swapping gas tank

[georgedexter]

planning to pull fuel tank out of 89 cherokee for cleaning etc. 6 cyl 4.0 fuel injected. Has anyone faced this nightmare before? any advice especially loosening filler neck and vent.

[Edbrooks]

I pulled the tank three times on my 88 Cherokee. Not a serious problem.

1. Run the gas as low as you dare - under a quarter tank, as gas is heavy enough to add extra weight.

2. Disconnect the battery! Extremely important! You don't want sparks anywhere.

3. Jack up the vehicle, put it on jack stands.

4. Disconnect the plug in the wire to the fuel pump.

5. Disconnect the fuel feed line and the return line.

6. Loosen the bolts holding the tank straps in place. Don't remove them entirely at first.

7. Loosen the fuel inlet from the rear fender. This is a hose clamp. Remove it and pull the inlet (filling) hose off the tank. It's fairly easy to get to.

8. I used a floor jack under the tank, but if you have help it may not be necessary. You can now completely loosen the bolts holding the straps. The tank can be lowered easily.

9. Remove the fuel pump disk. This requires turning a clamp to loosen it. You may tap it with a piece of hard wood, (to avoid sparks) or some other non-metallic rod. I used a short piece of Lexan plastic I had lying around, and a rubber mallet (gently)

10. Lift the fuel pump and filter out of the tank and put them on a clean cloth to avoid contamination. You now can take the tank to a safe place, tilt it up, and drain it entirely through the fuel pump hole.

Be careful in handling the pump. If you bang the float around, your gas gauge will be off by some small amount when you reassemble it.

Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly. Lifting the tank into place may require two people to get it exactly right, but the floor jack can do that for you. When reinstalling it, don't tighten the straps down until you have installed the fuel (filler) inlet hose and clamp, or your may find it difficult to reach that.

Connect the fuel lines and the wiring. May as well install a new fuel filter while you have it jacked up. They are inexpensive and are easy to install.

Again, when installing the fuel pump assembly back into the tank don't bang the gauge float around! Be sure the filter on the suction line is clean (install a new one, they are cheap!) and be sure the hose clamps on the fuel line on the pump are tight.

Put clean gasoline into the tank, don't re-use the old gas, since you are cleaning the tank. Connect the battery and start 'er up.

Ed

[georgedexter]

Originally Posted by Edbrooks

I pulled the tank three times on my 88 Cherokee. Not a serious problem.

1. Run the gas as low as you dare - under a quarter tank, as gas is heavy enough to add extra weight.

2. Disconnect the battery! Extremely important! You don't want sparks anywhere.

3. Jack up the vehicle, put it on jack stands.

4. Disconnect the plug in the wire to the fuel pump.

5. Disconnect the fuel feed line and the return line.

6. Loosen the bolts holding the tank straps in place. Don't remove them entirely at first.

7. Loosen the fuel inlet from the rear fender. This is a hose clamp. Remove it and pull the inlet (filling) hose off the tank. It's fairly easy to get to.

8. I used a floor jack under the tank, but if you have help it may not be necessary. You can now completely loosen the bolts holding the straps. The tank can be lowered easily.

9. Remove the fuel pump disk. This requires turning a clamp to loosen it. You may tap it with a piece of hard wood, (to avoid sparks) or some other non-metallic rod. I used a short piece of Lexan plastic I had lying around, and a rubber mallet (gently)

10. Lift the fuel pump and filter out of the tank and put them on a clean cloth to avoid contamination. You now can take the tank to a safe place, tilt it up, and drain it entirely through the fuel pump hole.

Be careful in handling the pump. If you bang the float around, your gas gauge will be off by some small amount when you reassemble it.

Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly. Lifting the tank into place may require two people to get it exactly right, but the floor jack can do that for you. When reinstalling it, don't tighten the straps down until you have installed the fuel (filler) inlet hose and clamp, or your may find it difficult to reach that.

Connect the fuel lines and the wiring. May as well install a new fuel filter while you have it jacked up. They are inexpensive and are easy to install.

Again, when installing the fuel pump assembly back into the tank don't bang the gauge float around! Be sure the filter on the suction line is clean (install a new one, they are cheap!) and be sure the hose clamps on the fuel line on the pump are tight.

Put clean gasoline into the tank, don't re-use the old gas, since you are cleaning the tank. Connect the battery and start 'er up.

Ed

Many thanks Ed, I'm encouraged now!!