fuel pump done!!!

[turbo buicks]

well after 7, yes 7, hours i got my fuel pump(walbro 340) in thanks Cottons performance, Racetronix, and PTE for all your help man was i lost. i think the previous owner did something b/c the plug n play kit wouldnt hook up right so i had to use the connectors that came on the old pump on the new one. works fine didnt have time to put in hotwire kit. im just glad i saved $150 on install. if things had gone as planned it wouldve easily been less then 5 hours but things always happen and stuff always breaks or doesnt work right and so on but im happy my friend said i looked like a coal miner when i was done the hardest part was getting that fuel tank back up in there. word of advice on gnttype.org the fuel pump install it says to remove heatshield and disconnect fuel lines there(which is VERY difficult w/stock location muffler on BTW) but if you actually drop the tank you can disconnect lines right on top of tanks(much easier to get to!) thanks for that tip cottons performance locking clip removal tool is NOTneeded i just covered the tip of a screwdriver w/masking tape and "chisled" away i would recommend that anyone doing one for the first time though have NO LESS THAN 3 PEOPLE present and EMPTY the tank. the stock guage sucks at fuel level indication. i had at least half a gallon left if not more in the tank and it was on E. i shouldve emptied it while i had the chance. it wouldve made re-installation of tank MUCH easier! i had to call my dad over b/c the tank was too heavy for me and my friend to put up w/a board and jack by ourselves. looking back on things, i guess it wasnt too bad its just when stuff doesnt work i get mad easily oh well life's life, you learn to deal with it thanks for all your help guys

 

[Carolinaturbot6]

A coal miner eh?

Glad to hear you got it hooked up.

 

[Snorman]

7 hours? Damn.
I was looking at everything the other day since I'm going to get the Racetronix kit in a few weeks. Doesn't look much different than doing a Mustang (EFI) pump, and I've done about 6 of those (all but 1 by myself).
And if those fuel line fittings are what I think they are, I'd be careful using a screwdriver in the future. You can damage the spring that seats the line pretty easily.
S.

 

[turbo buicks]

i dont know if i had a different pump setup than stock b/c the kit is suposed to be plug n play but mine couldnt hook up right. sounds like you have quite a bit of experience in this field it should take you about 2-3 hrs i guess if you run into no problems, good luck. ya i was careful about that fuel line spring, it looked sort of weak.

 

[Snorman]

I'll probably look like a coal miner, too.
My car has light undercoating on it, and even though it's a very clean and low mileage car, the tank is covered in road grime and dirt.
Oh well...time to slip on the coveralls.
S.

 

[UNGN]

Originally posted by turbo buicks
i dont know if i had a different pump setup than stock b/c the kit is suposed to be plug n play but mine couldnt hook up right. sounds like you have quite a bit of experience in this field it should take you about 2-3 hrs i guess if you run into no problems, good luck. ya i was careful about that fuel line spring, it looked sort of weak.

Is your car an '86? Racetronics has an adapter for '86 cars which have a slightly different FP wiring connector at the pump.

 

[turbo buicks]

i heard about ther different wiring thing on different years. mines and 87 but they might have sent me a 86 adapter instead. oh well its in and working. now to install hotwire kit

 

[Little6pack]

DAMM 7 hours????

I was going to Buy the racertronics pump & wire kit myself & attempt to do with a friend who I met on this board.

He said it would be pretty easy? I hope not 7 hours.
I was thinking more like 2-3 max.

 

[azgn]

if ya got the tools & buddies, I have seen them done in less than an hour (right Nick?....dunno what the record is?)

 

[turbo buicks]

empty your tank when you drop it. it will make it easier. also dont try to disconnet the fuel lines under the heatshield above the differential , drop the tank and disconnect the lines off the top of there it is MUCH MUCH MUCH easier to work with like that. you will thank me later do what i say and if you do not take 30 minute breaks and everything fits right you should be done in about 3-4 hours.

 

[strikeeagle]

Doing a FP in your driveway on your back is no picnic. Doing it on a lift with a tranny jack is...

 

[DJay]

A friend showed me how to install my walbro last week.

In a driveway, no lift .... but only took him 1.5 hours. Can't imagine what went wrong, seemed pretty straight forward to me, BUT he has done LOTS of these things!

GL with future projects!

 

[87gnNV]

Dam 7 hours!!!!!! Took me 4 and i had never done one before now i must say it shouldnt take me longer then 3 hours.

 

[OneQuikV6]

I don't really see it taking 7 hours, but I guess it's possible I did one on the 85 I had and it was pretty easy. The only thing i don't agree with is the person who said to unhook the lines at the tank instead of under the heat shield. Seems like there is not enough slack in the lines to get to the top of tank connections, not to mention trying to work on the lines with the tank on the jack. Will the tank make it all the way to the ground with the lines still attached so you can work with them??? Anyone? I it will then he's probably got a point

 

[turbo buicks]

i got the idea from cottons. i got the vacuum canister and return lines under the heatshield off but couldnt get the feed line off so i dropped the tank and made sure the lines had enough room to clear while dropping it and they didnt even touch the stock muuffler. if you have one of the dual-muffler-before-the-axle type exhausts i.e. hooker the line would just sit there b/c it has nothing to hang up on. i just remembered one thing. i took off the heatshield and the 3 steel lines are held in a bracket. disconnect this bracket (13mm socket i believe) and the lines will hang freely, this is probably why i was able to drop the tank w/o hurting the lines. i did back up on a slightly sloped drive way but i doubt that helped. reconnecting the lines on top of the tank was easy b/c you get under there and rest on the tank and work w/them.

 

[JToups386]

Turbo Buicks:
Dude,,, you have set the new record for the longest, most involved fuel pump install in GN history. It sounds like an Aggie joke gone bad... And to top that off, you get the record for most smiley emoticoms used in a single posting.

It sounds like you just had a bad project day, but if it's now in and running, then everything is a peace again... Right?

Actually, I wanted to comment on the fuel level indicator. The whole reason for that 1/2 gallon still being in there, even when you're on "E", is to prevent those folks who can't ever remember to fill up with gas, from running out and getting stranded. I like to refer to it as "idiot insurance". It's kinda like I have to yell at my girlfriend constantly, because she seems to think that cars run on air, as opposed to actual fuel.
Glad to hear you were finally successful. I won't say anything about having done them by myself before, with a miniature floor jack, in an apartment parking lot. That would just be cruel and rubbing it in......

 

[Reaper]

Originally posted by azgn
if ya got the tools & buddies, I have seen them done in less than an hour (right Nick?....dunno what the record is?)

Woody,

nick and i have drop'd tanks and had them back up in 45 to an hour.


hell i did Deb's POS in about an hour buy my self!


Dathan

 

[scottyb]

Glad you got it done!
For those planning, first time here, by myself, ~4 gallons in the tank, about 2.5 hours. That included the obligatory trip to the parts store since the connector was incorrect and a few phone calls to determine that I should pitch the pulsator. The instructions that came with mine said to keep the pulsator, but I found they were wrong.

 

[turbo buicks]

hahahahha, i looked at the post after and relized i had a ton of smilies. good to know i finally made it into the record books...twice!

 

[OneQuikV6]

Just put the 340 in my car today. Took a tad more than 2 hours and that's including draining the tank, and refilling etc. 2nd time for me on a TR. Unhooked things under the shield fyi.