Fuel Pump - Easy To Get To?

[99TaurusBlack6Cyl]

I have a totaled Taurus which still runs but steering and two passenger doors damaged to inoperable. This will be a totaled car after assessment.

I found on Craig's List what seems to be the same 1999 V6 3.0L Taurus which "needs a battery and fuel pump" for $400. Otherwise, owner says it's in very good condition (this will be proven upon visual inspection, later).

Anyway...

Is the fuel pump for the 99 Taurus described an easy replacement that either I or my mechanic can do? Or will this cost several hundred in labor alone, let alone any special tools? Thank you. '99

[MagicRat]

If you have a reasonably warm place to work, it is not difficult to change.
The pump is in the fuel tank. Typically, the car must be raised on jackstands, then you get underneath, unbolt the gas tank, disconnect the lines and wiring harness and lower it. Then the pump can be removed and replaced.

Usually, the fuel filter would need to be changed at the same time. If the fuel lines are rusty, they may need to be replaced, too.

This involves working around gasoline. If you have never worked with fuel systems before, or you do not want to blow yourself up, consider having a mechanic do the work.

Finally, this car sounds like a risky buy. Usually a blown fuel pump means the engine does not run. You may replace the pump only to find the engine has expensive problems.

One more thing, these cars are notorious for internal engine corrosion that clogs the heater core.

[Colt Hero]

Not sure about a '99, but on the '97 GL 3.0 Vulcan the fuel pump is in the tank. You have to siphon the gas out through the filler pipe, remove the tank, and then pull out the pump. I've done this job on a smaller car (my '89 Dodge Colt) and there were no special tools needed there, so I doubt there are any needed on the Taurus. The hardest part will probably be getting the fuel lines lines disconnected without damaging any existing pipes. With my Colt, the rigid lines coming off the top of the tank (from the part that actually holds the pump in that tank - sending unit??) ended up getting crimped/damaged because they were very corroded. In fact, this car is still apart because I cannot find a replacement sending unit and no welder wants to weld new 3" replacement tubes onto the top of my existing unit. Of course, the dealer has one, but only with the pump included (for $400)!!!

[CrapaTaurusWrecks]

I replaced a fuel pump in a 1998 recently and would say it was not a hard job. The hardest part was raising the tank back up into position when you reinstall the tank. I placed the tank on a floor jack and raised it that way but because of the shape of the tank and the area that it has to fit in it was kind of difficult to balance the tank while lining it up. It took a few tries but it got done.
A couple of things I could recommend to make the job easier is... loosen the tank straps before trying to remove the rubber fuel hoses. The Haynes manuel says to remove the hoses first which is just about impossible. The weight of the tank will help pull the hoses off.
The other thing to look out for is that Ford has a different part number and a slight design variance for the fuel pumps for every year of the Taurus. New pumps run from $100 to $400.
I had a 1996 fuel pump and I modded it by replacing the connections to fit my 1998. So far after almost a year there has been no problems.

Hope this might help,

TaurusGLenn

[99TaurusBlack6Cyl]

Excellent. Thank you all for your replies. This has given me enough info. Y'all have a good new year. 99