In-tank Pump Install

Written By: Steve Sisler

If you've upgraded your car to the point where you are running out of fuel, chances are you need a larger fuel pump. The easiest way to increase your fuel flow is to increase the size of the pump in your tank. Stock 5.0 Mustangs come with an 88lph fuel pump, while the later model Cobras come with a 190lph fuel pump stock. All of these pumps are interchangeable all the way up to a 255lph fuel pump. In the case of this article, we are replacing a 190lph fuel pump with a 255lph hi volume fuel pump from Walbro, part number GSS 340.

It is highly beneficial to you if you have the tank as near to empty as possible. It makes it very difficult to do this work with even a 1/4 tank of gas, so make sure you get all of it out that you can before attempting this install.

Always remove the battery cables from the battery before performing any work to the car.

The first thing you need to do is jack the rear of the car into the air and place it on jack stands. I recommend placing the jack stands under the torque boxes as placing it under the axle leaves you less room to work underneath the car.

Once in the air, center your jack underneath the fuel tank and raise it up. You'll want to raise the jack till it has made contact with the bottom of the fuel tank, but not so much that you dent the tank. You want it to support it, but not damage it.

Remove the two 13mm (a 1/2 will suffice) bolts that secure the two straps that hold the tank into place.

Remove the 8mm (or 5/16th's) bolt that secures the filler neck to the tank.

Slowly begin to lower the tank. It will not come down all the way evenly, so stop when the left side of the tank comes about half way down. Unplug the two harnesses that plug into the tank.

Remove the two fuel lines from the top of the tank. They have special clips that hold the lines in place, but they are easily removed with a small flat screwdriver or a pair of needle nose pliers. Save these clips, as you will most likely be re-using them.

Remove the vent hose. The vent itself may come out of the hole in the tank. If it does, that's ok, it will hang there no problem, just make sure to plug the hole while you are working on the tank.

Begin to lower the tank again. As you will have noticed by now, only the left side is lowering. If you have someone helping you, have them lift slightly on the left side of the tank while you push from the right side, towards the left. What you are trying to do is to push the tank off of the filler neck. It's not easy, and you may have to use your feet to push against it to get it all the way off. Watch out for gas spilling out of the hole in the tank if you didn't make sure the tank was empty.

Once the tank is on the ground you'll want to stuff a rag into the open holes and blow the tank off with compressed air. Thousands of miles of road grime and dust build up on top of these tanks, so it's going to be dirty. If you do not have access to an air compressor, just wipe it off to the best of your ability. It doesn't have to be spotless, you are only trying to prevent the loose dirt from finding it's way into the tank.

Take a hammer and a chisel, or a large flat head screw driver. If you look on the raised portion of the gas tank where the lines were connected, you'll see a small ring with three raised "teeth". The arrow points to the ring.

In the picture below, you can see on the ring, which has been removed in order to view it more clearly, the three surfaces on which to place the screwdriver. They are clearly marked with the arrows.

With your hammer and chisel/flat screwdriver, gently tap the ring out from underneath the teeth securing it. You are not trying to pry the teeth up, you are trying to rotate the ring counter-clockwise. Once the tabs on the ring are clear, the ring will pop loose. Remove the ring, as pictured below.

Grab the two protruding fuel lines and lift gently. The assembly should come free easily and you should be able to begin to remove it. This is a complicated process, so make sure you do it slowly and carefully.

The first thing you'll want to do is remove the rubber o-ring that was underneath the pump cap. Save it for now, as you may or may not get a replacement one with your pump. You can see the o-ring in the picture below, hanging below the pump cap.

Rotate the pump and tilt it backwards slightly and lift again.

Tilt the pump back to vertical and lift once again.

Carefully maneuver the pump and sock filter out of the tank. Make sure the filter does not come loose inside the tank!

Set the pump assembly to the side and wipe the area where the pump cap sat with a rag, making sure you collect the debris into the rag and not into the tank. Cover the open hole in the tank.

Make a note of the orientation of the sock filter compared to the pump assembly. Remove the sock filter and set aside.

Remove the lower half of the pump assembly. It is held on with four 3/16th's screws, two in each side. The picture below illustrates this.

Remove the hose clamp from the fuel pump. Make a note of the two wires and what side they were connected to on the pump, and then remove them. The pump should now be free to be removed completely from the housing.

Take your new pump and install it in reverse order of how you removed the old pump. Secure the screws and lower housing, and replace the sock filter. Make sure you replace the stock pump spacer in-between the pump and the lower assembly.

Replace the pump into the tank, taking care not to damage the sock filter. Guiding the pump into it's proper place can be difficult, so it helps to take a flashlight and look through the filler neck hole and lower the pump assembly into it's proper sump. It looks like a small raised oval that is slightly larger than the sock filter. This is where the fuel pump must go. You'll have to twist and angle the pump properly to guide it into the sump.

Replace the O-ring that goes under the pump cap, then secure the pump assembly with the metal ring. Reinstall the tank, filler neck first, then wires, and hoses. Lift it back into place with the jack and secure it with the two support straps. Replace the bolt in the filler neck clamp.

Replace the battery cables, and cycle the key on, but do not start the car. You want to get the fuel pump to turn off and on several times. Check for leaks around the tank. Once satisfied there are no leaks, take the car for a drive around the block. You may notice increased noise from the pump. This is normal for a higher volume pump and you will soon get used to it.