In-the-tank fuel pumps cause death and destruction

Fuel vapour in a concentration much to rich to burn. (in other words -
mabee a teensy weensy little bit of air mixed with a LOT of raw fuel.

 

Heh heh! Reminds me of the time in a presentation to NASA when I got
reprimanded for referring to an activation switch on a joystick for a
robotic arm to be used on the space shuttle as a "dead man switch" (this
was a few months after the Challenger disaster). (After the meeting, I
very quietly joked to a co-worker, "Hmmm - maybe I should have called it
a "dead *astronaut* switch?", insinuating that the objection was to the
use of the politically incorrect word "man" instead of the generic
"person" or "astronaut".)

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

Well *sure* you say that *now*. But would you have wanted to be the
first engineer in history to propose doing that? 8^)

Can't argue with that.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

Why do you think I put the quotation marks around the phrase fire-wall? It's not
a fire wall. But that is what most will call it, sort of like using the word
Kleenex instead of facial tissue.

 

Wait a minute. Maybe there are shortcuts in some cases - and I have only
done
it once - but every fuel pump replacement I have heard about
involves dropping the tank.

e. g.
http://popularmechanics.com/automotive/sub_care_sat/1997/12/replace_intank_f
uel_pump/

There is no way dropping the tank can be compared to disconnecting
two fuel lines and unplugging the electric plug.

And as

 

I may have missed it earlier, but it is your opinion that
money had a lot / a little / nothing to do with the design?

Cost of repair was not a consideration?

 

Which compared to many engine mounted fuel pumps a piece of cake.

 

Hi Bill...

I'd have to be several kinds of fool to debate you
given your experience.

Perhaps though, we should together design a new
system? I'm thinking of gravity...

Ken

 

None of the intank fuel pumps used on carbureted Toyota vehicles
required removal of the tank to replace. All had screwed on access
covers either in the trunk or floor under the rear seat to access the
fuel sender.fuel pickup/fuel pump.. Many other vehicles were built the
same.

Many of today's vehicles DO require dropping the tank - and MANY of
those tanks are plastic, not steel.. Many of them have quick
disconnects to disconnect the fuel lines, and if less than 1/4 full
pose a very limitted danger of spillage when removing. They are also
usually relatively simple to drain with a proper fuel transfer pump,
either electrical, air powered, or manual.

Most fuel injected vehicles can be easily drained from under the hood
by connecting the transfer pump to the service valve on the fuel rail
- without getting ANY fuel or fuel vapours into the shop, and with NO
danger of fire.

 

If you have about a week to wait for the fuel to tranfer........


<snip>

 

No,, about half an hour maximum will empty a 72 liter tank - and
totally unmonitored, so you can do another job while it is being
drained. The schrader valve is removed to remove a significant amount
of restriction from the line.

 

wouldn't the arcing be only where the actual motor assembly would be?
could this not be a sealed unit? Would you even want gas in there? I
would think gas does a poor job of lubrication - you'd have some kind of
grease in the actual motor assembly, wouldn't you?

the gears that pump the gasoline won't be arcing...

fwiw, my fish tank pump uses a sealed pump assy with a magnetic drive
assembly - no chance of water touching the electrical parts.

Ray

 

That is bull.

 

VW beetle had the gravity feed. Not sure that I'd want a gravity
feed if I was involved in an accident....... ;-)

 

Actually, no it's not. It works great as long as you have a working fuel
pump.

Denny

 

When i worked at the dodge dealer, the way i removed the intank fuel pumps
was not to drop the tank but raise the bed, the tank can be completly full
and never dropped....remove the 6 15mm. bolts...leave the two back ones in
but loosen them the ground strap and the three screws attaching the fuel
neck to the body comes off, lower the truck with a jack stand under the bed
, the bed goes up while the truck comes down, looks like a dump truck
dropping a load when it is up
Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

 

Actually, yes, yes I would! I could use the royalty payments on my
patent...

Oh, come on, I'm sure you can!

Matt

 

I replied to another part of the thread already but will repeat here that
the car my wife owns (2001 Impala) has an access door under the rear seat.
Pull the seat and then unbolt the access door/cover and you can then remove
the pump.

 

If your fuel pump is working why would you would you drain it that way? It is
very time consuming. You will not pull 72 liters or 19 gallons in a half hour.

 

Yup, works great with a truck. Now do that on a mini-van. Try that on a
LHS.........