This is just grest thanks for the info.grandson's first car need all the help i can get.Thanks Again,Steve
— Steve Anderson, August 20, 2009

V6
Does anyone have the actual demensions of the cut for a V6?
— Tim W, July 10, 2009

would i b able to patch up the whole after i replace the fuel pump
— john, October 24, 2008

does this work on 1991s
well the title says it all. can this be done on a third gen?
— dylan, March 15, 2008

Is the location the same on an 88 camaro?
— jeff, February 3, 2008

fuel lines
Hey, thanks for posting this article. I have my hole cut, just waiting on my pump to come in. My question is how easy is it to disconnect the lines from this hole? I can see where 1 or 2 lines disconnect but can't see the other 2. My pump has 4 lines coming out of it. Thanks. 97 Z28
— Rusty, January 9, 2008

Well, I have the access hole cut. Now for the fun part. I wish changing the actual pump was mapped out as well, Im no mechanic. At least the hole is cut if I have to have someone else change it. Cheaper than having them drop the tank! Thanks!
— Greg, July 14, 2007

great idea good advice
Hey Joe, This information is going to be very useful in my pump replacement quest. I'm one of these guys that has to do automotive work by the book and I think they left out this chapter. I only wish I could view the enlarged photos but the host says the space is used up. Thanks, Brian
— Brian, March 9, 2006

modified measurements for FP access cut
Thanks for the info on this site that gave me a very good idea of where to cut my FP access hole. My 96 may be different than other 4th gen f-body's, but I found that there is a subframe rib that can be used as an anchor point with good structural support for bolting / riveting the panel I used to cover the access hole after the install. And it gives more room to access those otherwise hrd-to-get-to fuel line connectors. Hope this helps. I'll post some measurements in this thread for anyone interested in Joe's excellent proccedure with some room to access the fuel line connectors. It should not compromise any structural integrity cutting the extra potion of the panel since this pattern provides an anchor point close to the unibody rib. Thanks Joe!!! Here's a link to my measurements: http://www.ws6zxr.com/showthread.php?p=359150&posted=1#post359150
— mike leneke, September 9, 2005

just did this and great writeup. everything was exactly as it shoulda been and i had no trouble whatsoever. thanks again for making my life easier.
— Patrick, August 31, 2005

fuel pump hatch
i just changed cut a hole in my trunk to change the fuel pump as noted above, cutting the whole was easy little over an hour but getting the fuel lines off and getting the sending unit out of the tank was more challenging, i also had to cut extra off the left top side to get at the fuel lines. some of the disconnects are hard to get at as they are facing towards the floor, before you attempt this type of installation be prepared for an all day adventure with lots of patients. By the way i have 95/ta convertible 6 speed. there is a piece of angle iron at the back of the tank so you can only go so far unless you want to cut behind the seat
— MrTooter, August 28, 2005

READ IF YOU OWN A V6
This is a little off if you own a v6.. It's 1 1/2 inches from the bottom instead of the top like in the V8. i found out the hard way if you would like i could send pics of what i mean for you to post...other than that hey it was way better than dropping everything and going in from the bottom!!!!
— Chris, May 4, 2005

Also, if you drill, use a hammer and screwdriver to break the metal between 1/8 holes drilled closely. There's about an inch clearance below the sheet metal.
— Tim on Maui, December 25, 2004

Thanks for all the info. I used a drill with a 1/8 bit and a collar/stop to drill just the depth of the metal which was very soft. After scoring lines with a drill punch, I just drilled away. It took less than an hour. If you don't bend the piece while drilling, you can easily reuse it as a cover with some flat bar stock and sheet metal screws. Cut to within 3/4 inch on the front side of hole to easily get quick connects. Might have been a dirty fuel filter that killed the pump but the tank was really clean.
— Tim on Maui, December 25, 2004

I'm glad I found this website, I was going to take a whole day to replace my fuel pump. Only I didn't use a saw, don't like alot of sparks or noise. I used some craftman sheet metal snips for 16 guage steel and some all steel pruning clippers for plants. Mostly used the pruning clippers, Just drilled a 1/2" hole to get started, and put the blade in the hole and pulled up, it cut it pretty nice, just like opening up a can of food with an old fashioned can opener, only cut 3 sides so I could fold it down again, cut alittle farther over to disconnect the fuel lines, then used some bondo to seal up the cut. Doesn't look quite as nice as a saw and a piece of steel to cover the hole, but who really cares, it's covered with carpet, can't see it. Only took about 1 1/2 hours to complete. Alot of time saved, and GM could have easily put a door there when they made the car.
— Firebird Owner, April 18, 2004

So any of you guys have an idea how to cut the lines to do this on a '91? Recently had to do this on my daughter's GTA and discovered, after cutting an access hole, that there are no disconnects on top of the tank, and there is no way to make a big enough hole to remove the pump with those lines uncut. Ended up dropping the tank. (My Corvette is so much easier -- everything comes out with the filler tube. Can do a pump in 45 minutes. Hard to believe it's the same corporate ownership designing these things.)
— Vette73, January 16, 2004

How to access the quick connects
I did this same thing about two years ago and put pics up on the web. http://www.taekwondoplus.org/z28/fuelpump.html

I never got around to doing a writeup though. In order to get the two quick connects I just used two long screwdrivers to pop them loose and just "worked" the pump assembly out. I could have cut more over to the side and made an L shaped cover, but this was my way.

I used .060" alluminum because I thought NHRA wanted a .060" alluminum firewall between you and the fuel tank if in the trunk and I wanted to cover my ass. I used copper RTV to seal it from fumes and undervehicle oils and exhaust and then used about 20-25 sheet metal screws.

Another thing to think about is getting the HEAVY DUTY cutoff wheels. These last longer. I used a normal Dremel, but this flex shaft idea looks like it would have been better.
— Brian Cruice (WHYT LIE), October 14, 2003

Good To Go!
After messing with wires and hoses under the hood...the fuel pump works to spec. Most likely dirty contacts...may have been at the oil pressure sensor. Anyway I would be happy to share my experience in more detail...just email me at ald1961@juno.com . By the way, with my new access hole in the trunk, I can remove and replace the fuel pump in less than hour. And, since I plan to keep this car a long time...that may come in handy.

Thanks again for sharing this wonderful time saving tip!

Andy
— Andy, September 26, 2003

Great Procedure
Well, the good news, I got the new pump in...the bad news...it did not fix the problem. (Still have unreliable-intermittent power to the pump) By the way, I had to keep cutting to the top and to the left to expose and remove those two "quick disconnect" fuel lines. The back rubber hose was the most difficult for me. Feel free to email me to get cautions and more details on removing the fuel pump. AND, IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ABOUT ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAIN FUEL PUMPS...PLEASE EMAIL ME.

Thanks Andy
— Andy, September 22, 2003

So far so good!
Wow, as of 19 Sep 2003, I am almost through replacing the fuel pump on my 95 Firebird. I am so thankful I found this site. It took less than an hour to cut out the opening as pictured (I went through a lot of dremmel cutting wheels, but I was probably going too fast. To be safe slow down and have 10 or more little cuttoff wheels. They are very brittle.) I will trade one hour standing up for 8 hours on my back under a car anytime. I too will have to cut a little more in the upper left corner to disconnect the lines (I ran out of cutting wheels). I plan to cover the hole with sheet metal glued in with liquid nail and sealed with aluminum duct tape...My hats off to Joe....I may get to go canoing this weekend after all.

Thanks Again!

Andy
— Andy, September 19, 2003

Got it done!!! Took old pump out, put a 1/2 inch piece of hose in its place. Installing the Aeromotive A1000 under the car in its place.
— John Kleivo, May 9, 2003

Nicely done. You obviously took your time (cutting in little pieces) to be careful. I dropped my tank to put a walbro in back in December and I will never drop all that crap again!!!
— FRDnemesis, May 8, 2003

fuel pump
great pictures, i changed a fuel pump in a 95 transam yesterday. worked good. hole needed to be extended in the upper left side of hole to get the 2 quick release fittings , a real pain in the butt. other then that not a bad job. thanks again..
— karpin, April 7, 2003

Great job. thanks Alan
— Alan, February 8, 2003

Hat Off To Ya!
First I'd like to say thank you! Thank you for taking the time out to document your work with a write up as well as pictures. This helps all 4th Gen F-Body owners with the continued support of spreading knowledge.

I'm very interested in seeing what you did to cover up the area with. Could you please update us with pictures of what you did to cover the area after you were done with the installation of the new pump?

Thanks again for helping spread the knowledge!

"Gonzo" www.F-BodyHideout.com www.F-BodyHideout.com/speedy
— "Gonzo", February 2, 2003

Hmmmm
Looks like you did a decent job and took your time. But how the hel are you going to pull the whole assembly out?? Arent the metal fuel lines impossible to reach underneath? Cool, though I really hope it works out for Ya.~~~rob
— Trans-Am, January 30, 2003

Looks Like a good idea, But make sure you don't knick that fuel line with that cutting tool.
— mike, December 27, 2002

Nice Documentation
Sure looks like the way to go! I have over 160K on my car and just know that the pump is living on borrowed time. This will make a tough job easy.
— Joe, November 24, 2002

Right
Thanks man.. This looks like a pretty nice job. Much easier then to taking out the tank. I'll be doing this very soon. Now, to the other guy all worried.. well, maybe most of us aren't mechanics with all the tools and a hoist to take out a tank in 45 min.. i'd rather spend 3-4 hours cutting a sheet of medal then to take out my fuel pump..

so yea.. thanks again.
— Lumber Jack, October 8, 2002

Not that I would personally go this route, I seriously doubt that effects the integrity of the car much. this is a fairly common "mod".

After screwing a cover back on properly, I doubt a fire hazard is a big deal.

To each his own, but I doubt this way of acessing the fuel pump will hurt anything!
— JordonMusser, October 8, 2002

Comments
For those of you that don't like it, your opinions are duly noted. If you don't like what I've done here, don't follow it.

Cheers!
— Joe Spena, October 6, 2002

mr. pro mechanic
How is this hacking up the car? It doesn't reduce the integrity of the car and it's something that should have been there in the first place. I've even read about GM dealers putting these in for customers. I've dropped the tank to replace the pump and I can tell you there is no possible way you're going to drop that thing faster than I can cut an access hole. I've had enough of GMs stupid designs and will be cutting an access hole this weekend hopefully. Thanks for the great install guide. :)
— 96formula, October 5, 2002

I don't know about the advisability of cutting a hole in the hatch area. But I work on a lot of Volvos, and they have two fuel pumps - a primary in the tank, and a high pressure one under the middle of the car. The primary is reached through the trunk, and Volvo provides a nice little hatch cover that is held down by two screws. Remove it, and there is the top of the tank. The in-tank pump is nearly identical to the GM unit. Sure its best to be careful when working in a trunk full of gas fumes, but that's what you get anytime working on fuel systems. I'm interested to see how this process is finally finished. I just wanted to add that such a process is common on at least one other car.
— Vader, October 5, 2002

Good idea.
To the guy above who is jealous that he didnt think of the idea, STFU. This plan for replacing the fuel pump is a great idea when done with caution. Also, if a man takes his time and covers the hole with a access hatch with hinge he could make it look as good as factory. The cutting of this hole will not effect the strength of the unit-body construction either.
— 95 Z-28 LT1, October 4, 2002

Dimensions
Are you going to sketch up a drawing showing the location of the cut-out in reference to a given point that will be the same for everyone (i.e. fenderwell or something like that). This will save people lots of time in having to make multiple cuts.
— Chad Beebe, October 3, 2002

Sweet! I'll be doing this soon. Thanks for taking the time to make my life much easier! ("allmotorta" from cz28.com)
— dave, October 3, 2002

wahoo good thing your not dead who else would i goto atco with?
— trey, October 1, 2002

Thanks!
I have heard of people doing this on the board but never seen any pics. I need to upgrade my pump and will be using this guide shortly. Can't wait to see the remainder of the process put up. Thanks!!
— Jcobz28, October 1, 2002