2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Over or Under? Advice please

[ph]

Do I drop the fuel tank or raise the bed to access the fuel sender for repair? That is the question for my 98. 5 quad cab short bed. Is it quicker/easier to remove the bed which contains a combo toolbox/fuel tank, fifth wheel hitch, and has airbag lifts installed? Or, remove a frame cross brace and lower the fuel tank enough to gain access to the top of tank fuel and electrical connections that are so close to the bed that I can't get my hands in to disconnect them, then lower the tank to repair the fuel tank sending unit? If I could get to the top of tank connections I still can't see how the connections are released. I'd appreciate any advice. I've read where some have loosened the module nut and then the tank dropped leaving the module still connected to the fuel and electrical connections. Good idea or bad. BTW this will be done out of doors on the driveway. TIA, ph

 

[mwilson]

Do I drop the fuel tank or raise the bed to access the fuel sender for repair? That is the question for my 98. 5 quad cab short bed. Is it quicker/easier to remove the bed which contains a combo toolbox/fuel tank, fifth wheel hitch, and has airbag lifts installed? Or, remove a frame cross brace and lower the fuel tank enough to gain access to the top of tank fuel and electrical connections that are so close to the bed that I can't get my hands in to disconnect them, then lower the tank to repair the fuel tank sending unit? If I could get to the top of tank connections I still can't see how the connections are released. I'd appreciate any advice. I've read where some have loosened the module nut and then the tank dropped leaving the module still connected to the fuel and electrical connections. Good idea or bad. BTW this will be done out of doors on the driveway. TIA, ph

I've done it both ways, I prefer lifting the body off. In your case with all of the additions you will save a lot of hassle doing it from below.



The slickest thing I have seen if you have a paved driveway is a Craftsman 4 Wheeler / Motorcycle jack. I think Seth only had to set a pair of 2X4's on the lift arms when he has his tank out the last time and it worked perfectly. Do you have someone that you could borrow one from??? Plus you can have quite a bit of fuel in the tank and still work safely.

You can do it with a floor jack but given the fact that it is impossible to get all the fuel out the tank will tip one way or the other at an alarming rate when the fuel heads for the low end. It's OK if you have a second pair of hands but can be a real issue if working alone. That is how plastic fittings get broken and wires get ripped loose.



The plastic fuel line quick disconnects will be full of dirt and with some patience will release. I keep spraying WD-40 or something similar into them and keep working them gently until you can turn them in a complete circle inside of the fitting. At that point they will squeeze together as designed and release. Work carefully, if you start to get frustrated leave them for a few minutes.



Mike.

 

[jgillott]

I have always removed them from the bottom using a large transmission jack. But, I really like the idea of the ATV/Motorcycle jack. May have to take a trip to Sears before I have to do another tank.

 

[mwilson]

I have always removed them from the bottom using a large transmission jack. But, I really like the idea of the ATV/Motorcycle jack. May have to take a trip to Sears before I have to do another tank.

We purchased one for the shop here, works perfectly for lifting and holding a ThermoKing Tri-Pac APU up against the frame rail of the truck during an install. We have installed over two hundred APU's with that thing and it works as good as the day we bought it.

Sell for about $120. 00 as I recall.



Seth decided to try the ATV jack on his 3/4 full fuel tank when one of his straps broke, it worked great.



Mike.

 

[ph]

Thanks guys. Great, helpful info mwilson. I've been debating (putting this off) for six months or longer and now I'm determined to finally get her done. I'll print the pic of the jack you provided and take it to the rental place and see what they have. It sure looks like a better idea than the floor jack I was going to use. Thanks again. ph

 

[ph]

Hey mwilson,

Would you please give a further discription of how the plastic fuel line quick disconnect fittings are released? Are they like the ones called "plastic retainer ring type fitting" on page 14-13 of the Service Manual? Trying to do it by feel without knowing for sure how they work is inviting problems to me. Also, how is the 4wheeler/motorcycle jack best positioned? I appreciate your continuing help and patience. Thanks, ph

 

[mwilson]

Hey mwilson,

Would you please give a further discription of how the plastic fuel line quick disconnect fittings are released? Are they like the ones called "plastic retainer ring type fitting" on page 14-13 of the Service Manual? Trying to do it by feel without knowing for sure how they work is inviting problems to me. Also, how is the 4wheeler/motorcycle jack best positioned? I appreciate your continuing help and patience. Thanks, ph

ph,

I am going to post a link to the Dorman Fuel Line Repair Parts Catalog for illustration.



Open and go to page 140 (the link opens starting with page 135), then find items 800-057 and 800-058. Those are the ends that connect the fuel lines to the fuel tank module, one is 5/16", the other is 3/8". You can see the white plastic tab from the ring visible in the side of those fittings. There are steel lines with a slight bulge on the module that these slide over to lock the fittings in place.

Now come up to page 137, find items 800-005 and 800-006. Those are the white plastic rings that are inside the housing that you need to release. You can squeeze the tabs together once you flush all the dirt and crap out of the cavity. If there is any dirt stuck in there you simply cannot get the two sides pinched together enough to release the fitting.



Does that make sense to you??



Link here... ... . http://www.dormanproducts.com/documents4rb/135-145QuickDisconnectBuyersGuide.pdf



As far as the jack, he put it under the truck from the left hand side. Had to place a short chunk of 2 X 4 on each arm in order to have height enough to securely support the tank in the mounted position. Then he could reach out and run the jack from under the truck as it has two foot pedals, one for raise and one for lower.



Mike.

 

[ph]

ph,

I am going to post a link to the Dorman Fuel Line Repair Parts Catalog for illustration.



Open and go to page 140 (the link opens starting with page 135), then find items 800-057 and 800-058. Those are the ends that connect the fuel lines to the fuel tank module, one is 5/16", the other is 3/8". You can see the white plastic tab from the ring visible in the side of those fittings. There are steel lines with a slight bulge on the module that these slide over to lock the fittings in place.

Now come up to page 137, find items 800-005 and 800-006. Those are the white plastic rings that are inside the housing that you need to release. You can squeeze the tabs together once you flush all the dirt and crap out of the cavity. If there is any dirt stuck in there you simply cannot get the two sides pinched together enough to release the fitting.



Does that make sense to you??



Link here... ... . http://www.dormanproducts.com/documents4rb/135-145QuickDisconnectBuyersGuide.pdf



As far as the jack, he put it under the truck from the left hand side. Had to place a short chunk of 2 X 4 on each arm in order to have height enough to securely support the tank in the mounted position. Then he could reach out and run the jack from under the truck as it has two foot pedals, one for raise and one for lower.



Mike.

Thanks Mike. A picture is worth 1,000 words.

 

[mwilson]

Also, before I forget...



Most of the time the white plastic retainer will stay on the steel tube after you get the black plastic fuel connector off. I have had very good luck reusing the retainer by doing the following. .

Carefully take the white retainer off from the steel line, don't get aggressive. It will release, may have to use a very small screwdriver to release the internal tabs ever so gently. Then clean it up and snap the retainer into the black fuel fitting so that it looks like the ends pictured in the Dorman info above. Then you simply push each fitting back on over the tubes and you will hear a very satisfying "click" when they are latched and seated.



Then have a beer 'cause you done good.



Mike.

 

[fest3er]

I just did this on my '98. The quick connect fittings were completely rusted and the plate where the fuel line go into the tank was rusted out, too. I also had to replace the rotted-out brake line behind the tank. (Actually, it was rotted only at the rear fitting; the rest of the line was in good shape. But I replaced it all anyway. )

For my rusted '98, I

• put the left sides of the axles up on jack stands which left enough room to lower the tank on the lift and roll/work it out.
• put a generic ATV lift (much like the Craftsman pictured earlier in this thread) under the tank and raised it solidly.
• lowered the center support bearing and moved it out of the way so the front tank strap could be removed.
• disconnected the fuel filler and vent tubes from the tank.
• disconnected the straps and removed them; had to lower the tank a bit and push it toward the driveshaft to make room for the strap removal.
• lowered the tank a few inches.
• cut the plastic fuel lines and disconnected the fuel sender plug (pop the red locking 'pin' out).
• lowered the fuel tank completely.
• maneuvered the tank from under the truck.
• used an oil filter strap wrench to remove the module.
• swapped parts between the old module and the new '97 module I found; they definitely aren't the same.
• bought a couple inexpensive quick connects from Advance and replaced the plastic fuel lines with rubber.
• wire-brushed the bolts and put anti-seize on them.
• re-installed the tank and found I needed to stretch the fuel lines 5-6 inches; they now go behind and over the vent tube.

The truck started and ran. Until the fuel level dropped below the top of the basket and the engine sucked the basket dry, leaving us stranded on the side of I-81. The fuel gauge was wrong; seems the '97 uses different resistances. Fortunately, the resistance plates are swappable. I used zip ties to hold the basket at the bottom of the tank, to no avail.

I had the truck towed home from I-81 and dropped the tank four times before I got it working properly (I'm a slow learner). Turns out I reassembled the stuff in the basket wrong when I swapped parts between the two modules. The '98 module has a friction-fit between the pickup tube and the in-basket screen; the '97 uses a rubber gasket. That out-of-place gasket held shut the valve at the bottom of the basket, preventing fuel from entering. Since then, it's been working fine. I haven't yet dared to run the gauge down to E or slightly below as I used to do--I was always able to run it down enough to take 36+ gallons of fuel--dunno where 'empty' is now.

If there's significant rust and you need parts for the module, you'll be better off buying a new module for *your* model year. The level sender wears and the metal stuff at the top can rot out completely. Swapping parts between two modules isn't necessarily for the faint of heart.

Use a couple clip straps to affix the tank to the lift. If fuel shifts from one end to t'other, the tank will tip off the lift. Also be aware that if there's a lot of fuel in the tank, the tank may 'deform' on the lift; keep an eye on that, or raise the tank and lower it onto some 2x4s or 2x6s while you work on the module.

Dropping the fuel tank is doable and generally easy, once you know what needs to be done and the parts come apart easily. With an ATV lift and jack stands, it's definitely easier than trying to raise or remove the bed: even a full tank weighs less than the bed.

Bon chance! It's not real hard. Just take it one step at a time.

 

[LandShark]

The easy way to get to the fuel tank module is just to jack up the drivers side of the bed. You can leave all your junk in the bed.
Here;s how: Remove the 4 bolts that hold down the bed on the drivers side. Loosen, most of the way, the 4 bolts on the passenger side of the bed. Disconnect the fuel fill and vent lines. Slowly jack up the drivers side (near the front) while checking the wires at the rear of the bed. Usually the wires are OK; sometimes you may have to pull a couple of mounting clips or even a plug of two. Be sure to use pleanty of blocking - you don't want the bed dropping on your head! It doesn't take much to get the clearance to remove the module.
I've done this 3 times over the years with no problem. I don't have a fifth wheel hitch; so there may be some bolts for that to remove. I have air lifts and they don't require any attention for this method.

 

[ph]

Lots of good info. The TDR is a great group. Thanks guys.

ph

 

[jeepit]

Just last week I took the bed off with the help of 3 guys. We lifted it off and set it aside and pulled the fuel module out. it was way easier than lowering the tank. But I have nothing in the bed. This way after replacing the fuel module we could start and let the motor run and watch for any leaks and make sure sender was working.
After putting it all back together what I thought maybe I should have done was to cut the bed where the module is and hinge it and latch it. This way if I need to get in there again I would be able to unlatch and open. I have not eye balled it to see if it would work but something to think about.

 

[ph]

My thanks and appreciation to all who provided tips and info. I finally have a fuel gauge that reads above "E". It went without a real hitch and no leaks as of now. The ATV jack worked perfectly with 18 gals. of fuel still in the tank. I didn't think there was more than 5 gals in the tank but it only took 17gals to top off. Thanks again for the help.