Gotta drop the tank and it's at 100% filled to the max. Any ideas on how to get it down safely? I only have a floor jack, + 4 regular jack stands. My current plan was to use a 2x6 that is 3 feet wide on the floor jack and pull it out of there. Maybe I should hose clamp the 2 x6 to the floor jack so it don't slip? I guess a wider jack like at tranny jack would be Ideal, I don't have one though.

The 2015 chevy express 2500 looks like it only needs the evap and fuel line disconnected to drop the tank, I am not replacing the tank but very likely looking at a new fuel pump or a new high pressure fuel line. When I disconnect that fuel line, What can I expect? a gush of gasoline? have a collection can at the ready + eye protection, face, mouth, nose etc. If it is going to gush out I would like to know how to stop it from doing so. any way to plug it up safely? I would like to NOT HAVE TO DRAIN 33 galons of fuel. I have nowhere to put it.

I guess a gallon of fuel weighs 6 lbs and since it's a 33 gal tank I am looking at 200 lbs? I used to be able to bench that. I was thinking that I could set those jack stands up with a 2x4 across them. These 2x4s would be perpendicular to the vehicle. if the fuel tank fell off the jack it would hopefully tip onto the 2x4s. I plan on doing all this on the ground by the way...

so again seems simple. Pull all the electrical connectors and the filler neck and vent tube. Disconnect the electrical for vent solenoid. Disconnect the fuel line and the evap line. Then jack up the jack to take pressure off the straps. Take off the straps. Move the fuel tank from underneath the van outwards to the outdoors. Get to work.

Let me know if this seems like it will work. Perhaps having it completely full is better as it won't slosh around on you as much as 1/2 or 3/4?


Also where is the fuel filter? is it built in?

 

I wouldn't. I did a lighter smaller tank full before and it sucked. You need 2 jacks to have any hope of balancing it. Try to syphon it, but good luck! I'm not sure you could get a hose down there. Maybe with an taped to the end of the hose? Then you need a syphon tube with the to get it started. Of course you also need 6 gas cans so borrow from all the neighbors or buy out the store. In a shop with a lift it would be different.

 

I also did one on a blazer years ago. It was a PIA. The hardest part is disconnecting the hoses that are at the top of the tank. You can't lower it enough to see the connections. Mine had plastic fuel lines which were brittle from age and had to be careful of not breaking them. Also my tank was near empty so not bad but I wouldn't attempt with full tank. One slip up and you are toast. Figure a way to pump out tank and don't stick a light down in tank. I worked around gas for 31+ years and have seen some horror stories. Good luck and be very careful.

 

Yeah the good thing is none of those lines have to be disconnected on my chevy express. Everything on top is attached to the tank, not the frame. IT's easy peasy, just a couple of full lines and electrical connectors on the chassis, and of course the vent tube and filler neck.

WE plan on getting a cheap amazon pump for this (hopefully) one time job. Any you recommend? We will pump the gas into my little sisters car as much as we can since it's nearly empty, then we have two 5 gal drums. Hopefully it's enough other wise we gotta get those 5 gal open containers out. Gas is just not cheap.

My biggest concern is that I won't be able to diagnose what is leaking with the tank drained because it may be a very fine hairline crack and impossible to see. Just wiggling the fuel line to the engine at top of fuel pump does create quite a lot of gas and fumes, without even the fuel pump running. Family seems to think that it's going to be very obvious what is going on. We don't have the service records for most of this vans life, we have no way of knowing if the fuel pump was changed before and perhaps the mechanics didn't do a proper job. Could just be a loose line. Hard to tell looking at the lines but they seem like they've never been touched. hard to say though.

Anything else I should have a look at while fuel pump is down in preventive maintenance? anything that the chevy express 2500 2015 or newer or a little younger is notorious for failing and causing big problems?

Looks like Ill just get that section of fuel line i expect is probably damaged and the fuel pump from autostone to have on hand if it turns out the pump or line is cracked OR I'll just reattach a loose line properly idk without having good eyes on it.

REally am still considering an access hatch for aforementioned reasons. No idea what happened to this vehicle before I got it.

Any way to bench test it looking for cracks in either A the fuel pump or B the fuel line there? perhaps even with draining it the fuel pump will have enough fuel still in it to diagnose and wiggle out the gas like IT is doing so right now? ANy way again to plug the lines as soon as they are disconnected to prevent fuel from exiting ? would make it easy with some fuel in there to see wth is leaking and where exactly...

how about one of these bad boys to do pump out all that fuel? seems like a cheap good safe option. All electric.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/326911744454

 

yeah I figured out what is was. The little plastic piece that goes inside the fuel feed line had become brittle. I kept trying to get the fuel feed line off and I heard a loud crack and then it completely snapped off. No way I was going to get jb weld on it like that. I went to go check it after watching this guys video.


Yeah now I need a new fuel pump, that is for sure. And a new feed line. The plastic piece is still stuck inside the feed line. I have had no luck getting it out as of yet.

Guessing this means if that was brittle that there is more inside that fuel pump getting brittle? Also I was able to do all this just by bending down the metal guard I was able to get decent access to the fuel pump. I mean I did get some gas in my eyes and I spilled a bunch on me.

SHould I be concerned that more lines will soon break? Kind of worried because I've heard stories about these vans having their parts last forever. so far, mine aren't. Just so ya guys know it DOES GET EXTREMELY HOT where I LIVE. So maybe this is the effect of sitting on a used car lot for a year and half with a couple sweltering 99 degree summers.

 

I think lines are only prone to breakage if they are moving or you mess with them. I would plan on replacing any of the rubber fuel line near the tank when you drop it to replace the fuel pump, as that does get stiff and less flexible with age. On my Chevy trucks, much of the fuel line is metal, and the biggest risk to those is rust in northern regions where road salt is an issue.

I will say that I have a 1996 C1500 with all the original lines in place. I replaced the fuel pump about 20 years ago, and did it by unbolting the bed, lifting it off and exposing the top of the gas tank, but I did not have to replace any lines at the time. So that truck is still rocking 30 year old fuel lines just fine.

On my 2006 Silverado, when I replaced the EVAP vent assembly, I had a choice of the GM OEM one, with a molded and shaped line to the EVAP canister, for over $100. Or a $10-15 EVAP vent solenoid assembly, and a $5 piece of fuel line hose. I went with the $5 hose, and just made it follow the path the molded hose used as best I could. I think I used a couple of loosely cinched ZIP ties to make it follow the path it needed to follow. You can probably get away with fuel line of the right diameter off the roll at Autozone or wherever you go for parts, if you end up replacing all that. The only part you likely need the molded assembly for is the fill tube to the tank.

 

Yeah thanks man,

I didn't realize that the plastic was breaking there off the fuel feed line leading off the fuel pump. I also didn't realize that the fuel line was STUCK onto that plastic port. (I still haven't gotten it out.) OTherwise I would've USED JB WELD and smeared it all all over the feed line plastic elbow along with stuffing the connector fuel of the stuff. I would've waited 48 hours and done a second coat. IT probably would've fixed it for another 50 k miles till the pump crapped out. NOT SURE WHAT I WAS THINKING, I guess because that hose slides back and forth a bit.

In any case yeah it was $65 for that tiny length of fuel line on rock auto. I just pulled the trigger on it to save time and energy. IT comes with that special connector for the feed line, but maybe someone can jerry rig that not me.

Man this van has needed a lot of work. PO changed the radiator, 02 sensors and cat. I changed the water pump, and now gotta do the fuel pump. UGh. What's next? another pump? hopefully not the tranny that would kill me. I guess if that happens I can always try the lucas non slip stuff as a last resort