MaDeNMiAMi305

does anybody know where i can get a step by step on how to drop the tank and install an external electric pump?

1BADRZ28

iTrader: (2)

I'd hate to post pictures of the mods done to mine. I added front and mid plates. Plus I cut out the "factory" rear inner fenders.

tony_cogliandro

iTrader: (3)

i came across it during my research and found it a few days ago.
try search "drop tank fuel pump" and it should come up.

tony_cogliandro

iTrader: (3)

there is no doubt you are a very bad boy. i know a supermodel that wants to come over and give you a spanking.

robertfrank

iTrader: (27)

After replacing about 5 pumps in other camaro and birds I was more than happy to cut a hole in mine. It now takes me about 2 minutes to replace the pump in my car. I added a hinge and a zues fastener to hold my .98 cent "fuel door" down. I have all of 7 dollars in the whole project. It's your car and screw anybody else that wants to call it a "hack job".

tony_cogliandro

iTrader: (3)

thanks i appreciate that and all the nice things people have said about the instructions i wrote up.

just a fat old man having fun and sharing.

Dalek Sec

Here is the way the engine compartment looked after a few hours of DIGGING on my part. Imagine if you will, the straw and gathered crap FORM FIT to the underside of the hood! *Snickering* Considering the poor rabbit JUMPED OUT when the owner popped the hood...price was very soft.

The 305 roars and jumps with the help of the 5 spd manual! The Brain Box is basically confused and butt hurt having damn near nothing to do.

Originally burgundy, then painted TAXI yellow at some point. It now wears gray primer as I continue the little projects. It is a daily driver and even in 100F heat, the mechanical temp gauge I put in never goes over 190F!

The carpeting and padding smelled like an old turtle tank (No the wabbits never got in the car past the engine compartment. So, ALL carpeting was YANKED out and trashed. Using heavy duty truck bed lining, the floors are now nicely protected and EASY to keep clean. With two rambunctious kids, this matters!

Thanks to fellow members here. I now have flawless T-tops and a set of louvers for the rear window!! Thanks again guys!!

When finished, the only graphics it will have will be "EFG" ("EPIC FAIL GUY") from 4CHan.org.

The purists here will grit their teeth I am sure. But I got the car for $200 with a title and see it as a fun way to blow weekends.

87tpiz28

iTrader: (2)

Tony provided great info that i could of used a year ago when i did my pump. He included measurements and helpful hints. Over all its a great job. This is done when you dont have a place or right tools to pull out your rear end. Besides its safer working in your car then under. Especially knowing that so cal earthquake is coming. Good job again Tony

tony_cogliandro

iTrader: (3)

this is for all those purists out there that hate a fuel pump access panel as a descreation of any camaro.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/fabr...ion-model.html

tony_cogliandro

iTrader: (3)

that is very sweet. a good find. enjoy it.
lots of people knock the 305 but its a work horse.

camarozz383

iTrader: (2)

Well i think its a great idea!! the people who don't like it are the ones who cant do it there selves, sucks to be them, why should you go through all the trouble dropping exhaust and all that stuff if you don't have to? im a fabricator and welder and i thing making you rig unique is the way to go, why do everyone want the same things as everyone else? and its ok to have an opinion that's what this site is here for, so we can express our work right? i have asked for peoples opinions and some were good and some bad, but in the end i did what i like the most, my money my car, ....BUT to the people who cat do the work them selves, this is a good place to get help and ideas, so thanks to all the car gurus who show there work, and to the ones who cant do it dont criticize...OUT

tony_cogliandro

iTrader: (3)

and you get exactly what you want.
no settleing for taking it the way someone wants you to have it.
it is a work in progress - like a piece of art.
in the end it does not matter what other think, it only matters what the owner thinks.
have fun with it. when it becomes work - then dont do anymore.

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

nice job. I use to be a hate to cut a hole in the area kinda guy. I still dropped my tank a few times on a # of cars. Swapped to external pump , etc..

Last car just a few months ago. dropped the tank and put a new pump in. Died with in a few weeks. Grrrrrrr. pulled tank again. removed pump. put in an external pump. Guess what pump dies within a few weeks.(used one I had laying around from another build anyways)

dropped tank once again and put an intank pump from racetronix and a hotwire kit. IF this one goes bad I'm cutting a damm hole this time.

with a nice stainless flange and flush mounted door. using rivnuts etc.. GM shoulda did it from the factory like other cars. anyways

nice job.

vexter

iTrader: (3)

All of this is your opinion. Those who are interested in this process don't need your subjective preaching. Go start another thread bashing fuel pump access panels... nobody will care because nobody will read it. It's a tired arguement lacking any informed thought. If you don't like it, don't do it to your car... and save the rest.

For those doing this mod, it's not about being lazy it's about being smart. Before you get to thinking you're smart I can tell you that my access panel is stronger than stock. And finally, 'a 4 hour job working alone'?? Get real...

83camaro86

iTrader: (1)

In my opion the reason they was no access hole there was so you would have to take you car to a shop and pay for the part and labor to have it fixed.

85TransAm406

iTrader: (1)

Wow. Next is everyone going to light up someone for back-halving and putting a cage in their drag car, saying "if it was supposed to be that way it would be that way from the factory! Gasp! Aluminum interior panels! That's not how GM did it!" I mean really.

400Z28Racer

iTrader: (4)

it usually takes me (working alone) about 2 hours to replace a fuel pump. I not a fan of cutting a hole in the trunk, even thou, I've dropped my tank 3 times in one year to replace POS Walbro fuel pump. Now my problem is solved running an AC Delco pump, and I am sure it will last me for another 100K miles.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (15)

the amount of ignorance in this thread is amazing.

Comparing backhalfing a car to cutting an access hole for a fuel pump. Seriously? come on guys.

I dont like the idea of cutting the floor for the pump access, and i really dont care what somebody else whats to do to their own car. If you want to cut up the floor, by all means go ahead, it will make my cars worth more in the future. And for that matter, i will never buy a car that has had the floor cut for a pump swap. I make it a point to check, i turned down a quite nice car because of it. If they took the shortcut there, what else did they do?

The real issue i and other people have with this, is when people say that cutting the hole is the "right way" to do the job. If it was the right way, there would be provisions designed into the car to do it. There are not, so its not the right way, period. It is though, considered a faster cheaper way. Especially if you dont have tools. But i really hope nobody here with a really nice car or a rare car would ever consider doing this.

And i agree with a few people who have posted. It doesnt really take that long to swap the pump the correct way, dropping the suspension and the tank is not that hard, it just requires certain tools. If people dont have the proper tools, they have the choice to cut the hole or pay somebody to do it right. Sometimes paying is just not an option.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (15)

bingo, you buy crap parts, and you have to replace them often. Buy a good pump, do the job right once, problem solved.

How about cutting a hole in the firewall so i dont have to jack up the car to change the oil filter? sounds like a great idea

l_dis_travlr

At the risk of trying to polish a turd, I want to see a picture of
a tank unit LIKE THAT, coming up through a hole of THAT size.

All the rest is just word-processing flatulence.

GM did not design in an access point, because (like MANY other
instances in these vehicles), they weren't concerned about
servicability. And dealer service dept's charge by the hour.
(I steadfastly maintain, that if some numb-nuts designers had to
spend some intern time in service bays, vehicles would be MUCH
different. )

Iroc-Z28Man

I know what it is like to change pumps multiple times, i bought a cheapo airtex one from adavanced auto and replaced it twice. i wish i had some one to tell me to spend the extra money to and only have to drop the tank once.

ziggy56

I like it man ! pulled this up and did the same thing to mine ! took the electric out and just stuck a rubber hose as a pickup until i can get a mechanical pump pickup line. needed to get my car running for work and didn't have the time to drop the tank. can just pop the door off and put my mechcanical pickup in when I get it.

not worried to much about how rigid the body is, don't think a little hole in the trunk will kill you in a crash. used to have a 88 chevy pickup and cut the whole roof off for more air (hot as hell in Florida with no ac) and went off roading often no problems. wouldnt reccommend that though...lol was complete hell when it rained.

thanks again man !

govenorcamaro

iTrader: (2)

WOW thats not nice to say

pearl_iroc

hey Tony great job looks clean and sealed, for all of those who oppose and say its a hack job or if it was supposed to be there it would be there from factory, i would like to see one example of when someone did this and there car exploded or frame twisted etc, i mean really i haven't seen anything bad come of doing this just people putting other people down for doing this, i have seen people do this and cut up the back and half *** it to seal it back but in this instance i think he did a good job!

iroc a 86 berli

goddamn, what a fukin *****. 99% of our cars on this forum arent currently at the factory design. so whats the big deal about making a pain in the ****, not? there is no problem with this mod, i think gm didnt do it from the factory for cost reasons. some people just like to bitch and bitch, i bet hunter s thompson would despise this guy!
nice work tony, and besides all the B/S in this thread, it was a good read.

82TA_JAIME

iTrader: (1)

i do like this idea. Only thing id be dreading is welding the exhaust back on.

articwhiteZ

iTrader: (56)

I think it's cool.. just as long as it looks good.. and makes working on the Car a bit faster..and fun..

thats why mine as been sitting for 6 yeras.. just no fun pulling a eng to see what broke..
Good Job.. and the link to the TA one also cool.the only thing is i like
AN fitting's.. would see about installing all AN. on the Tank... then doing the speed Door... i would be into that.. and to thing that my car as
been sitting for 6 years with Unacal 112 unleaded fuel in it.. that sucks...
this will be somthing to look at... im sure.. if i dont pull the tank to clean it.

vexter

iTrader: (3)

Even easier to do with the tank out... that's what I did. After doing this the "right" way one time I said never again. It's ignorant.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

After doing it the "right" way too many times in too many cars...I'll never do it that way again.

Access panel for me!

articwhiteZ

iTrader: (56)

thats the Nice thing about race cars on the street...you can make them better to work on.. the Guys who say i would never do that..would never drive a low 10.sec car on the street..for fun...

some would do it.. some would not..

taking the time to remove 11lbs of under coat to shave a few lbs off the car is alot of work also.. you would only want to do it 1 time!!

my 92 Z28 still has the stock pump in it.....it's less the 40.000 on it.

it's time will come..

arrowcamaro

iTrader: (2)

Its not hard, 4 hours was actually a liberal amount of time. If you suck with a wrench in your hand, dont blame me. Its a simple job.

Chevy8588

iTrader: (1)

you know what? this is to EVERY purist reading this. do any of you have cars newer than 2000? if so, go remove your back seat. lo and behold A FUEL PUMP ACCESS PANEL WITH QUICK DISCONNECTS. why is this there one might ask? to make the inevitable fuel pump changing during every vehicles service life quick and easy and less dangerous. fact of the matter is this, why the hell should you lay on your back for 4-6 hours, risk snapping your fuel tank bolts, or breaking your old fuel tank straps when you can just go up top and bam take off the cover, pop the quick disconnects and change the pump? also there were NO cars made back in the 80's with access panels, this came along in the late 90's when someone actually got the bright F***king idea of doing it. also they are not "doors" 90% of them are plastic lids that re screwed down

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (15)

if you make any real power with the car, there is little reason to still use the factory intank style pumps. Covert to external and be done with it.

Iroc-Z28Man

What Chevy8588 is very true in fact you don't even need to go as far as 2000 almost all imports have had these since the early to mid 1990s. I still think it is a good idea, and i agree with what Chevy8588 says makes life easier, more time for other Mods.

Chevy8588

iTrader: (1)

god, when i worked for the dealership we had a fuel pump recall that required us to remove the fuel sending unit, remove the pump from the unit and replace the pump, for the first 2 weeks i was averaging 20 recalls a day, if they didnt have pump access holes would have gone MAD!

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (15)

thats great, good for you. 3rd gen dont have quick connects or any kind of connector on top of the tank, worried about breaking a bolt? how about making a spark when cutting the hole and blowing yourself up?

The new access doors in new cars are a great idea, nobody will argue that.

As far as changing pumps, if you buy a good pump, not a 20 dollar chinese POS, you shouldn't have to change the pump again for another 20 years, so the access panel is pointless.

Unless you run into a lot of rotted bolts, swapping a pump can take as little as a couple hours, first one i ever did took around 3, i can have the tank out of my car in less than an hour, without rushing.

Or, pull the tank once, replace the pump with a piece of hose or tubing, and install an external pump, problem solved!

Chevy8588

iTrader: (1)

I'm not saying the PROPER way is wrong, but this is no hack job either, its very simple to install quick disconnects on the lines, its ALSO very simple to not create a spark, and on top of THAT why should a spark even matter? there is no vent up there for the tank, nor should there be a leak there, if there is, you have other problems. what kills me is when people jump in and get so friggin heated over what someone else did to their car! is your name on the title? no, so what are you pissed about? also a write up like this is ESSENTIAL. why? because there are people out there who unlike you or me, will NOT drop the diff and tank, and WILL try to cut and either hack their floor to hell, or cut into the fuel line and burn themselfes alive or the like, you see? at least a write up like this will help them from NOT killing themselves, and furthermore, gas tanks dont explode, they burn, so dont worry about that.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (15)

im not pissed, your the one with all the pissyness and big letters.

gas vapors explode, period, there shouldnt be a leak there, doesnt mean there couldnt be, some people in this world have no finesse and sawzalls work so well.... maybe cut a little further than they should have.... (i know people dont usually use a sawzall for this but..)

anyway, cut the hole, i really dont care what other people do to their cars, call me stubborn, but i FEEL that 99% of the time the holes are cut because people are lazy. And i have only seen 2 or 3 of these access doors done well, most are total hackjobs. I have a nice collection of pics somewhere on my computer, i need to find it.

I dont know why i give a ****.

articwhiteZ

iTrader: (56)

you can make all the power you want with stock pumps..
i still have the back up in line pull pump LinginFelter sold me just in case i Needed it..never did and was running mid 11's without the Nos.
and low 10's With it...lol. and thats with a street car.. with all the goodys.
power locks
power windows
tilt
cruse
Cd
and a cumffy inside..
now if i was to make my z28 into a 9 sec race car.. and need a out side the tank pump..then i would do it.. but i never needed it.. the stock one was fine..

see this is a 10 sec street car.. it's not stripped out..and has the stock in the tank Pump..

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (15)

thats true, i was thinking more about serviceability that the limits of the pump, you know, when you build a performance vehicle, might as well make it easier to work on/repair at the same time

Chevy8588

iTrader: (1)

lol, agreed, most are cut out of pure laziness, others are cut out of function, I can't speak for other's but if i cut a access hole, it would be done right, i'd install quick disconnects, and door would NOT be made out of the metal i just cut out, it WOULD be painted, the door would be hinged, with a gasket around it and it would definately open and close with a key lock. your right, no one knows hot to properly cut with a zip gun, most would use a sawzall or die grinder. personally me? I'd drop the damn tank (and throw a 4th gen in while im at it) im just saying other's wouldnt. and if i were to make my door, the measurements would be taken while the tank was out and the cut made while the tank was out. (im far from dumb lol) not mad or pissy, only thing that bothers me is when others get s mad about it, and i didnt say you in specific.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (15)

could always cut the hole with a plasma cutter, they work well on sheetmetal...

I have a pic, i think I still have it, may have lost it with my old hard drive, but the FIRST access door was cut behind the rear seat...oops

Chevy8588

iTrader: (1)

with the tank out i'd say go die grinder with a cutt off wheel all the way, if your good with it you will have a nice even cut, then run the edges down with a sanding disc and it'll be nice and smooth, paint it, then have your hinge welded on top

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (15)

thats the way to go, i was being a bit sarcastic

articwhiteZ

iTrader: (56)

with the right parts to keep tabs on things you can tell if you need a out of tank pump..
this car running brakets race's had to sand bag..(LIKE WE ALL DO).. AND IF AND I do a speed door.. it would look like a factry door when done...



and even with a speed door i would have work in front of me..

Chevy8588

iTrader: (1)

i figured as much, i know what a plasma cutter would do to sheet metal, as well as if the tank was in! just didnt wanna dignify it! lol :P

stage20

iTrader: (3)

that picture is not 100% clear to me.
how much room is available from the sending unit to the floor of the car?
i need to modify mine to accept a -10AN bulkhead in a 90 degree fashion to supply ample fuel to my motor.
think there is room?
i really dont want to drop all my crap and the tank.
dont mind cutting a hole, but dont want to cut a hole to find there is no room.
hahahah.
any help is appreciated.
thanks!

Goldenbullet44

I cut the hole for access to my fuel pump but i dont have the room to take it out pull the pump all the way out im wondering how you guys did that part?

UNCLE TOM

iTrader: (1)

i did the " cut a hole method " to change my fuel pump a few weeks ago . i'm a 70 year old ret. military & civilian acft. mechanic . i did it in what i consider a "correct mod." . my replacement panel was 14ga. mild steel , painted , sealed & and secured with 16 "huck" rivets . i feel it's something that G.M. overlooked . i also feel that " ARROW CAMARO " is maxed out on bovine fecal matter . i can't see all being done in 4 hrs. , remove all required , bleeding brakes etc. . oh well , just my thoughts , cheers !!!

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (15)

no bleeding of brakes required to change the tank out, the brakes are never disconected. The job can be done in a couple hours, provided you have all the tools available. With a lift, even faster.

For those of you guys who in the future feel the need to cut the acess hole, i found a pic with dimentions, not sure if it was already posted here.


there you go, now this question never has to be asked again
-Phil