The dreaded fuel pump issue on my 93 Caprice

Discussion in 'General Station Wagon Discussions' started by just me, Nov 3, 2017.

  1. just me

    just me Well-Known Member

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    My wagon got me to work but wouldn't start to get home about a month or so ago, hit the bottom of the gas tank and got it to start and got home. Been very indecisive about keeping, selling, or parting out since it has other issues from its 185000 miles and age. Put it on craigslist and took it back down after missing out on another car I was going to buy, then finding nothing else I was interested in getting. Now I think it will go on California's non-op registration in late December and sit in the driveway while I try to make up my mind. (Of course the fuel tank was over 3/4 full when the pump went out.)
     
  2. Silvertwinkiehobo

    Silvertwinkiehobo "Everything that breaks starts with 'F.'"

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    1) When they go out can happen about any time, but I do happen to think the gasoline has something to do with it. However, you can pump most of it out, and with some deft planning, you can put it into another car but fill a five-gallon can for when you're done. 2) It's no stretch to do the in-tank pump unit and fuel filter, using basic hand tools and a floor jack with a wood block. 3) For the money, having the pump unit done will make the car easier to sell, if you do decide to sell, or a bigger joy to drive, if you decide to keep it. 4) For the record, those pumps last a helluva lot longer if people would just simply change the filter every 12 months, regardless of mileage driven. All my EFI cars and trucks ran beautifully for years with yearly filter changes.
     
  3. just me

    just me Well-Known Member

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    I know I can just change the pump but it isn't as simple as all that. These have those plastic lines and a pump on top of a plastic tank that like to crack at any slight hint of abuse. If it had rubber fuel hoses and a metal tank it would already be done. I do have to go buy some jack stands, a floor jack, and the quick disconnect tool before even thinking about getting the fuel tank down. I also have to remove the sender unit without cracking the tank itself (almost unobtainium) and remove the pump from the assembly (assembly IS unobtainium) without breaking that. This would be first attempt at this but not first attempt at tank removal and cleanout so I am finding myself reluctant to start. However, parting a car out is something I have some experience at and would net more money than trying to sell it outright but a CA wagon shouldn't really be parted out. Decision dilemma since I wouldn't want to take a rust free car away from someone else if they were willing to rebuild. I just don't think I would be comfortable putting it back on the road at this point without a total rebuild, repaint, and re upholstery and then be stuck with 11 to 12 mpg with the driving I do (V6 minivan I drive only gets 14.5mpg on the same route). So while the brain mulls it over I just let it sit, but the gas will be coming out and going into the minivan in the next couple of weeks.

    Aargh!, oh no it's not pirate day yet.
     
  4. Silvertwinkiehobo

    Silvertwinkiehobo "Everything that breaks starts with 'F.'"

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    The plastic crap is treated exactly like the metal, and sometimes, you catch a 'break.' When I would do those plastic craptastic pump unit changeouts, I simply would break the nipples off the old pump unit, then once the tank was down, I could go under and pull those nipples at my leisure. It also gave me a chance to inspect the wiring pigtail rather closely, as GM has had all kinds of problems since changing to that all-plastic design. It is doable, and the lines are a lot more durable than you think, but even if you mess one up, NAPA has the repair kits, not very much, I had to do one on my '89 Bronco back in '04, and that was mostly metal but a few plastic pieces.
     

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