• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Renix Fuel Pump Failed with 3/4 tank of gas

wilcharl

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Wash DC
My 88 jeep cherokee's AirTex fuel pump that I previously replaced 15 years ago let go on me tonight resulting in a stall. It is getting power to the pump but the pump isn't buzzing and fuel pressure is zero so its time for a new pump.

Here is the issue. I have at least 3/4 a tank of fuel and am wondering if I am going to have an issue with removing the pump.

I have a lift so the jeep will be up in the air for the removal with plenty of room.

One thought I have is to loosen the lock ring and drain the gas off (if any) into a oil catch tank.

Another thought I had was sucking it out the return line but with what kind of pump could I use?

A third thought is that 1/4 a tank down I should be below the lock ring and it will be a non issue..

Anyone's thoughts on this? After reading bad things about Airtex (and this old pump being as loud as an APU on an airplane, the new pump will be a Bosch)
 
rockauto.com has the Bosch 69302 for $66.79 right now (assuming a 4.0 engine).

If you want to pull a little of the fuel out you can get a bulb-type fuel transfer pump for cheap at most parts stores.

I don't want to "bash" any brand (but sometimes I will--OCD, you know who you are), but we WON'T install any Airtex pumps or fuel modules at our shop, which is strange when Airtex pumps bring us so much business! :D
 
I did my 92 with probably 3/4 tank and it was ok. Fuel was close to the bottom of the hole but didn't come out.
 
I have a small electric fuel pump I got to pump the fuel out of my boat, and I have used it to pump a full tank of fuel from 1 jeep to the other, as well as drain the fuel from the boat during the winter.

Takes about 15 minutes, and it cost less than 50 bucks at autozone (Mr. Gasket pump). I use it for transferring fuel all the time now.

Hook the hoses up, put them in the tanks, and run some test leads form a battery to the wires for the pump, and then go have a cig about 20 ft away somewhere while it does its thing.

Much safer than trying to do a fuel pump with a 3/4 full tank.
 
I am going to completely agree with Joe, get the Bosch pump. Night and day difference on noise. I still get all giddy when I get in the Jeep and do not hear the buzz of the fuel pump, ever. It is dead silent.
 
lawagoneer's got the right idea - the return line is just a tube that drops down close to the bottom of the tank.

Another idea is to simply park it facing uphill on the steepest hill you can. That should get the pump hangar/bulkhead flange as far away from the fuel as possible, so you may not need to drain the tank at all.

edit: wilcharl, I spy the RENIX badge of pride in your avatar...

Joe - I've seen some brands of pumps not even survive a tail light warranty, so you're justified in not using those! If the customer can feasibly push their car back to your shop after the pump fails again, it's clearly not a good pump to be installing.
 
Thanks everyone!

Bosch Pump ordered !

Kastein ... Yep and knock on wood the last one has been in place since 2001.
 
Another idea is to simply park it facing uphill on the steepest hill you can. That should get the pump hangar/bulkhead flange as far away from the fuel as possible, so you may not need to drain the tank at all.
Or jack the front and put stands under the axle..or blocks under the tires.

You are pretty lucky. Most times, my pumps fail immediately after filling the tank. :farmer:
 
Thanks for everyone's support on this...

Just as an update, I ordered the Bosch Pump. I also bought a new Lock-Ring which included an O-ring. The Bosch pump came with a square O-ring and the lock ring had the round one so I had both styles handy.

I was able to siphon fuel out thru the return line and it was easy to get the level down.

As I did this same thing 15 years ago (the tank was empty then so no siphoning) I remembered having problems with the lock ring....

A few tips...

PB Blaster the lock ring ... it came right off after PB blastering it.

Use a new lock ring

I made one BIG mistake... The 15 yr old AirTex pump had indistinguishable wire colors

I THOUGHT I had it wired up right but after getting it all back together no fuel pressure.

Realized after about a half hour of scratching my head the pump wires were reversed.

This go round, I was able to jumper the pump and use the pump to redrain the tank down and reverse the wires.

After back together the second time, started right up and the BOSCH PUMP IS SILENT....

I highly recommend the Bosch pump...
 
Why didn't you just swap the external wires?
 
I forgot to mention I did and it was grounding out (even sparked when I tried external power) (i'm assuming its because it shares with the sender and was arcing on the 3rd wire (sender return) Thought a quick wire swap would save me from popping it apart but no luck
 
Yeah, one side of the pump is grounded to the pump/sender hangar which is bolted securely to the body, so trying to switch the wires will just blow your fuel pump fuse or (on a RENIX rig) a fusible link unless you get lucky / stop trying to do that quick enough that it doesn't melt.
 
Something to look out for when replacing a fuel pump is the hose between the pump outlet and the outlet tube. I know when I went to replace my fuel pump (after unusual and sporadic symptoms) I found the neoprene hose hard, so I double clamped it and keep the new pump as a spare. I think neoprene and gasoline with alcohol don't like each other.

I should have replaced the hose and the pump. Also washed the smell off the old pump and used it as my spare.
 
Back
Top