1-10

[turbo buicks]

on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being an air filter change and 10 being a major engine overhaul, what would putting in a hotwire kit and walbro 340 pump be? i have low/moderate mech. skills and dont want to bite off more than i can chew

 

[JToups386]

I'd give it a 4 or 5 per your difficulty rating...
It's about a 3 to 4 hour job, depending on your abilities and equipment. All you need are some basic metric and sae hand tools/sockets, a flathead screwdriver, and a floor jack of some kind, with a small piece of 2/4 to balance it with.
Remember not to have more than 1/4 of a tank of gas left before trying to lower it, as it will be hard to balance otherwise. I would suggest crawling under the car and getting a look at what you're up against. I would also recommend having a friend to help, as manipulating the tank from under the car by yourself can be challenging, and may cause strong usage of vulgarities.
If you can change your own sparkplugs and things like that, then you should not have too much trouble. It's pretty straight forward, and merely requires some patience. If you bought the Racetronix 340 kit for it, then it's all "plug-n-play". Let me know if you have some specific questions, as I have done this task about 6 times over the last few years and can probably offer some insight.

 

[Gokou]

If you want to make the job easy, use the fuel pump test jumper and drain the tank out the test port on your fuel rail before you drop it. Less fuel in the tank when you remove it = less a chance of a big slosh jerking the tank out of your hands.

 

[turbo buicks]

i did get the racetronix 340 kit w/the hotwire kit also. i can go to my friends house and we can do it b/c he has quite a few good tools all sizes. both of us combined should be enough know-how to get the job done i think. worstcase scenario, we run into a problem, go into his house and email you or talk to someone else who has had prior experience doing this. im sure someone like cal hartline or jack cotton has done one or two in their day also

 

[turbo buicks]

gokou, are you referring to the schrader valve on the end of the drivers side fuel rail nearest the front of the car where a rail mounted fuel pressure guage is usually mounted?

 

[Kevin Turch]

You can jump the pump with the black connector by the alternator, take the schraeder valve out, or buy a T-fitting.

 

[turbodave231]

On a scale of 1 to 10, the fuel pump and hotwire should be #1!!!!!
The stocker can't keep up with engine in stock configuration.

#2 should be a good adjustable fuel pressure regulator.

#3 should be a 160 thermostat.

I would recommend these before a chip, air filter, or any other mod. Lay a solid foundation before you build anything!!

DR

 

[Danster]

I had the same questions a few months ago, I did it by myself. It's not difficult at all. With two people should make the job a breeze. If I had to do it all over again I would route the wire from tank to alternator through the interior of the car. Just follow the wire(s) already in the car. Look inside the trunk (drivers side), you'll see some wires coming in from the rear bumper.

Also do not re-use the old pulsator on the new pump.

Dannyo

 

[UNGN]

full tank of gas, its a #7 for about 15 seconds (until the tank hit the floor).

Empty tank of gas, its a #3, meaning you can do it in an apartment parking lot, as long as no ones watching (at least I have)

 

[tom h]

turbo buicks,

if you're working alone, use a floor jack and an appropriately sized piece of plywood under the tank, and then you can easily suppport and lift/lower the gas tank. heck, even if there's 2 of you, it's easier this way.

 

[turbo buicks]

my friend has aggreed o help me do it on Monday. do i need a special lock ring removal tool or can i use a screwdriver and hammer?

 

[turbo buicks]

danster, what would the benefit of wiring it through the cabin be? is there a fuse i can remove if its in the car to make an anti theft system? the only fuse i see is under the hood.

 

[Ken Cunningham]

Piece of wood and a hammer. Don't want to be making sparks on top of your gas tank.

 

[JToups386]

Originally posted by turbo buicks
my friend has aggreed o help me do it on Monday. do i need a special lock ring removal tool or can i use a screwdriver and hammer?

I've always used a large flat head screwdriver to tap the ring loose. You should just lightly tap it when loosening. It's never been super tight on the 4 different gas tanks I've done this on. If you place the tip of the screwdriver firmly against the ring tabs, you should not make any sort of spark. But if you did, it would be external and never come in contact with fuel. If it makes you feel safer, you can put a small piece of duct tape on the tip of the screwdriver. Also be super alert to the running of the power wire, so that it does not get pinched or crimped anywhere. I had that happen once, with the wire being unshrouded and split through a frame hole, which in turn caused it to ground and blow a fuse every time I lauched hard.
The job really is not hard at all. Just be mindful of all the details as you go through it, and put it back together in the same way you took it apart. I would also suggest replacing any of the foot long rubber fuel lines on top of the tank if they show to be cracked or split anywhere. Just look em' over and make sure you won't have to repair them soon after. As mentioned, don't reuse the pulsator. Hope it goes well for ya'...

 

[turbo buicks]

thanks for the encouragement if i do need these lines are they readily available at any major auto parts store?

 

[JToups386]

I've had to just buy some fuel injector hose for the pressure side, (which is different than regular fuel hose. It's stiffer and stronger). The return side could use regular fuel hose. I've never gotten a prefitted line, but rather just bought a couple feet and cut and routed it myself. They may have prefitted, but because of the rareness of this particular application, it would have to be a special order item, which will obviously not help you in the middle of doing it.
In one case, I was able to just cut the split end off, and use the original piece. Just use your best judgement, and keep in mind that there will be increased pressure on these lines, per your pump upgrade. Let us know how it turns out...

 

[Danster]

Originally posted by turbo buicks
danster, what would the benefit of wiring it through the cabin be? is there a fuse i can remove if its in the car to make an anti theft system? the only fuse i see is under the hood.

I think less hassle than doing it underneath the vehicle. No worrys of having the wires pinched. It will not make it an anti-theft device. However, you can always add a cut-off relay to make an anti-device.

Dannyo