99 Chevy fuel pump fun in the Arctic

[Rex in OTZ]

I found one morning the Suburban wouldent start, the starter run fine but no gas, I'd just fueld the rig last week so had plenty of gas, I couldent hear the gas pump when turning the key, I checked the pump relay in a diffrent suburban.....it started just fine, Damn so the fuel pump was bad, This 1999 Suburban still had the original gas pump, I was lucky I had a buddy let me use a corner of a heated hanger to work on it, it was subzero outside and living on the Arctic coast of Alaska its no fun working outdoors on stuff with plastic parts, I siphoned as much gas as I could
and jacked the back end and put a pair of stands under the rig, disconnected the battery ground(-), the gas tank removal had some snags as all our fine silt turned to slop and oouzed off snow and ice dripping, every fastener was siezed with rust, so after snapping off all the guard bolts(they wouldent budge either tighten or loosen) I had access to the tank strap bolts, just looking at the blisters of rust I knew they were not going to come loose so I sawd em off useing a air powerd hacksaw(panel saw) the only other trouble I encounterd was useing a NAPA brand fuel line dissconnect tool wouldent fit in the connecters, (I drilled the tool scissors rivet) and then was able to tip each end the tool into the fueline fittings to get them released.
On reassembly I was able to drill and tap all the tank guard holes(hardware stor metric boltz for replacements), I used galvanized all thread (reddi rod) as the new hanger strap bolts, and lots of Anti Seize on reassembly
There was no way I would have been able to get the pump seal O-ring to seat if I did this out in the cold!
Due to the brakish mud we have here on the coast I was certain to seal the electrical crimp splices that came with the pump (plug adapter kit in box) I seald the wires useing liquid electric tape and wrapped the bundle well with Vynil electricians tape.

[Lloyd Smale]

youll laugh at me but about 10 years ago i had a dakota that had the fuel pump go bad. I just pulled the bed liner out and cut a hole in the box big enough to get the pump out of the tank and replaced it and put the bed liner back.

[Rex in OTZ]

Yes I did do that with a 1986 Chevy corsica I had out here (2007) I removed the back seat and cut a hole right where the back seat cushion sat.

The Suburban once thawd had 3/4" of slopy mud on top of it, was pawing that off like chocolate pudding, used a air gun to blast as much the dirt away from the opening as I could, I actuallu thought about cutting a hole, its done allot out here, still the suburban sees allot of use so dident want to cause snags on the floor if I could help it, thought of just cutting a sheet of plywood to put the gal that drived her rig wanted it done nice.

[hillbill]

youll laugh at me but about 10 years ago i had a dakota that had the fuel pump go bad. I just pulled the bed liner out and cut a hole in the box big enough to get the pump out of the tank and replaced it and put the bed liner back.

yup jus did that on my 93 chev pu.cut a piece of the bed out with a sheet metal nibbler. made sum tabs and pop rivited it all back in and slid the bedliner back in.turned a 4 hr job into a 1 hr job, and i could look directly down into the undisturbed fuel tank and rule out water in the fuel.

[Hooker]

youll laugh at me but about 10 years ago i had a dakota that had the fuel pump go bad. I just pulled the bed liner out and cut a hole in the box big enough to get the pump out of the tank and replaced it and put the bed liner back.

yup jus did that on my 93 chev pu.cut a piece of the bed out with a sheet metal nibbler. made sum tabs and pop rivited it all back in and slid the bedliner back in.turned a 4 hr job into a 1 hr job, and i could look directly down into the undisturbed fuel tank and rule out water in the fuel.

6 bed bolts, unplug the tail lights, set the bed back about a foot straight shot no permanent damage to the truck. Take me about and hour with air tools . But then I've done probably a hundred or more of them. 

Pat

[Lloyd Smale]

you obviously dont live in snow country where they use salt on the roads. Ive  pulled a couple boxes off trucks over 10 years old and the only way to do it here is with a smoke wrench. couldnt even loosen the tank strap bolts. thats why i cut the whole so i wouldnt have to cut them and wrestle the tank but even that would have been easier then pulling the whole box off. If it were a newer truck  i would have probably done it different.

[hillbill]

whew, lloyd i dont envy yu living in salt country.ive worked on big trucks from up there and they were a mess.i cut the hole in my trucks bed because i plan on keeping this truck a long time.every time i fix something i like to make it easier next time.it doesnt devalue the truck in any way and if i do sell it the next owner will prob love me.