hi have a 1987 cutless ceria v.6 3.8 ..how hard is it too change the fuel pump... can one person do it????? thanks for your help

Fuel Pump: Service and Repair
1. Disconnect battery ground cable, then drain fuel tank.
2. Disconnect tank unit wire from connector in rear compartment.
3. Remove ground wire retaining screw from under body.
4. Disconnect hoses from tank unit.
5. Support fuel tank and disconnect the two fuel tank retaining straps.
6. Remove fuel tank from vehicle.
7. Remove fuel gage retaining cam, using tool J-24187, or other suitable tool.
8. Remove sending unit from tank.
9. Electric fuel pump can be unbolted from tank sending unit after sending unit has been removed.
10. Reverse procedure to install.

Overall...unless after reading those steps you feel confident about completing the job, it's not recommended to be done at home. Not saying it isn't possible though.

TOC Admin
Brando

I was wanting to change mine as well, and that clears up alotta things for me thanks Brando. Wats an estimate on the fuel tank weight with like 5L in it(62L capacity tank)? Unit wire from rear compartment? What exactly do u mean by rear compartment. How would you drain it? Is there a drain plug for it?
And the other thing is, is it pretty much impossible to get the retaining cam off without that special tool, cause it would suck if i got that far and couldnt get it off or if i did, back on for that matter.

Anyone replace a fuel pump on a similar style tank or in-tank pump that could possibly give some pointers and tips?

Not bad. I did mine not too long ago, and the tank basically suspends itself on the straps, till you take the last bolt out.. When the straps are lowered, the tank slides backwards and with some TLC, comes out rather easily. Or that was my experience with my delta. I cant imagine the tank layout is TOO much different on the cutlass.

Although, if it seems to be too much weight, use a jack to support the tank as you take the last bolt out of the strapping. If no jack is available, 2 neighborhood kids would work in place.

I dont think 5L of gas weighs much, but you might be surprised to find a lot more than 5L in the tank. The tank itself will only weigh roughly 50 lbs or less. No biggie.

You could Siphon most of it out.

TOC Admin
Brando

In theory it seems like an easy job, but once you get into it you might wish you just brought it to a shop where they do that stuff every day!

I changed my fuel pump in my truck (similar setup to your car with the pump in the tank), and I wouldn't want to do it again! It's not that it was complicated, but it was a major pain! If you feel confdent about it then go ahead, you might have a better experience than I did, or you could just take it to a shop and save yourself from half a day of lying on your back swearing at rusted nuts and bolts I know shop rates aren't cheap, but maybe get an estimate then decide if it's worth it to you or not.

Give me a mechanical fuel pump any day. takes all of 5 or 10 minutes to change those!

I had to drain all the fuel from my car when I did this. Here's how I did it.

Undid the nut on the fuel line right before my fuel filter. I put a short peice of surgical tubing on the end, and ran it into a gerry-can. Under the hood, there will be the fuel pump relay. I shorted the relay, so the fuel pump ran until it pumped out ALL the fuel it could. I then disconnected the relay, undid the battery cable and went to it. (changing the pump)

Even after the pump starts to suck air, it will spit out bits of fuel for another five minutes or so... Assuming your fuel pump runs at all? Otherwise, you'll have to do as brando said and syphon. I did NOT have good luck trying to syphon the gas out of my tank. And I did try...

why didn't I think of that?

NOTE: "other suitable tool" = large flat bladed screwdriver and hammer




This is the BEST quote I've seen all day!!! In most cases you'll run into frozen strap retaining bolts, frozen/rusted fuel lines, and other problems. We do ALOT of repair work to rusted fuel and brake lines on the FWD Deltas and related cars....in many cases what will happen is that when you attempt to unhook the fuel line the line will crack due to being thin from being rusted...otherwise what will happen is that the lines will crack when dropping the tank down before unhooking them. Unless you're FULLY confident of your mechanical ability, and/or have friends who are or who have done this type of work before, I wouldn't suggest it to someone who's not familar with the line routing, or who doesn't have alot of mechanical expertise and the proper tools....it'll just end up costing more in the long run. Also, if it's done by a shop, in the event of a fuel pump failure many GOOD parts stores will warranty the labor required to replace the fuel pump again....if you do it yourself there is no record of labor time, plus you'll have to drop it back out yourself and go thru the time and hassle all over again.

Another thing to mention....when replacing the fuel pump, ALWAYS replace the in line fuel filter, as well as the pickup sock in the fuel tank, and MAKE SURE they're on the same bill. That way, if the fuel pump fails and you attempt to get a warranty out of it, the parts store will see that you replaced the filter as well. Most companies will NOT warranty a fuel pump which did not have the in line filter replaced at the same time. Fuel filter blockage is the leading cause of fuel pump failure.....it doesn't matter how hard the pump works...if the filter is plugged, the pump is being overworked and overheated, which will result in pump failure. It's amazing how many cars I see come thru with 100,000+ miles which still have the original filter.....and people wonder why their fuel pump goes out...

LOL I hear that Stroker! I went to my old shop Harry's on rand and was talking with Ken and he said that a 94 Cavalier that we maintained since new hit 218K miles! with the stock pump! I cant believe it's lasted that long with his daughter driving it for the last 4 years!. the guy was religious About changing his oil and every 24000miles replacing the fuel filter, flushing coolant and trans oil changes! BTW original auto trans too!

it's so tru, spend a little now or a LOT later!

James