Silverado fuel pump replacement

nhusa

nhusa

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There is a strong smell of gasoline between the bed and cab of my 2013 Silverado 4X4
gasoline is not leaking on the ground.
I was told that it most likely the top of fuel pump that is in the tank is rusted and the tank has to be removed.
They said that it also could be broken evap line or something simple but they have to drop the tank.
I was quoted about $500 for the pump and $700 for labor to remove and replace the tank.

I checked the price of pumps at Rock Auto, Advance, and AZ.
$500 for a factory pump with $300 or $250 for a good one.
There are some crappy ones listed for $150 but I’d rather not go that route.

I checked YouTube and found a few videos that said you can easily tilt the bed to replace the pump instead of dropping the tank so I’m thinking of going that route. I raised the bed on a 2005 Silverado to replace the brake lines 8-9 years ago and it was easy.

Since I don’t need to drive the truck I’ll tilt the bed, clean the area, and see what I need before spending a bunch of money on a pump.
 
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I've never done this with fuel, only oil, but googling finds they make a dye for gas as well that helps locate leaks (usually with a cheap UV flashlight)


Also similar stuff locally available in stores, looks like Advance has the wrong image

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance

shop.advanceautoparts.com
 
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I’m sure I can find the leak.
The smell goes away after sitting for a few days and comes back within a few seconds of starting it.
once I get the bed up I’ll just see where the gas is coming from.
If I can’t see the leak I’ll use a match. :cool:
 
Some of them it is easier to remove the bed.
All I know was I replaced the tank on my 89 K5 and it was easy.
Tank was 2oo $ and the pump was 50$ took about.2 hrs to do it.
Key is to run all the fuel out first.


That labor price is way out of line. I would check a few other places.
 
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Yep, tilt the bed. Much easier. This one was a fuel pump replacement as well.

I raised it up with a hilift on either side and then stuffed wood blocks underneath to prevent death or dismemberment. Leave the bolts in at the back but loosened to make a hinge of sorts.

1506638F-0CF8-4241-BF35-D69B8301ACFE.png
 
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If you go the pump replacement route (assuming it's not a broken line or stuck vent valve), my only recommendation is to ask yourself "how much is my time worth?"

I don't have a problem with doing a lot of work myself to save money. However, I'm not interested in rework for things that already took me a lot of time and effort to do the first time around. It's one thing to swap out an after market alternator with a warranty on it in less than an hour and then having to replace it again (under warranty) later for the same in labor...but if I have to start putting in hours of work pulling half the crap off my engine, dropping a fuel tank, or whatever just to get to what I need to work on? I only want to do that ONCE, thank you very much.

I'm more likely to spend for OEM on parts that require a significant amount of labor and time to replace.
 
Update.
started to tilt the bed. Mister gargantuan tightened the first two bolts on the drivers side
Couldn’t budge them with an impact wrench or 24 inch breaker bar - finally resorted to map gas and the breaker bar.
Tilted the bed a bit to look and couldn’t see any sign of fuel leakage so I went in the house and had a few shots of Jack.

Next day— went to the truck and noticed that I would have to remove the rear bumper to tilt the bed to the side or move it back a few inches to tilt the front.

Crawled under the truck, checked all the lines and still no sign of fuel leaking.
started the truck and saw fuel leaking on top of the tank… At least I found the issue

today — decision time remove rear bumper and tilt from the side or move the bed back and tilt from the front.
at least all the bolts are loose and I know that it leaks near the pump
it is most likely the high pressure feed thru on pump top.
9:30 AM time for more Jack while I’m making the decision…

BTW. - I’m retired and cheep.
So my time is free and never liked spending my money or giving it the government.
 
If the bumper is bolted to the frame, why do you need to remove it to tilt the bed? Is the bed going to hit the bumper on the passenger side if you tilt it? Might be easier to remove all 4 bed bolts and raise it a little at a time on each side until you get the height you need to make the repair.

I have a '02 GMC and had to tip the bed to repair something on top of the tank, and I just loosened the 2 bed bolts one the passenger side, removed the 2 bolts on the drivers side, unplugged the taillight assembly, then used my arms under the wheel well to lift it up while my wife placed wood blocks between the bed and frame. I had the code for the light that was on and the steelership wanted $500 to drop the tank and replace the part. Turns out it was just a wire that got pinched in to on top of the tank. Spliced it and an hour later I had it finished.
 
The bumper is attached to the frame and wraps around the side of the bed so it doesn’t tip with the bed.
The bed now has a little dent where it hit the bumper so I know it had to be removed.
Also had to drop the tail pipe.

lifted it on the side and confirmed that the high pressure line was rusty at the pump and leaking.
ordered the parts -
got a Denso fuel pump, gasket, locking ring, and fuel line disconnect tool set even though I can do it without the special tool.
Lifting was not as easy as the Youtube vids because I am alone.
I used my low profile Jack between the frame and box once I had about 4 inches of clearance.

having more Jack -maybe Jim or Johnny or James or one of each- to celebrate Tonight.
 
nhusa said:
Crawled under the truck, checked all the lines and still no sign of fuel leaking.
started the truck and saw fuel leaking on top of the tank… At least I found the issue
Click to expand...
invest in a few dollars in jb weld fuel tank putty and try again tomorrow.
might not need to do any more work after that...

my dad had a similar issue with a tiny leak in the bottom of a car's gas tank. they quoted him a ridiculous price to fix it, including replacement of everything and hours and hours of labor, and showed him where the leak was with the car up on a lift. knowing where the leak was ... he saved himself hundreds of dollars by using jb weld on th ehole. and then i ran that car hard when i got old enough to drive it. and then the car who went to my sister, who also ran it for a lot of years. and then the car went to somebody else who needed it...
 
Update—-
this is a pita plus..
i should have purchased a plasma cutter, cut a redneck hole in the bed and let it burst into flames.

Rear bumper removed and bed raised so I can get to the tank.
only took this 77 year old guy two days and a 1/2 bottle of Jack

After cleaning everything I found that the high pressure tube from the pump assembly was rusted and leaking.
Removing the electrical connectors and two of the lines was easy.
the third (high pressure) line broke off in the connector and I couldn’t get the broken part out
so it needed a new gas line between the tank and fuel rail that would take a lot of work to replace.
just finding the right line was nearly impossible because of all the alternatives.

Then I learned that Dorman makes the connector and there are two sizes one for 3/8 and one for 5/16 ID tubing.
The 3/8 seemed to be closer so I tried to get one… no such luck…they can’t even be ordered…
Then I got lucky after about a zillion phone calls if found that Advanced Auto about 5 miles from me had 2 of each size in stock.

next step replace the connector, pull the old pump assembly and put it all back together.
i figure two more days and another bottle of Jack if I don’t break anything.
 
nhusa said:
Update—-
this is a pita plus..
i should have purchased a plasma cutter, cut a redneck hole in the bed and let it burst into flames.

Rear bumper removed and bed raised so I can get to the tank.
only took this 77 year old guy two days and a 1/2 bottle of Jack

After cleaning everything I found that the high pressure tube from the pump assembly was rusted and leaking.
Removing the electrical connectors and two of the lines was easy.
the third (high pressure) line broke off in the connector and I couldn’t get the broken part out
so it needed a new gas line between the tank and fuel rail that would take a lot of work to replace.
just finding the right line was nearly impossible because of all the alternatives.

Then I learned that Dorman makes the connector and there are two sizes one for 3/8 and one for 5/16 ID tubing.
The 3/8 seemed to be closer so I tried to get one… no such luck…they can’t even be ordered…
Then I got lucky after about a zillion phone calls if found that Advanced Auto about 5 miles from me had 2 of each size in stock.

next step replace the connector, pull the old pump assembly and put it all back together.
i figure two more days and another bottle of Jack if I don’t break anything.
Click to expand...

OK, now picture Murphy rubbing his hands together and saying "This is the way!"

🤣

I've got a toilet seat replacement story which involved a Friday, the whole weekend, and two more wasted weekdays afterwards.

Not that it took me 5 days worth of work, mind you, but because WHY THE #%@&^% AREN'T ANY OF THE PLUMBING OUTLETS OPEN ON THE WEEKENDS TO GET THE SPECIAL SWAGED FITTINGS I ENDED UP NEEDING THAT AREN'T CARRIED AT THE HARDWARE STORES?

A simple #&%@#%& toilet seat, for crying out loud.

And if you think I was p***ed about that, just IMAGINE how livid I was to hear my wife's expert opinion on "This is why you don't start a project on Friday night."

I put my wife on notice: next time I do much as have to replace the flapper valve on that toilet, I'm replacing the whole d*mn thing and putting that one streetside.

"You should donate it to Habitat for Humanity!"

I wouldn't inflict that on them. That's what I told her in response, anyway. What I was thinking was "I'm about to put YOU on notice..."

🙃
 
LOL. That reminds me of the time I “fixed” the shower valve.
One afternoon I attempted to replace the cartridge because it leaked and had the wrong replacement.
what made it bad was I broke the old one when I took it out So I couldn’t put it back in.
this meant I could turn the house water on until I got the part.
The next morning I went to the hardware store and learned that it would take 2 weeks to get it.
I ended up having to make a big hole in the wall to put a new valve in and It took most of the day.
Two kids and my wife were a bit unhappy…..
 
We should have a stupid things I did around the house thread.

Very recent like yesterday — I trimmed the bushes with the electric hedge trimmer we purchased in 1972.
As I was finishing I cut the cord which should not have been an issue because in normal situations it means pulling the plug, and resetting a circuit breaker and/or a the ground fault.
I went to the panel and there was one breaker tripped and it had a built in ground fault.
Easy fix — just reset which I did.
I fixEd the cord and try to trim the last few branches but there is no power.
I then begin checking the other outside receptacles for power and another ground fault. There was no power any and no receptacles had a reset Button.
Also the receptacle on one garage wall is dead but the others connected to the frig and freezer are OK so I figure I’ll deal with it later. Most likely a GF receptacle some other place or the GF breaker is toast.

After two glasses of wine in the evening my wife announces that there is no hot water, so I go in the garage and check the inline water heater (gas) and the lights are off Meaning no control power. “SHIT”

The heater is in the back corner of the our full garage. I had to move 4 tool boxes, a radial arm saw, generator, smoker, large storage box on a skid, 2 vehicles (1 on casters), and a spare motor to make enough room get to the water heater and run and extension from a working receptacle.
It only took about 2 hours and 2 more glasses of wine to get the water heater working.

Next I have to pull the cover on the panel to see if the circuit breaker is toast.
It won’t be easy because the panel is between the refrigerator and freezer with just enough room to open the door so I need to move a pile of stuff and at least one of them.
 
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nhusa said:
We should have a stupid things I did around the house thread.

Very recent like yesterday — I trimmed the bushes with the electric hedge trimmer we purchased in 1972.
As I was finishing I cut the cord which should not have been an issue because in normal situations it means pulling the plug, and resetting a circuit breaker and/or a the ground fault.
I went to the panel and there was one breaker tripped and it had a built in ground fault.
Easy fix — just reset which I did.
I fixEd the cord and try to trim the last few branches but there is no power.
I then begin checking the other outside receptacles for power and another ground fault. There was no power any and no receptacles had a reset Button.
Also the receptacle on one garage wall is dead but the others connected to the frig and freezer are OK so I figure I’ll deal with it later. Most likely a GF receptacle some other place or the GF breaker is toast.

After two glasses of wine in the evening my wife announces that there is no hot water, so I go in the garage and check the inline water heater (gas) and the lights are off Meaning no control power. “SHIT”

The heater is in the back corner of the our full garage. I had to move 4 tool boxes, a radial arm saw, generator, smoker, large storage box on a skid, 2 vehicles (1 on casters), and a spare motor to make enough room get to the water heater and run and extension from a working receptacle.
It only took about 2 hours and 2 more glasses of wine to get the water heater working.

Next I have to pull the cover on the panel to see if the circuit breaker is toast.
It won’t be easy because the panel is between the refrigerator and freezer with just enough room to open the door so I need to move a pile of stuff and at least one of them.
Click to expand...
That's how 90% of my home projects go!!!
 
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