Cutting Jimmy floor to access fuel pump

[GM man]

I've seen a couple of older threads where this is talked about a little, but has anyone cut a hole in the back of their Jimmy/Blazer to access the fuel pump & to keep from dropping the tank? I have a 31 gallon tank for the 87-91 Jimmy installed and it's a real pain to take out and put back in. Just wanna know if any of you have done this and what problems, if any, did you have?

[GMC-YA68]

Hate to say this but I have done it in a few of my previous LS trans ams and camaros back in the day when I had to put in a bigger pump in for nitrous. I just cut a "U" shape where the pump is and bent it up. Did what I had to do and bent it back down and put carpet back down. Ghetto but it worked. What is your issue? I left about 2.5' of slack in my fuel lines so I could drop mine down to the ground and leave it all connected if I needed to.

[pound41]

I know its not a blazer but if you were to search 2000-2009 Chevy Silverado. You will probably be able
to see some trap doors etc that people made. I have owned 3 of those year trucks. Worst fuel pumps ever and a pita to drop the tank. Several owners did trap doors. I thought about it

[grillzy]

Just drop the tank. Its not that big of a deal other than replacing the tank straps that brake.

[GM man]

Originally Posted by GMC-YA68

What is your issue?

Well this happened once before and I dropped the tank and found out that where the fuel pump wires connect to the sending unit, the connection was losing contact. I redid the connector and it's been good for several months, until now. The only thing I can think of that this could be is that damn connector losing contact again. Pulling the tank down was a huge pain. It's not like the factory Jimmy 21 gallon tank, which was simple. This one is stupid hard to drop. One thing I just now saw is that I may have to cut part of one of the braces that runs left to right under the floorboard.

[cleszkie]

I did it when I installed an in-tank pump into my NWP 38 gallon tank for my fuel injection system. Dropping the tank is not a realistic option when you are on a road trip and need to replace the pump. Dropping the tank is not an easy task, especially if it still has several gallons in it.

I made a nice hinged door just big enough to replace the pump and sending unit. Used the piece of floor that I cut out as the door (obviously). Put on a low profile latch, installed some foam weather stripping on the "door jamb" I fabbed up that supports the door to keep out moisture and fumes. Totally concealed under the carpet. Strong enough to stand on without caving in due to the door jamb.

[GMC-YA68]

Originally Posted by GM man

Well this happened once before and I dropped the tank and found out that where the fuel pump wires connect to the sending unit, the connection was losing contact. I redid the connector and it's been good for several months, until now. The only thing I can think of that this could be is that damn connector losing contact again. Pulling the tank down was a huge pain. It's not like the factory Jimmy 21 gallon tank, which was simple. This one is stupid hard to drop. One thing I just now saw is that I may have to cut part of one of the braces that runs left to right under the floorboard.

You should just buy a JAZZ fuel cell and put it behind the rear seat and call it good lol...

[GM man]

Originally Posted by cleszkie

I did it when I installed an in-tank pump into my NWP 38 gallon tank for my fuel injection system. Dropping the tank is not a realistic option when you are on a road trip and need to replace the pump. Dropping the tank is not an easy task, especially if it still has several gallons in it.

I made a nice hinged door just big enough to replace the pump and sending unit. Used the piece of floor that I cut out as the door (obviously). Put on a low profile latch, installed some foam weather stripping on the "door jamb" I fabbed up that supports the door to keep out moisture and fumes. Totally concealed under the carpet. Strong enough to stand on without caving in due to the door jamb.

That sounds great. Yeah, out on the road, it would be next to impossible for me to drop this tank... Between my exhaust, trailer hitch, hoses, and then considering how much fuel is in there. My biggest concern now is cutting the channel that runs across the bottom of the floor, which I'm sure is a brace. I don't wanna screw up anything structural 😲

[SeventyOne]

ugh please dont but the floor! I understand it makes things potentially easier to fix but...just makes me cringe.

[richard2717]

I am not too hip on cutting floors but here is a pic of the 71 I sold a while back. The po had just cut a perfect rectangle with a thin wheel and welded tabs on it to drop it back pretty level. Sorry about the sun glare coming thru the wheel house


.

[cleszkie]

Originally Posted by SeventyOne

ugh please dont but the floor! I understand it makes things potentially easier to fix but...just makes me cringe.

If you are going for a concourse restoration, by all means don't cut the floor. But if you do it properly, I believe it can be a great asset to the vehicle. My Blazer is my lifeline on the trips I go on. I carry a spare fuel pump, and can swap it out in less than 20 minutes in the most remote locations without leaving the comfort of my camper. Priceless.

[SeventyOne]

That's fair - I guess I just cringe at hacking up a good floor.