Fuel tank removal step by step, DIY w/pics

[the great him]

so due to age and other factors it has come time for me to replace my fuel pump. and since there are no "how to's" on this i figured id give it a shot at making one, and since others are probably not far behind in the age/milage from me as out rigs get older and older, i thought this might be useful to have around.

mine is a 97 so there may be some slight differences in the process but its all pretty much the same deal.

tools needed;
floor jack
19mm open ended wrench, flare nut wrench preferable -fuel filter
14mm open ended wrench, flare nut wrench preferable -fuel filter
12mm socket (3/8") -fuel tank bolts
6" extension
4" extension
3/8" ratchet
small needle nose pliers -keeper pin for tank strap
hose gripper pliers (small) -for twisting the soft fuel lines to break them free
hose clamp pliers
small long flat head screwdriver
small pocket screwdriver
#2 philips screwdriver
4 or 5 clean rags -covering opening where the filler neck comes into the tank
-optional;
cordless 3/8" impact (made the job much faster than using a ratchet)

ill start by recommending you do this with as little fuel as possible in the tank, or have access to a transmission jack. fuel is roughly 7lbs per gallon, and a full tank has about 18 gallons -do the math... 125lbs of fuel, then 10lbs for tank... its gonna be a major PITA to do full or even half full.

i ran mine for a day with the light on and dropped the tank at that point(only had about 1" of fuel in the bottom of the tank so maybe 1 gallon.


first step was to crack the fuel line, i did this at the fuel filter(because i am also gonna change the filter at this time as well).

next step was to fold forward the bottom part of the rear seat on the drivers side to provide access to the carpeting and the access the hatch/plug ins. unplug the connector inside the cab of the truck(its easiest to pull the entire clip off its mount on the floor pan under the carpet -this is also where i believe the plug in for the trucks with factory elockers is located at)
IMG_20140918_183416302 by isaacyocum, on Flickr
IMG_20140918_183258247 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

after that unscrew the 3 screws that hold the access hatch in place and lift it up, pull the wires free from the foam holder that seals and holds them in place and pull the wiring with plug down through the hatch and outside/under the truck -if you can reach your arm through and back, trace the wires back till where they attach to the top of the tank and seperate the harness from the tank(this might be easier done from outside the vehicle once the tank is free and can be lowered a little. but DO NOT FORGET to do this.
IMG_20140918_183129748 by isaacyocum, on Flickr
(this is that wiring you want to undo before dropping the tank)
IMG_20140919_100508364 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

then unplug the sending unit and fuel pump power from the tank itself. -the wires you just were dealing with are not the pump harnes wires, not sure what they go to. this harness stays with the truck and inside the cab.

then after that locate the three hard lines at the front of the tank. they go from hard line to soft line to hard line... separate the soft lines from the hard lines at this point the soft line sections are about 9" long and i found it was easier to do this leaving the soft lines attached to the hard lines on the tanks side(the soft lines came out with the tank for me because this was easiest for me but it could go either way). two of the lines have hose clamps that are easy to free, but the main fuel line has a threaded fitting that will require the same 19mm and 14mm for the fuel filter
IMG_20140918_184813600 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

at the back of the tank is a strap that supports the rear of the tank. on the inner side of the tank(closest to the drive shaft) there is a through pin with a retaining clip on it. remove the retaining clip and remove the pin. on the outside of the tank(closest to the wheel well) there is a 12mm bolt that you may chose to remove to remove the strap completely, however i did not do this and was ok with just letting the strap drop. -ONLY DO THIS STEP IF YOU HAVE AN EMPTY TANK, IF YOUR TANK IS OR HAS ANY MORE THAN 1/4 FUEL PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP, THEN RETURN TO THIS STEP.
IMG_20140918_184930131 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

after disconecting the hard lines from the soft lines then move the floor jack under the tank(of the tank is not empty you may want a piece of plywood of general shape of the tank to place between the tank and the jack as to help spread out the weight of the tank and fuel so as you do not dent/crush in the tank -id recommend at least 3/8" plywood). support the tank with the jack at this

now to the back of the tank and remove the filler neck/spout from the tank -use lower hose clamp to secure one of the clean rags over the opening of the tank as to prevent debris/foreign material from entering the tank.
IMG_20140918_185129149 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

now lower the tank a couple of inches and hold it there you will want to reach up and undo the filler vent tube at the tank. this is a hard line to a soft line to a hard line, undo it at one of the soft line joints. its a hose clamp that will require the use of the hose clamp pliers and its rather a pain to get to and fiddle with, thus why i recommend dropping the tank a few inches first as well as undoing the filler neck completely from the tank to give you as much room as possible. -at this point if you were not able to get that wire harness free from the tank id do so now. it might take a pare of needle nose pliers if you cant do it by hand, but undo the clip and separate the wires from the tank.
IMG_20140918_185216384 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

now move to the front of the tank, there should be one 12mm bolt holding the front of the tank to a bracket, undo that bolt and your tank should be free.
IMG_20140918_184850124 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

slowly lower the tank down and pull out from under the truck. your fuel tank is now free to do with as you please.

this is it for removing the tank, if you need to replace the pump go on to the next post where i will continue with the pump replacement and reinstall

 

[the great him]

once you have the tank out and on a open, level and clean surface/area (make sure the area is well ventilated and there is no open flame or source of ignition anywhere close!) its time to open the hatch and pull the pump and sending unit out. before opening the tank id recommend that you take a small flat screwdriver and run around the seal on the hatch as much as you can, knocking loose anything you can and sucking it up with a shop vac.

now take and remove the 8 screws that hold the hatch shut.
IMG_20140919_102204814 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

slowly lift up on the hatch and carefully remove the sending unit -you will have to rotate and angle the assembly as it comes out. be careful not to bend, break or damage any of the arms or wires on the unit
IMG_20140919_195152802 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

once out lay the assembly on the bench on a clean rag.

tank the tank and empty it of the rest of its contents. inspect it and clean out any debris that may be in the bottom of the tank. once that is done then cover the opening with a clean rag or towel.

now inspect both pumps -the one in the sending unit and the new one, making sure they are the same(if you are upgrading as i am/was there will obviously be differences, and you might have to adapt and modify some things, just make sure the new pump will work. the main thing here is physical size.)

now take the sending unit assembly and carefully unplug the pump.
IMG_20140919_103818082 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

then take a pair of pliers and remove the hose clamps that are on the feed tube. -you should only need to remove or lower the top on, as the new pump should come with a new hose and clamps.
(see above photo)

pull the pump out and and install the new pump. make sure you secure the new pump and use the provided isolation(rubber/foam pads if provided). -i suggest using zip ties over hose clamp in securing the pump as hose clamps could give off an audible noise while the pump is running. i just used two zip ties and was good.
IMG_20140919_195152802 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

before re-installing the sending unit assembly with the new pump take a soft rubber eraser and clean off all the deposits and carbon build up on the fuel level/gauge circuit board reader. -the arm that moves freely and has the plastic float/brick at the end. inspect for any broken or burnt marks on the circuitry as this could provide inaccurate readings on the fuel gauge in the dash.
IMG_20140919_195218007 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

i recommend replacing the gasket on the hatch/access port but since it is a flat gasket it can be reused with a skimming of FIPG, but a new gasket is like $7 so why risk it.


now its time to reverse the steps and start putting it all back together.

 

[the great him]

i will add pics as soon as they make it from my phone to my email to my computer.... take your time verizon take your time...

 

[MountainBiker]

This is a great description of the process! Thanks!
:guitar2:

 

[SilverRidgeRunner1]

How did the inside of the tank look after all these years. Kinda curious.

 

[the great him]

Perfect, like it was brand new. I had a couple little small particles in the fuel that I was able to catch with a new clean rag. I was super amazed.

 

[SilverRidgeRunner1]

Perfect, like it was brand new. I had a couple little small particles in the fuel that I was able to catch with a new clean rag. I was super amazed.

Cool I've always wondered with as many miles as we put on these Rigs what the inside of the fuel tanks gather up..

 

[the great him]

Unless you drive around with the fuel cap off, not much.

 

[MomHelpingKid]

Stuck trying to disconnect lines

Hi there. I am stuck at removing 2 soft lines and 1 hard line.
I removed the 2 clamps on the soft lines, but they seems stuck to the hard line feeding into them. How much pressure can I apply without damaging the hoses?
I don't know how to upload pics to show you what I am taking about.
I am a mom with enough knowledge to follow instructions trying to help my 19 year old change a fuel filter in a 1996 4Runner SR5.
Any advice is appreciated!

 

[MomHelpingKid]

Banjo Bolt won't lossen

Ok...got the soft lines off by cutting them and buying new hose.
The banjo bolt is snug.
Any suggestions?
Have sprayed with WD40 and we're waiting to see if that helps.
Thanks again

 

[ktmjockey]

This thread was super helpful. Not 100% accurate to my vehicle, but close enough.

 

[craig7]

guess i'll just note that the tank i dropped out of my 01 isnt quite the same one i see in the second post so removing it was different. it was mounted the same but the lines coming off were different.
i had to disconnect 2 hoses at the front of the tank, one had a special plastic quick connector i had to figure out how to release. the other, just a hose clamp.
i had four vent lines coming out the right side of the tank behind the pump. one was a maybe 3/4" vent hose going to my evap canister? above my axle, special disconnect on that hose, you have to pinch it just right... much easier to disconnect it at the evap box, the other are just regular vent hoses with hose clamps. i gave up and just cut the hoses..

 

[gamefreakgc]

guess i'll just note that the tank i dropped out of my 01 isnt quite the same one i see in the second post so removing it was different. it was mounted the same but the lines coming off were different.
i had to disconnect 2 hoses at the front of the tank, one had a special plastic quick connector i had to figure out how to release. the other, just a hose clamp.
i had four vent lines coming out the right side of the tank behind the pump. one was a maybe 3/4" vent hose going to my evap canister? above my axle, special disconnect on that hose, you have to pinch it just right... much easier to disconnect it at the evap box, the other are just regular vent hoses with hose clamps. i gave up and just cut the hoses..

Yeah, 01-02 have the charcoal canister mounted below the vehicle, where others have it mounted in the engine bay. That accounts for the difference in hose routing.

 

[ivopivo]

Does anyone know for sure what years had the same sending unit? I’m trying to find a used unit for my 97 limited but no clue even what the part number is as I came up with 2-3 different ones in my research.

 

[AntleredRuin]

This was a great write-up; I used it this weekend replacing my fuel pump.

Thanks!

A note, though. This write-up is for the fuel tank ONLY, not the skid plate.
That seems rather obvious in hindsight (meaning I'm stupid) but it threw me for a loop for a few minutes. I'm assuming that the OP had aftermarket skid plates, so already knew how to remove those.

For anyone else, the tank is held in place by 2 mount points; the strap on the rear, and the MIDDLE bolt on the front. This is mentioned in the write-up above, but not in relation to the 2 other bolts for the factory skid plate.

Look at the factory skid plate, and you'll see that there are 3 bolts on the very front holding it to the cross member. Look closer, and you'll see that the middle bolt bracket has a cutout, and isn't really holding the skid plate; it's holding the tank.
To remove the skid plate, remove the 2 outer front bolts, the one side bolt, and the 2 rear bolts by the strap. That will drop the skid plate and leave the tank in place.

Then follow the write-up.


Also, remove the spare tire. This isn't strictly necessary, but you'll be crawling in and out a lot, and going from the rear was a lot easier for me, and I can sit under the truck with the tire removed.

I was able to undo the strap only at the pin and drop the tank, same as the OP. To reinstall the strap, though, I had to undo the bolt (14mm) on the other side and install the pin side first. Then, reinstalled the bolt (it's pretty long) and it pulled the tank up snug. Otherwise, I needed an extra MM or 2, and the pin just would not fit through the eyelet.

 

[negusm]

guess i'll just note that the tank i dropped out of my 01 isnt quite the same one i see in the second post so removing it was different. it was mounted the same but the lines coming off were different.
i had to disconnect 2 hoses at the front of the tank, one had a special plastic quick connector i had to figure out how to release. the other, just a hose clamp.
i had four vent lines coming out the right side of the tank behind the pump. one was a maybe 3/4" vent hose going to my evap canister? above my axle, special disconnect on that hose, you have to pinch it just right... much easier to disconnect it at the evap box, the other are just regular vent hoses with hose clamps. i gave up and just cut the hoses..

I was in the middle of dropping the tank on my 2002 and ran across this issue of having the extra vent hose with that goofy connector.

I cursed you out like a sailor because you didn't explain how to detach it...but reread your post and sang your praises because you mentioned detaching the blasted thing at the evaporation box. That was key to saving my afternoon. After the spare is removed...there is plenty of room to see how it connects. and I used some small screw drivers on either side to get it off the evap box.

:thumb:

 

[mtbtim]

For those that like video tutorials, here's one for this job.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GrzX_K-jcuo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[fatherdoug]

For those that like video tutorials, here's one for this job.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GrzX_K-jcuo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thanks again, Tim. Much appreciated!