first some background... i was going to pull my fuel pump out to see if i could get my guage working again. i read that the sender usually gets dirty so i thought itd be an easy fix. so how do i get it out? it sounds like an easy question huh? well...








the screw heads are pretty much rusted off....

 

Drill the heads off and then use vice grips on the threads, then replace the screws with bolts. Its the easiest way.

Removing the drilled off heads with vice-grips will be very easy, the rusting only occurs at the head.

EDOT: the senders don't normally get dirty... they normally wear through themselves and need replacement.

 

i thought that was a picture of the titanic on the ocean floor at first....

one nice thing about living on the west coast, no rust!

 

My last two fuel pump removals required drilling of the heads, I picked up new screws from Mazda for a grand total of 8 cents each. Cheapest OEM parts I ever bought. Put a little grease on the heads of the new screws after install and they should be fine if you ever have to go back there again.

 

You'd actually want to use antisezie, if anything.

 

glad im not the only one who had a fuel pump cover look like that. I used a craftsman screw out.

 

i drive mine without the screws back in. wich isnt good for my brain im sure. i cant seem to get the vice grip thing to work and i cant seem to get the craftsman thing to work either. looks like its time to drop the tank and get a fuel cell

 

use a screw breaker this is a device that has a tip to fit the screw then you smack it with a hammer and viola it jars them loose thats what i did it cost 9.99 at napa

 

I think it's called and impact wrench if I'm not mistaken.

 

Start by thoroughly cleaning the heads. You'll be surprised how salvagable they are. SOAK them for a few days in GOOD penetrating lube like PB Blaster. Find a screwdriver of the EXACT RIGHT SIZE and tap it into the screw with a hammer. Several sharp blows should break the screw loose. If you have an impact driver, all the better.

For the screws that cannot be removed this way, drill the head off being careful not to heat the metal or make sparks, then take the flange off. At this point, you should hopefully be able to grab the shanks of the screws with Vice Grips, after soaking for several more days in lube. If you cannot get the shanks out, you will need to VERY SLOWLY grind them down flat, then drill out and retap. Grinding in this area is VERY dangerous.

When you go to put the flange back on, use only stainless steel screws (or hex head bolts) and use plenty of antiseize compound.

 

The ones that I could not remove I went to Sears and bought the Stripped Screw drill out bit and it bites the screw and took four of them out for me no need to drill and tap any of them.. it was a good spent $10.00 I have used it several times since.

 

Anti-seize would be good for the threads not the screw-heads, which is where I applied grease.

 

Yes it is.

For grinding or welding at the gas tank, drain all of the gas from the entire tank via the drain plug, and fill the tank with water. Do your grindin/welding, then drain the tank again of all of the water, put the drain plug back in, throw in a gallon of gas (this gas will float to the top of thew water, so the residual water should drain frist), drain the tank again and discard the gallon of gas, then refill the tank, adding a pint of methyl hydrate to fully remove any residual water molecules.

Gasoline explosions are very, very dangerous gasoline fires are very hard to put. Work safely!

 

I'd like to add that you should run a water removing fuel additive for the next tank or two just so you get all of the water out.

 

Why add it? I already said it.

Fuel line antifreeze is just over-priced methyl hydrate... it bonds to water molecules and allows it to be drawn through the fuel system, injected, and burnt.