[Dimitri13]

For those of you who also need, or want, to change your fuel tank, don't forget the anti-squeal/insulator strips. I'm not sure if there's a kit out there, but you can also use roofing paper.

This is for a '92 Astro 2WD. The part numbers or procedures may vary for your year. Be sure to do your research.

My fuel pump was absolutely SHOT.

The tank was absolutely DISGUSTING. Van was sitting for 8 years. You should've seen the amount of rust and goop in there. Not to mention the stench of 4 gallons of 8-year old fuel.

I replaced the pump and sender with a "Spectra Premium SP18B1H Fuel Hanger Assembly with Pump and Sending Unit for Chevrolet/GMC." Can be found on RockAuto or Amazon for roughly $70. With Amazon Prime there's free shipping. Although I'm guessing shipping isn't much of an issue for you mainlanders.

I also replaced the tank with a Spectra Premium GM24 Fuel Tank for Chevrolet/GMC. I got mine on Amazon for $95 with free shipping (absolutely stupendous, because shipping would've been over $100 otherwise). After checking Amazon again, it seems the price jumped up to $127. Again, don't forget the anti-squeak/insulation strips. And don't forget to take the plastic skid plate off the old tank before you toss it.

Hope this helps someone down the line.

 

[jrsride2002]

Now that, is a good looking tank!!! I think im sold on it. Totally don't need it, which makes it a requirement.... :shock: :shifty: :clap:

Thanks for submitting,
~Junior

 

[Broseph]

So if this question is addressed in a different thread please don't berate me just point to the thread:
I suppose I will figure it out after I have removed my pump, but I am not to that point yet.

Has anyone installed the Delphi pump with the "upgrade"? As described on ROCKAUTO.COM:

DELPHI FG0288 {Click Info Button for Alternate/OEM Part Numbers} Module Assembly with Internal Strainer Info
w/Check Valve; Original OE design had a 2x2 connector, OE design upgraded to a 1x4 connector; A 1x4 splice kit included for vehicles with 2x2 connector

As compared to the Delphi pump of the same price described on ROCKAUTO.COM as:

DELPHI FG0127 {#19180092, 25320538} Module Assembly Info
Contains Internal Pump Strainer

They are both listed as the same price....

As long as this isn't already on another thread I think its a good topic for discussion. If know one has input I will contribute what I can after I have finished the job.
Seriously leaning towards cutting a hole in the floor. Regardless of anything else it sounds like a lot more fun to be inside the van cutting a hole than outside on the ground spilling fuel and road grime all over myself. What can possibly go wrong??

 

[WimpTech]

Hey Broseph, long time no hear.
YES, I have on my GEN2 van. As explained by Leeann (thank you again my friend), the old connector style (square w/ 4 contacts) was prone to failure/ shorting. So, this flat-4 configuration was introduced.
When ordering the pump, you probably want to make sure it comes with the matching pigtail wire. You will need to clip the old connector (if it hasn't already been upgraded) and solder in the new one. Don't try butt connectors or the gods will punish you. I tossed the wiring conversion I did, sorry, but hopefully yours will come with guidance. If not let us know and someone can look up the signals in the FSM.

It's not too horrible a job, just be careful with removing the fuel lines as not to snap the plastic rings or clips... or once again the gods will punish you. There are youtube videos that show how to avoid that particular calamity if you need them.

Good luck, please post up what you find.

 

[Broseph]

Thanks Wimpazz! Yeah I have been off the grid here for a while, too much life, not enough Astro. I am going to go with the "cut-a-hole-in-the-floor" method since I live in Oregon and its raining and I don't have a garage. Plus that will give me a really good view of the top of the pump instead of blindly reaching over the tank while laying on my back in the gravel with fuel spilling in my face. Thanks again for the sound advice. I will post once I get around to it. Luckily I have another van, a Dodge 3500 Conversion behemoth, to rumble around in the meantime.

 

[Broseph]

I see from looking through this thread that some vans have a second sheet of metal under the floor and some don't. Does anyone know if there is a way to know in advance what to expect? Depending on what's down there will affect my strategy for how to cut it open. Also, if there is a second plate under the floor, any reason to not use a grinder or metal cut-off wheel, would sparks really be an issue here?

 

[AstroWill]

I see from looking through this thread that some vans have a second sheet of metal under the floor and some don't. Does anyone know if there is a way to know in advance what to expect?

Get under and look is the only way I can think of to know in advance of starting the actual work.

 

[Leeann_93]

Some vans have a cover over the fuel pump, hoses and tank. My '99 does, my '02 does not. Haven't looked at the '00s tank yet.

It seems to be hit or miss, so you have to see for yourself.

 

[carnage]

i found it easy to cut a hole in my floor
i actualy made a door on hinges in the floor
just incase i have to replace it again

 

[Vandy_B]

I had to replace the fuel pump on my '03 just a couple weeks ago. It really wasn't all that bad...although having the lift made it a lot easier getting under the van. I followed the directions in this thread and just did things very carefully, and it all turned out fine. I used the Delphi pump, even though it was a little more expensive. It was the newer "upgraded" pump. It came with a little info sheet on what is new. The internal strainer, and I think 2 support rods instead of 3, and some other technical things that I didn't honestly pay much attention to. I did have to cut the old connector out and splice the new one in, but the pump even came with butt splices. All in all it was relatively easy...just take your time. And luckily I was able to get the van towed to a friends driveway when the pump died AND it wasn't raining when I dropped the tank, so that made the whole thing a lot smoother. And honestly I'm glad to not have a hole in my floor.

Andy

 

[WinnieVan]

Going to do this tomorrow -- I have about 4 gallons of fuel in the tank... do I need to drain all the fuel or can I accomplish this while keeping 4 gallons in the tank?

Either is fine -- I just want to know what is best/safest for a noob like myself.

 

[Leeann_93]

You'll be fine with 4 gals.

Just please disconnect the battery.

 

[WinnieVan]

You'll be fine with 4 gals.

Just please disconnect the battery.

Thanks Leeann. I will be sure to do that. I'll also disconnect my positive cable from my solar unit since it routes near the gas tank too!

No sparky here.

 

[AstroWill]

You will be done before you know it. Good luck!

 

[WinnieVan]

Thanks to all you kind folks. No way I could have done this without you. Can't believe I thought I was supposed to detach the wire harnesses from the fuel sender unit BEFORE dropping the tank. It was only when the tank was down that I realized there was an easy-to-access wire harness to remove!!

Also nearly cinched the wire loom between the strap and the frame -- caught it just in time and routed it properly. I would have been gutted had I got the tank back up only to short all the wires!

It took me about 12 hours -- which is what I expected since it was the first time I ever jacked up a vehicle and I don't have the most extensive tool set. Removing the ring-nut was a PITA!

Anyways -- I feel accomplished and definitely couldn't have done it without this walk-through. Glad I went AC Delco OEM -- I don't really want to do that job again any time soon!

 

[Rock-N-Blues]

Folks,
Being "That Guy" who researches every project to death before tackling it, along with the fact that most pics in this thread have evaporated, due to the "PeeBucket fiasco/debacle, I naturally have a few questions. The actual changing of the pump is well described and seems pretty straight forward, so my questions surround the cutting of a hole, the potential discovery of a plate and the possible ins/outs of dealing with it. The actual cutting of the hole and fashioning a suitable, cool, removable cover also seems pretty straight forward to me. Bear in mind that I have a 91, shorty cargo van, with TBI.

A) Any definitive answers, measurements and/or pics as to the proper location of a 10" X 10" hole? Most convenient would seem to be a measurement either for the center of said hole or the front, passenger side corner.
B) If a plate is found, can it be found before cutting the hole or dropping the tank?
C) Can said plate be removed without completely dropping the tank? The way it is fastened in place is not evident in the few pics left in this tread.
D) Is this plate really necessary, or can it be safely left off at the end of this job?
E) If plate is found, would it be appropriate to leave in place as a "safety net" while carefully cutting the hole and then removing it afterwards?

As a relative newbie here and to Astros in general, I hope it's OK for me to make a couple observations and/or suggestions. First, this seems like such an important topic (given it's already a sticky anyway) for fuel pump virgins, it would seem appropriate to update with either new pics or replacements of the missing pics of the important stuff. I'm fairly certain that if PeeBucket hadn't taken a poop on us all, and the missing pics were still intact, all of my above questions would likely have been already answered!

Thanks Folks,
Gene

 

[AstroWill]

Or, ya know, remove 4 bolts and drop the tank

It's not very hard, esp if you drain the tank before. I don't see how you would throughly clean the tank without dropping it(or at least it would be more difficult).
If you really want to cut it up, there is a thread on here, I think by CC that has the measurements.

 

[TurnNburn]

please don't cut a hole in your floor... with the right tools and a couple of extra hands you can have that tank on the ground in 30 minutes or less. In a shop with a lift I had my tank on the ground in 12 minutes.

I am just saying, your going to spend 10x more work messin around with a hole (and not in the good way) and it still might turn out the way you wanted.

 

[WinnieVan]

x2 to Will and TNB.

This was my first real auto repair job (besides swapping an ignition coil and a few oil changes)... it took me a really long time and I made TONS of mistakes but I had the tank down in about 4 hours. If I did it again, I could have it down in 30 minutes.

The AC Delco pump should last you 100K plus miles. If it was something that needed servicing every 3K miles -- then I'd say cut the hole - but it simply isn't!

:2:

 

[Rock-N-Blues]

Thanks folks for the comments and pep talk! The initial impetus for cutting the floor was multi pronged:

1) It seems that most driveability and running issues point to a fuel pump issue, from reading here and other things I hear/read about fuel injected Chevy trucks. This led me to think this should be expected to be a fairly regular operation. From your comments, maybe my assumptions have been incorrect. I had been planning to replace the current pump with a higher quality AC/DELCO or Delphi pump as preventative maintenance, but maybe it's not necessary. The previous owner said it was replaced a year or so back, but I have no idea what brand was used and the tank was just a tad above empty when I bought the truck!
2) The other thing is that I constantly read that one of the best ways to ensure longevity of the pump is to keep a fair amount of fuel in the tank and given that I'm not living hand to mouth, it will likely always be over half full, so dropping it becomes more of a hassle.
3) At an old, sore and fairly broken 62 years old, working on my back, and especially the getting up and down, is not my favorite pastime! Plus there is "ALWAYS" at least one needed tool that I forgot to bring down with me!

I plan to drive this thing for most of the foreseeable future, or at least as long as I'm capable of doing gigs, playing my guitar and singing, and am simply doing all I can to minimize the efforts needed to do so!

Thanks All,
Gene