Ahhhhh Help!!!!

EGRDA! ok so i am trying to drop the gas tank on my 94' gmc saffari ext awd vortec lt van. I have the frist shiled off its the side shielld near the exhaust and drive shaft. BUT now i have been renching on the 5/8 bolt for teh back most strap near the drive shaft. and it is jsut spinng. there is a nut on the other side of the metal brace. and it feels like it is SQUAR! wtf- am i "nuts" or is there such a thing for it oh and none of my drive sockets fit this thing what size nut is it i can only get my two fingers in there so i can't even see it. ANYONE?

The nut is a "clip nut." It is a square steel nut with a stamped spring steel cage around it which holds it in place and clips it to the backside of the opening in the frame rail. I'd suggest you apply copious amounts of good penetrating oil to the cap screws and the nuts before turning them any more and risking further damage. IF you're lucky, you'll be able to turn teh cap screw back in to loosen it after the penetrant has been allowed to work. If so, apply more penetrant and back it out carefully.

If/when you get it removed, apply anti-seize compoound tro to both the cap screws before you reinstall them.

I had this problen on my GMC truck not the wifes astro but I had to wedge a screw driver between the u rail and the nut to get it out, and even then I broke the bolt, be sure to let it sit a long time with WD-40 or somthing.
I'd replace that one once you get it off though.

YEAH- finally got it yesterday. got the tankl down broke bolt though. are you shure it is a clip nut it feels like a broke a weld nut. any whoo i droped one side and let it slide down instead. BUT had to wait till today to get after the pump. my jack broke and te whole truck almost fell on me good thing i'm a short skinny guy!

thanx for the help guys.

Holy cow no jack stands? shame shame, lol. I looked on my wifes van though it's a 98 they are welded as far as I can tell, I do remember when I changed the pump in it the nuts did not have slight play like a clip type nuts that are on my GMC truck.
But seriously use jack stands, my step brother crushed his chest under a camaro changing the trans, though he was skinny as well the initial bounce from falling off the jack brought the subframe right down on his sternem(sp?),
he was under the car for more than an hour before anybody noticed and called for help, not a pretty sight!
Anyways I reinstalled the strap on my truck with a grade 5 9/16 and lock washer on the nut side.

Screw the weld- or clip-nuts! I'll second the insistence on jack stands. Are you really willing to risk your life on a 5¢ "O" ring holding back hydraulic oil?

If we find out you were injured from not using jack stands, we'll hunt you down, wait until you get out of the hospital (if you're that lucky), and beat you into a condition where you might qualify to drive a Kia.

It's just not worth the risk. You can get a pair of acceptable jack stands for less than $30.

So, I may be looking at pulling the tank. Is this a job you would do again or is it a nightmare and anyone know how much it costs to have a garage change the pump? How much clearance do you need. Will using ramps on two wheels with a jack and stands on the other two get enouph room? Not sure if it is right way to do it, but i always spray fittings I am going to work on the day before and many times more than once. I have had too many bloody knuckles and too many foul words come out the mouth, and it seems to help.

It can be done on jack stands, even with the factory running boards in place. Aftermarket running boards may be different, and may change that.

Guys, I have a couple of suggestions.

I have found PB Blaster to be the best rust penetrant on the market. That stuff works when gallons of other stuff just drips off.

Also, a couple of years ago, I bought an electric impact wrench.

What a difference it makes in getting stuck, rusted nuts and bolts off!!

Wish I had bought it a couple of decades ago.:)

B'Laster!PB is a good penetrating oil. I've also had good success with Kroil, but it's a bit more difficult to find. The best thing to do after encountering one of those is to apply a liberal coating of anti-seize compound before reassmbling the fasteners. It makes life a lot easier the next time around.

When I dropped the tank, I didn't use jack stands - I had enough room to work under the van, on it's tyres, but the tank was about 1" too tall to drag from under the van. I know not to work under a vehicle on a jack, and found that a couple of chunks of 2X8 wood, under the tyres, kept the van high enough to get the tank out.

I used jack stands on the tank side only. I like room to move under there.
It was not that hard a job, I put a 1' piece of ply on my jack so I would not damage the tank put it under the 1/2 full tank and raised the jack to just contact the tank, dropped the straps and slowly let the tank down as I balanced it on the jack.
Putting it back in was easier since I drained the tank while it was out.