Fuel pump choices, 99 Suburban with 5.7 vortec

[redfishsc]

Occasionally I can hear my fuel pump whine when I turn the key to "on" (just before cranking) and I've been sniffing out a shaky idle problem (which I suspect is ignition related), but those two things together have me getting suspicious of my fuel pump.

At normal driving, the truck runs like a champ, especially good for a truck with 212K on it.

Anyhow, I have NOT checked fuel pressure, I don't own a fuel pressure gauge (yet). When I do get one, if I turn out to have weak fuel pressure, obviously I'll be looking to swap the pump.

I realize it's in the gas tank on these trucks. I don't think the Suburban is has difficult as the Tahoes and pickups since my gas tank is at the far rear of the vehicle where the spare tire normally is.

However, are there ways of putting an external fuel pump on instead, and just leave the dead one's carcass in the gas tank?

 

[Supercharged111]

Why would you want to? Seems to me it'd be more work to do it the wrong way. What are you afraid of with doing it the right way?

 

[redfishsc]

Why would you want to? Seems to me it'd be more work to do it the wrong way. What are you afraid of with doing it the right way?

Well to be honest, it's because I'm part of a peculiar breed of guys that think it's damn stupid to have to drop a 45 gallon gas tank just to swap a mechanical part that is likely to fail at least once over the life of a vehicle that can last 300K miles or more. Maybe they have reasons for doing this (heatsinking the pump with the fuel, protecting it from whatever, hell if I know) but on nearly every vehicle I've had with a pump in the fuel tank, I've had to have it swapped at some point or other. The exception being the 03 Deville we had, which is the car with the starter motor mounted underneath the intake manifold (same mentality, gets my same opinion).

It might be more work, and I'm definitely OK with being told that, and perhaps I'm suggesting something that's likewise damn stupid. Wouldn't be the first time.

 

[redfishsc]

If the external pump is a no-go for a Vortec, what brand do you guys recommend? The OEM seems to be a DELPHI FG0092 according to RockAuto, and I suppose 200K+ miles is pretty good. Are there options out there considered more durable?

 

[Supercharged111]

No, only real reason to deviate from OE is if you have a monster engine to feed.

 

[redfishsc]

No, only real reason to deviate from OE is if you have a monster engine to feed.

Well, a man can wish, I suppose lol. Who wouldn't want a 900hp blown big block in their family hauler? Either way, I know these fuel pumps have to generate upwards of 65psi which is quite a bit more than the old school (and sensible) inline pumps used previously.

I'm not familiar with how the lines run from the fuel pump to the engine bay. I was hoping there was an aftermarket splice-in somewhere that meant you never needed to drop the fuel tank for the pump. It's not so much that I dread dropping the tank. I suppose it's just my way of telling the engineers that put it in the fuel tank to kiss my ass.

 

[AllThrottleNoBottle]

Well, a man can wish, I suppose lol. Who wouldn't want a 900hp blown big block in their family hauler? Either way, I know these fuel pumps have to generate upwards of 65psi which is quite a bit more than the old school (and sensible) inline pumps used previously.

I'm not familiar with how the lines run from the fuel pump to the engine bay. I was hoping there was an aftermarket splice-in somewhere that meant you never needed to drop the fuel tank for the pump. It's not so much that I dread dropping the tank. I suppose it's just my way of telling the engineers that put it in the fuel tank to kiss my ass.

Hey, after changing the 00 Esky's pump, I feel your frustration my friend. The Delphi is THE way to go. A whole bunch of people have had the Airtex and AutoDude Specials fail a year or two out. The Delphi is all in a nice package, too...sender, fuel sock (you won't see it, but it's in there), all put together and drop in. The AC Delco, one would think, is identical, but the Delphi has a beefier pump. Drop yourself a few bucks on something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-37000-...9990358&sr=1-4&keywords=gm+fuel+quick+connect

to get the lines off and swap the tank pressure sensor while it's out. If there's anything you just wanna have to do once...this ****'s it!

By the way, I see you're in South Cackalacky, too. It's wayyy to damn hot to be dropping a tank - feeling for ya!

Rich

Oops, I forgot to mention, probably want to (have to?) change the filler neck hoses, too. I had to end up cutting mine off. That big ******* was a little hard to find, but NAPA was my friend around here - just make sure it's the right stuff for the job. The corn liquor gas will quickly eat up the inside of, say, coolant hose.

 

[redfishsc]

Excellent help Throttle. I grew up in Rock Hill, not sure where you are in the upstate, but I'm thankful for a fellow upstatesman's help. I live in Chucktown now. It was literally over 100 every single day Mon-Friday the week of the 4th. Insanity!

Fortunately I don't think I need to drop it now. I wont' know until I test the pressure, and I have a few other things to snake out before I go buy a pressure gauge (sources of the shaky idle). The truck otherwise runs like a champ. I occasionally hear the fuel pump running when I turn the key, and it seems "a little louder" than I'd expect, but I can't say for sure.

I work only 5 miles from home so I can basically drive it until she breaks down lol.

 

[AllThrottleNoBottle]

Excellent help Throttle. I grew up in Rock Hill, not sure where you are in the upstate, but I'm thankful for a fellow upstatesman's help. I live in Chucktown now. It was literally over 100 every single day Mon-Friday the week of the 4th. Insanity!

Fortunately I don't think I need to drop it now. I wont' know until I test the pressure, and I have a few other things to snake out before I go buy a pressure gauge (sources of the shaky idle). The truck otherwise runs like a champ. I occasionally hear the fuel pump running when I turn the key, and it seems "a little louder" than I'd expect, but I can't say for sure.

I work only 5 miles from home so I can basically drive it until she breaks down lol.

Yeah, 100+ is way nasty! I'm way up here in SparkleCity. I started out not far from Rock Hill, on the outskirts of Gaffney. I thought 90's up here was bad enough, but hell, we all got 120% humidity. Them Arizona boys just don't understand the hot soup air we gotta live in!

About the pump, hopefully you won't have to swap it. My old S10 had about 220k on it when I took a trip to Ohio. Long story short, on the way back, I stopped for gas in Kentucky...damn thing wouldn't start. It was running fine, just been idling a little shaky sometimes, so doing some in-the-rain what-the-hell diagnostics, no fuel. The pump quit. An old man up there at the gas station said to bang the bottom of the tank with a wrench, right under the pump, while having the wife turn the key on. Sure enough, the pump fired back up and I didn't shut it back down till we got home...where it promptly died, never to run again without a new pump. That was a colon-clogging trip! Looking back, I noticed when I shut it down and went to restart it hot for the couple months prior to that trip, it wanted to spin over about 10 seconds before it would fire. Seems like that's your sign the pumps going to that great pump house in the sky. My dad's 2000 longbed's having the same symptoms for a couple months now - with about 240k on it.

I rambled all that just for some shadetree info. At 212k you're getting close...if she's having any kinda hot start hesitations, well, at least it's close to work and home. Carry a hammer with you.

Rich

 

[tinfoil_hat]

Having the pump in the tank is a safety feature and it prolongs the life of the pump. The pump is cooled by the fuel and if the pump fails structurally the fuel is contained in a safe vessel.
The tank isn't that hard to drop, as long as it isn't full. The fuel lines have QR fittings. Do the filter when you decide to do it.