Gas Tank Replacement

[Schurkey]

Get some extra hands and pull the bed, doing it all from the bottom is a nightmare, one that I'm currently living.

If you're removing the tank anyway, why pull the bed?

I installed the first fuel pump on my '88 K1500 from the bottom--drop the straps, disconnect the harness and fuel tubes, drop the tank.

I installed the second fuel pump on that vehicle by removing the bed. Getting the bed off was at least as difficult as dropping the tank out the bottom.

I thought about getting rid of that long 34 gallon tank on mine and putting a suburban 42 gallon tank where the spare tire goes.

I didn't know that was an option. It fits the pickup frame? Where is the fill cap routed to?




IF you remove the bed, it's not hard to move it around by yourself. A simple 2X4 to support the sides as it's lifted off is entirely sufficient--but bolt the chain around the lifting hook! No real need for multiple people, especially if you don't remove it completely--just loosen the bolts on the right side, remove the bolts on the left, and tip the bed up for clearance rather than pull it totally off.

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These are the connections you'll be removing. Don't forget to polish the frame for the ground strap 'n' bolt, so it makes good contact.

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While you have the sending unit out of the tank, connect it to the vehicle harness, turn the key on, and move the float back and forth while someone watches the gauge. With the float lifted, the gauge should read "full" or beyond full. With the float dropped, it should read empty.

 

[TylerSteez]

i have a hard time believing pulling the bed is easier than just dropping the tank from the bottom

 

[Drunkcanuk]

i have a hard time believing pulling the bed is easier than just dropping the tank from the bottom

Then you obviously haven't had to drop a tank by yourself!!! Lol
All kidding aside, if you are on concrete with the truck up on jack stands, it's not the worst thing to do.
But if you are on gravel and it's not up on SECURE jack stands, I think removing the bed would make it much easier.

At least you fleetside guys can do the party trick above with the 2x4 and engine hoist. Us lucky stepside folks can't do that. Would have to go to all 4 tie down holes with some sketchy straps!

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Then you obviously haven't had to drop a tank by yourself!!! Lol
All kidding aside, if you are on concrete with the truck up on jack stands, it's not the worst thing to do.
But if you are on gravel and it's not up on SECURE jack stands, I think removing the bed would make it much easier.

At least you fleetside guys can do the party trick above with the 2x4 and engine hoist. Us lucky stepside folks can't do that. Would have to go to all 4 tie down holes with some sketchy straps!

Drop a Burb tank, you'll have lots of fun LoL. When a neighbor and I did the fuel pump on my Burb in September '22, the tank still had ~15 gallons in it that we couldn't siphon out; we'd run out of 5 gallon buckets. Took both of us and two floor jacks, to get it down, and back up after the pump was replaced. And all four hands, we ran the jack handles with a leg..... Replacing the pump once the tank was out, was the easy part!

 

[TylerSteez]

Then you obviously haven't had to drop a tank by yourself!!! Lol
All kidding aside, if you are on concrete with the truck up on jack stands, it's not the worst thing to do.
But if you are on gravel and it's not up on SECURE jack stands, I think removing the bed would make it much easier.

At least you fleetside guys can do the party trick above with the 2x4 and engine hoist. Us lucky stepside folks can't do that. Would have to go to all 4 tie down holes with some sketchy straps!

i had one end in my hands and the other balancing on a jack that my brother was slowly lowering, we had the old tank out and the new tank in in no time at all. tank was probably 1/8 full.

i just really think i could siphon a tank to almost empty, undue the straps and lines, and lower the tank down on a jack or two by the time someone’s done breaking free crusty bed bolts and rigging up some 2x4/engine hoist/ strap concoction to lift the bed off lol. if i have my motorcycle jack with me then its not even a question.

 

[99xcss4]

Drop a Burb tank, you'll have lots of fun LoL. When a neighbor and I did the fuel pump on my Burb in September '22, the tank still had ~15 gallons in it that we couldn't siphon out; we'd run out of 5 gallon buckets. Took both of us and two floor jacks, to get it down, and back up after the pump was replaced. And all four hands, we ran the jack handles with a leg..... Replacing the pump once the tank was out, was the easy part!

um that there is when we say thats rough buddy only put one fuel pump in a suburban I am glad it ony had 5 gallons of gas in it it is almost like a curse when a fuel pump quits when you have more then a 1/4 tank or more of gas

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

um that there is when we say thats rough buddy only put one fuel pump in a suburban I am glad it ony had 5 gallons of gas in it it is almost like a curse when a fuel pump quits when you have more then a 1/4 tank or more of gas

We'd been driving the Burb, and had just filled it up on payday, so it'd been driven 3 or 4 days when the truck wouldn't start. Took a few days to fully diagnose the pump as the problem, because I wanted to eliminate the other possibilities.

 

[Schurkey]

it is almost like a curse when a fuel pump quits when you have more then a 1/4 tank or more of gas

We'd been driving the Burb, and had just filled it up on payday, so it'd been driven 3 or 4 days when the truck wouldn't start.

Thirty-five dollars worth of "special tool" fuel pump, and a few feet of fuel hose will vacuum the tank down to something manageable.
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If you don't like the "electric" solution, six feet of hose would siphon the fuel just as well, but somewhat slower.

Of course, if the in-tank pump still works, even if it's weak, just use the in-tank pump to drain the tank.

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[Drunkcanuk]

i had one end in my hands and the other balancing on a jack that my brother was slowly lowering, we had the old tank out and the new tank in in no time at all. tank was probably 1/8 full.

i just really think i could siphon a tank to almost empty, undue the straps and lines, and lower the tank down on a jack or two by the time someone’s done breaking free crusty bed bolts and rigging up some 2x4/engine hoist/ strap concoction to lift the bed off lol. if i have my motorcycle jack with me then its not even a question.

When I did it I was by myself.
Concrete floor and up on stands. I don't think I would have had room between the floor and frame if it wasn't up on stands, I remember it being really tight to get out from under the truck. It's a C1500.
Jumped the wires in the OBD1 port and used the pump to get the gas out. Undid the line at the fuel filter and put a chunk of garden hose on. Worked awesome.
Had only a floor jack, but a motorcycle jack(which do have now) would have made it a lot easier!
A bit sketchy but I sure hope I don't have to do it again anytime soon.

 

[Carlaisle]

If the fuel tank is rusty enough to warrant replacing, you would be wise to replace the brake line that goes up that inside frame rail while the tank is out of the way. There are surprisingly few convenient times to have a brake line rupture. I used these guys https://www.inlinetube.com/ and was very pleased with their product and service.