to do that.

I have seen photos posted of people using a engine hoist (cherry picker) to lift the box and move it away.

Many people have just slid the box back leaving enough room to do the job.

Some people cut a hole in the box to do the job, but the truck would have do be a very nasty beater for me to feel right about doing that. A friend of mine has cut a hole on his S-10 blazer and his K1500 suburban to swap out the fuel pump. I would consider doing the job that way if I had one of those vehicles. It was very fast and easy.

Once the box is out of the way it is much easier to disconnect the fuel lines and wiring to do the job, especially on a older vehicle with some rust. Where I live rust is always an issue.

[speedygonzales]

External pumps will come with instructions that tell you they have to be fed from the bottom of the tank, not the top. I learned the hard way when I got mine. So you should have to "sump" the tank.

Maybe some pumps are different but that's been my experience. Check your pumps instructions before you pull the trigger.

[BigBlocksRule]

I take the bolts out of the driver's side and loosen the passenger side bolts until they're only in a couple of threads. I use a cherry picker to lift the driver's side high enough to provide access. I have a couple of short 4x4 blocks that I use to prop that side up and LEAVE THE CHERRY PICKER IN PLACE FOR SAFETY.
I've dropped a few tanks and it's just not worth the trouble, IMHO, as compared to lifting the bed. It doesn't take much to break the quick connects and a tank with a few gallons of fuel in it is unstable enough to fall off of a jack, etc. and break 'em.

Buy a good pump - AC Delco/Delphi, stay away from the cheapies unless you want to get good experience swapping 'em out regularly.

After I just finished lifting a 4L80E with 4401 transfer case in place in my '98 C3500, I'll take a fuel pump swap any day!

[Tom]

Originally Posted by speedygonzales

External pumps will come with instructions that tell you they have to be fed from the bottom of the tank, not the top. I learned the hard way when I got mine. So you should have to "sump" the tank.

This was going to be my next suggestions since the OP cannot get to the in tank pump.
OP-I totally get making what you have work. I wan't judging you by any means. I also thought electrical motors in fuel wasn't a great idea but they've been doing it since '87 so it must be ok.....