Fuel Pump Replacement

[CaliDude76]

Hey guys, this friend of mine just bought herself a 99 Chevy 'Burb. Initially the gas gauge didn't work, but it ran great, then the engine started cutting out. Now it won't start at all. Fuel pump seems to be the culprit. Has anyone done a replacement on one of these?

I'm gonna try and help her out if she buys the pump. Am I getting in over my head with this???

 

[89Suburban]

http://www.tanks-to-pans.com/site/823208/page/301767

Then cut a hole in the rear floor to replace it.

 

[towman]

it is a pain dropping the tank to get to but not rocket science, just make sure you gets either a delphi or ac delco fuel pump yes they do cost a little more than the stuff from the discount auto parts store but there is a reason, the after market just plain out suck on fuel pumps

 

[CaliDude76]

http://www.tanks-to-pans.com/site/823208/page/301767

Then cut a hole in the rear floor to replace it.

Yeah.. I know, right? I was doing some more research last nite, and for the life of me, I don't understand why G.M. didn't make a provision for this, and do just that. I've seen other vehicles where the pumps were easily accessible through the bottom of the trunk.

 

[89Suburban]

Some guys make that mod to thier trucks. I will be next time I have to get to it.

 

[Old77]

since a 99 is still fairly new in my book and it's a girls ride I'd try and refrain from actually cutting the floor up but that's just me

Like towman said, dropping the tank is a PITA but not thought provoking process. It's pretty straight forward. Try and get as much gas out of the tank prior to dropping it. I had to do this same repair on my 99 Yukon we had for a while.

Also, she'll spend a little bit more money but get a Delphi unit (or whatever is OEM). It's more expensive but the aftermarket units will quit after a relatively short amount of time and she'll be right back where she started.

EDIT: After going back and reading Towman's post I probably should just said "ditto" and moved on but....

 

[f1shman]

Yeah.. I know, right? I was doing some more research last nite, and for the life of me, I don't understand why G.M. didn't make a provision for this, and do just that. I've seen other vehicles where the pumps were easily accessible through the bottom of the trunk.

Would you really want one? Lets do a hypothetical scenario.

Hypothetically, lets say that you add that easy access door in the floor of the suburban and change out the fuel pump. As you button up everything you decide to take the truck for a quick test drive to make sure everything is working properly before you give it back to its owner. On the test drive you are involved in an accident. You are rear ended and the truck is pushed up against a building on the driver's side. In the accident, your easy access door is pushed open. The fuel tank has also shifted, and the flex line connections at the fuel pump are broken. The new pump which puts out 60 PSI of fuel operates for another second or two before the accident safety switches shut it down. Some of the fuel spray makes it into the passenger compartment before a small spark from the accident ignites it. The actual hypothetical accident crash is now over with and you find yourself dazed in a truck that not only has a fire under it, but also in the cargo area of the passenger compartment. Your door is jammed up against a wall and you need to free yourself from the wreckage to escape out the passenger side before the smoke from the fire and fire itself overtakes you.

Of course this is all hypothetical. It is doubtful that in the real world you'd end up with such a precise scenario. But if you had the choice of ordering a truck from the factory with or without an access door and you knew in your mind that there was even a small chance that the above scenario might happen, would you really want your family riding around in a truck with an access door?

I guess the moral of my little story is that GM made the truck with a solid floor for a reason: safety. While I understand how all of us love to do the easy jobs to make our trucks run properly and perform better, when it comes down to safety I think we should look to doing the job the right way rather than the easy way. Best of luck with swapping it out.

 

[Old77]

I needed like suspense movie music playing along in the back ground while reading F1sh's post....

It is a pretty decent point, though...

 

[89Suburban]

It didn't dawn on me about the passenger compartment scenario. I saw some posts about guys doing it to pickup truck beds and it just poped out. Sorry.

 

[Old77]

It didn't dawn on me about the passenger compartment scenario. I saw some posts about guys doing it to pickup truck beds and it just poped out. Sorry.

and I've done it to my bed, too, but.....yeah

 

[89Suburban]

Yup.


89S<-------------dum-dum

 

[Old77]

 

[CaliDude76]

Would you really want one? Lets do a hypothetical scenario.

Hypothetically, lets say that you add that easy access door in the floor of the suburban and change out the fuel pump. As you button up everything you decide to take the truck for a quick test drive to make sure everything is working properly before you give it back to its owner. On the test drive you are involved in an accident. You are rear ended and the truck is pushed up against a building on the driver's side. In the accident, your easy access door is pushed open. The fuel tank has also shifted, and the flex line connections at the fuel pump are broken. The new pump which puts out 60 PSI of fuel operates for another second or two before the accident safety switches shut it down. Some of the fuel spray makes it into the passenger compartment before a small spark from the accident ignites it. The actual hypothetical accident crash is now over with and you find yourself dazed in a truck that not only has a fire under it, but also in the cargo area of the passenger compartment. Your door is jammed up against a wall and you need to free yourself from the wreckage to escape out the passenger side before the smoke from the fire and fire itself overtakes you.

Of course this is all hypothetical. It is doubtful that in the real world you'd end up with such a precise scenario. But if you had the choice of ordering a truck from the factory with or without an access door and you knew in your mind that there was even a small chance that the above scenario might happen, would you really want your family riding around in a truck with an access door?

I guess the moral of my little story is that GM made the truck with a solid floor for a reason: safety. While I understand how all of us love to do the easy jobs to make our trucks run properly and perform better, when it comes down to safety I think we should look to doing the job the right way rather than the easy way. Best of luck with swapping it out.

Well... uuuhhhmmmm, since you put it like that...

exnay on the olehay....

That's a very good point.. especially seeings the fact that she has 7 kids to haul around.

 

[CaliDude76]

You know what though... that brings me to another point...

I was talkin to a buddy of mine about this, and the subject got brought back to his experience about just pulling the beds off if it were a truck, bummer on the 'burbs.. but anywho..

I realized that I'm driving a bomb too... if anyone were to hit me from the side of the bed, my tanks would go up in flames (possibly).... I forgot that G.M. placed the tanks in between the fender and the frame.

Mine are still located there too. hmmmmm

 

[CaliDude76]

since a 99 is still fairly new in my book and it's a girls ride I'd try and refrain from actually cutting the floor up but that's just me

Like towman said, dropping the tank is a PITA but not thought provoking process. It's pretty straight forward. Try and get as much gas out of the tank prior to dropping it. I had to do this same repair on my 99 Yukon we had for a while.

Also, she'll spend a little bit more money but get a Delphi unit (or whatever is OEM). It's more expensive but the aftermarket units will quit after a relatively short amount of time and she'll be right back where she started.

EDIT: After going back and reading Towman's post I probably should just said "ditto" and moved on but....

it's ok buddy, I still read it with enthusiasm.....

actually, be on the lookout, I might do a write-up about this, if I end up doing it myself