I checked into replacing the fuel pump on my 1990 and found this link thru autozone.....is it really this simple? http://www.autozone.com/shopping/rep...00c1528008fd31

 

Takes about 30 minutes the first time you do it.

1. Remove fuel door. 4 phillips screws.
2. Remove rubber boot. Held in by pressure only.
3. Disconnect harness.
4. Remove fuel lines. (3)
5. Remove bolts holding sending unit in. Wipe dirt /debris off surrounding area so it doesn't fall in tank.
6. Gently remove sending unit / pump assembly.



After step 5, here's what you will see. Just lift it (carefully) out.

 

does my tank have to be empty, or low? probably a stupid question, but just making sure as i plan to do this first thing in the morning if possible, and I have a tank about 3/4 full!

 

NO....

In fact, the fuller, the better. You don't want vapors building up, and the more liquid that is in the tank, the less space for vapors. Liquid gasoline doesn't explode readily. Vapors do.

I guess I should mention that once you have the pump and sending unit assembly out, you should tape up the opening on the tank with duct tape until you're ready to reinstall the assembly....keeps vapors in, and debris out.

Even 30 minutes can allow a LOT of vapors to escape. Since it's cold, I'm assuming you're working in a closed garage. I would still tape up the tank and keep the garage door open. It doesn't take a whole lot for gasoline vapors to misbehave. And do please make sure you disconnect the battery before beginning any work. Sparks are not your friend here.

You can't be TOO safe working on a gas tank. A few precautions and all will be well.

 

Ohhh....and here's what it looks like outside of the tank.




I also strongly recommend you replace the pulsator and sock while it's out. These deteriorate over time. You can just replace it with a piece of fuel injection hose.

I meant to ask earlier...why are you replacing the pump? What symptoms is it giving you?

 

It flutters when i idle at a stop....tried many things, this is next on my list!

 

How many pounds of fuel pressure do you have on the fuel rail when the symptoms occur?

If you haven't verified it, mount a fuel pressure gauge on the schrader valve and tape it to the windshield where you can see it when you're driving. Get the car to replicate the problem, and post what fuel pressure you're seeing when it happens.

The fuel pump may not be the problem. Troubleshoot, don't guess. Nothing worse than spending time and money and then the problem doesn't go away. Unless you're independently wealthy, this is a terribly expensive way to diagnose a problem.

 

i replaced it, put everything back in, and than it started and immediately died...any ideas

 

SES light flashing? if so you need to know which code.

 

NO codes, no lights flashing

 

Back to what I said a couple of posts ago....How many pounds of pressure do you have on the fuel rail? It is critical we know this before moving on.

Does the pump energize for 2 seconds at key on? Does it continue to run during cranking?

Does it build pressure and immediately bleed it off when the key is turned off?

If you run 12V to the fuel pump terminal on the ALDL, does the pump run and build pressure?


I reiterate what I said before....Time to stop guessing and start troubleshooting.

 

It tries to turn over but is obvious no fuel is getting to the engine, the starter tries to crank but that is about it.

Not sure on the pounds of pressure, don't know how to gauge that.

I don't hear anything when trying to start it.

I can tell you that i put back in the old one, which worked, and tried to start but with the same results. I looked at the electrical harness that connects to the fuel assembly back there and can tell you that after looking closely one of the four female plugs doesn't have the copper lining inside, would that affect it? And if so, how do i replace it?

I appreciate the patience and help. I really thought this would be a simple project but I have pulled it and replaced it 3 times to no avail. PLEASE HELP! (i never should have done this....ugh!)

 

could i have screwed up the fuel pump relay?

 

I will be doing this job on my '92. Any suggestions on where to purchase the replacement pump, sending unit etc? I'm not obsessive on keeping it exactly original, and since the car is for pleasure driving and not hard core competition I don't need anything exotic. Stealership? Aftermarket vendor? TIA.

 

Let me explain what i did:
Disconnected negative from battery
Removed fuel lid
Removed fuel overflow tray
Removed rubber fuel boot
Unplugged harness
Removed three tubes/lines .....hardest part, they were on there good
Removed 9 screws keeping unit in tank
Pulled out unit....
Unplugged electrical from fuel pump
Slid fuel pump out to the side
Rubber thing fell off between fuel pump and pulsator
Took off sock/strainer
Put new stainer on new fuel pump
Plugged fuel pump into it's electrical
Put rubber thingy on top of fuel pump and slid under pulsator
This is not a snap fit here, is there something I'm missing??????????????????????
Put unit back in, screwed in screws, put hoses back on, plugged in electrical harness, than battery and tried to start..................what did i do wrong, what did i miss

 

Help!

 

OK, from what I can see you did everything right on the fuel pump install. And no, you didn't screw up the relay unless it was already dead. And if the pump is good, once the engine reaches about 4 psi of oil pressure (cranking or running), the relay isn't even a factor in the equation any longer. That is, once the car starts or reaches 4 psi cranking, a bad relay won't cause any issues whatsoever.

Butttt....we still need to find out if you have fuel pressure. And the only way to do that is to hook a fuel pressure gauge to the fuel rail. There is a schrader valve....looks like a tire valve...on the fuel rail that feeds the injectors. You need to attach a fuel pressure gauge to that and see what it reads when you try to start the car. If it reads anything less than about 38 psi, we have a fuel system issue. If it reads between 38-42 psi and holds there, we need to look elsewhere.

The gauge looks like this. If you don't have one, either buy or borrow one from someone.



...or you can buy one for less than $14.

Harbor Freight Tools

I'm sure you have a HFT in ABQ.

Now....given that your car ran decently before you pulled the fuel pump and doesn't run now, something PROBABLY went haywire on your install.

So...do this. Run 12 volts + from your battery to terminal G on your ALDL connector (diagnostic link) under the dash. This energizes the fuel pump full time....key off or on, doesn't matter. Leave the key off and energize the pump. Go back to the tank area and listen and see if the pump is running. You will be able to hear it...high pitched whine (sounds kinda like my secretary, but more useful ).

If you can't hear the pump running, you need to pull it back out and find out why. Remove the pump and sender assembly, TAPE UP THE TANK OPENING so no fumes can escape, unplug the harness, energize terminal G, use a voltmeter and see if you have 12 volts at the harness. If yes, test it where the pump plugs in on the sending unit assembly. If yes, the pump is bad (even if it's new). If no power either place, there is an open circuit in the harness to the fuel pump. Do not run the pump "dry"..that is, outside of the tank. It will ruin it.

While you have the pump assembly out, replace the pulsator with a piece of FUEL INJECTION hose and clamp it tightly. You may be losing pressure there.

If you can hear the pump running, test the pressure at the fuel rail. If it is 38-42 psi and holds, you have another issue. If you have pressure, but it's low, pinch off the return line with vice grips. If the pressure suddenly comes up, the regulator is bad. If not, check your fuel filter (replace if you don't know how old it is). If still low pressure, the pump has failed.

You are going to have to invest in some tools to work on the car. Trust me, it's a lot cheaper than paying a mechanic. And you usually only have to buy them once if you buy good stuff.

I wish you weren't 4 hours north of me. We'd have your car running correctly in an afternoon....assuming you bought the beer.

 

I replace the fuel pump on my 86 three years ago. If you used the wiring diagram that came with the Autozone pump, it is wired backwards. I wired mine according to the instructions. The car wouldn't run. I had to reverse the wires from the instructions.

Give it a try.

 

Thank you both a ton for your patience and guidance, you guys rock. I will try the above stuff and report back to you. This gives me a lot to work with, I appreciate it. And....next time i am 4 hours south we will have to meet up at a local hooters or pub and the beers are on me.

 

Sounds great....let me know how it turns out.