I had a garage diagnose a bad fuel pump after having my truck fail to start. I decided to defer the 900 bill to replace it myself.
I have taken out the sending unit and have discovered the it is connected rather snuggly by two fuel lines and an electrical wire inside the tank. I am assuming I need to unfaster these and remove the sending unit to get to the fuel pump. Once I get this unconnected where do I find the fuel pump inside the tank.
Also, anyone who has ever replaced one before, do you have anything I should be looking out for?
Thanks
PS - this forum is awesome. I love my truck and have already found some cool stuff here.
First WELCOME ABOARD! You're right, this place is great!!!
I actually replaced the pump (myself) on my '92 Pathfinder just before Christmas. I assume yours will be similar...
Yes, you have to disconnect the fuel lines (hoses) and the electrical connector. The electrical wire should have a connector outside the fuel tank, somewhere within 2 or 3 feet of the tank. Mine was mounted on the inside of the vehicle's frame rail near the fuel tank.
Once these are disconnected, the sending unit and the fuel pump will come out. The pump is actually attached to the sending unit, and they come out as one piece. You have to be careful and patient removing this unit. The float to measure the fuel level is also attached to the sending unit. I has a long arm that sticks out to the side. You have to gently move the sending unit around while pulling it out to avoid catching the float on something and bending (or breaking) the arm. This took me some time, but I got it out. Going in is much easier.
Replacing the pump is a simple swap. There are some fuel lines and wires to attach, but as long as you keep this all straight, you'll be fine.
Oh, one more thing. I suggest you use a new o-ring and replace the screws holding the sending unit onto the tank. These tend to corrode over time.
So, congrats on doing this yourself and let us know ow this works out.
I removed the sending unit from the tank with little difficulty but discovered that the pump is actually sitting on the bottom of the tank. I couldn't figure out how it came unfastened. Has anyone run into this problem before?
I removed the sending unit from the tank with little difficulty but discovered that the pump is actually sitting on the bottom of the tank. I couldn't figure out how it came unfastened. Has anyone run into this problem before?
Oops, obviously a different design than mine.
Is it possibly fastened from underneath the tank? You'd maybe need to remove the skid plates from under the tank to see. That wouldn't be the greatest design, but I've seen stranger things.
You might want to purchase a Haynes repair manual for your vehicle (if available) to possibly get some direction here.
Please post the results of your work once you figure it out, so others can learn from your experience.
I will try to look for any connections on the bottom again, but the first look didnt I didnt see any. I did purchase a Haynes manual but it's diagram has the fuel pump being connected to the sending unit.
The sending unit is in the shape of an 'L' and obviously cannot hold a fuel pump. I will try and research this a little but if anyone has any help I would really appreciate it.
Have you purchased the new fuel pump yet? When I did mine, I decided to purchase it from a dealer (as opposed to after-market) because the genuine Nissan pump was only slightly more money and that way it's a genuine part.
The reason I ask is because by looking at the new pump you might be able to figure out how it's mounted. Also, depending how helpful the parts people at the dealer are, they may be able to advise you on this too. I happen to be fortunate enough to have 2 fairly good dealers in my area that usually seem pretty willing to help.
I did purchase the fuel pump already but they sent me the wrong size (4 cylinder) when their website had it listed as suitable for the 6 cylinder. I have ordered a replacement from AutoZone already and hopefully it will go smoothly from here.
Got the fuel pump installed and it runs great now. The pump is weird, it sits inside a casing on the bottom of the thank between the baffles. I havn't seen one like it before. It was a little tough to get out and get the sending unit connected back up again but we got it and it seems to run great now.
On the bottom of the tank there was a tube bracket the pump set in. The bottom half was bolted to the bottom of the tank and the top half was clipped into it by four tabs at the corners.
The strainer was tucked in underneath the bracket against the bottom of the tank. The lines and electric cable ran from the pump up to the sending unit. There was very little slack in the cables which was another weird design issue.
Unfortunately, the only way to get the bracket apart was to stick my hand in the fuel. It was about 35 degrees outside and the fuel was extremely cold. It sucked, but its done now and when I first heard the engine turn over it was worth it!
... It sucked, but its done now and when I first heard the engine turn over it was worth it!
Well said Man. That's always the bottom line. Also, you can figure you saved yourself at least a couple of hundred $$$ doing it yourself.
Just a thought, I guess next time you could always temporarily syphon the fuel out of the tank to do the work. But, hopefully you're not in there again in the near future.
I found it extremely difficult to siphon the fuel out of my tank. I ended up dropping the tank down with about 9 gallons in it. Nice to have a motorcyle lift around when you need it. The tank fit on it perfectly!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zilverado
Well said Man. That's always the bottom line. Also, you can figure you saved yourself at least a couple of hundred $$$ doing it yourself.
Just a thought, I guess next time you could always temporarily syphon the fuel out of the tank to do the work. But, hopefully you're not in there again in the near future.
00' Fuel Pump
Linear Mode
