[AT] More on the water pump

[Steve W.]

Ralph Goff wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jim & Lyn Evans" <jevans at evanstoys.com>
> To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'" 
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 5:39 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] More on the water pump
> 
> 
>> If everyone is paying attention to this thread, you will see that it is 
>> the
>> same old stuff that goes wrong with the new cars as what went wrong with 
>> the
>> old cars.   If you can fix an old tractor you can fix a new car 90% of the
>> time with a little bit of thinking and diagnostic time (and maybe a little
>> advise from the internet)
> 
> True enough, but the new vehicles are so much harder to work on. Everything 
> packed in so tight with wiring harnesses, hoses, etc everywhere. I can't 
> even see the spark plugs on my V6 Blazer (97). Thank God they last a long 
> time because I don't think I have the technology to change them.
> How about fuel pumps? I have changed numerous fuel pumps on older vehicles, 
> the type that were mounted on the engine running off the cam. . They are 
> relatively simple and uncomplicated to change in an hour or less . The newer 
> fuel injected systems (GM I am thinking of) have the fuel pump in the tank. 
> On the GM pickups this involves unbolting and lifting the entire truck box 
> to get at the fuel pump! Thats a little ridiculous unless those pumps last 
> the life of the vehicle. (They don't) I know of one farmer who had a hole 
> cut in the truck box in the appropriate spot so that next time he needs a 
> pump replaced it will not be necessary to remove the box.
> 
> Ralph in Sask. 
> 

Ralph, Those plugs are a piece of cake IF you know the secret. For all
of them but the one in #5 (behind the steering shaft) you go in through
the wheel wells. You will want a captive swivel style 5/8 plug wrench.
For the one behind the shaft the "factory" method is to remove the
shaft. OR you grab a standard plug socket with hex flats on the shell
and a box end that fits those flats.

The fuel pumps can be a PIA, BUT one thing to make sure of, DO NOT use
just any old cheap aftermarket unit to replace them. Many of the lower
priced units will fail VERY shortly. Also make sure you replace the
connector pigtail when you replace the pump. They are a major cause of
pump failure as well.

GM at least located the pump where you can get at it to replace it. Ford
stuck theirs up under the cab so you have to drop the tank.
Oh and if you think that lifting the box is bad don't buy ANY of the new
Ford Super Duty trucks. The repair procedures for most of the engine and
trans repairs start with, Disconnect the wiring harness from the
connector, remove the retainer pins and remove the entire cab from the
vehicle!!!

One thing that many people don't know is that these pumps also use the
gas that goes through them to cool the motor windings. The earlier ones
didn't tolerate low fuel levels very well and running them out of gas
severely shortens the life of the pump. The units from about 96 and up
use a fuel pump module, it is the same type of pump but it has a shell
around it that holds fuel around the pump so that low fuel doesn't cause
the problems it did before.

-- 
Steve W.
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