fuel pump - cutting plastic tabs during install

[james1767]

Going to be installing the new updated Ford Motorcraft fuel pump that requires cutting out the old locking ring from the bottom of the fuel tank. I've read plenty of discussion that the plastic tabs that hold the locking ring into the tank can be cut with a razor knife. Anyone know how to cut these, i.e. is it obvious once you look down at them, or is there a specific technique? I would assume you hold the razor lengthwise on top of the tab and then push DOWN to slice the tab in half so to speak, or do you slice it from the side? The Motorcraft pump came with pretty good instructions all warning about not pushing or pulling on these tabs due to potential damage to the fuel tank, and of course they specify using their special tool to cut the tabs off.
Any thoughts would be appreciated - also any more secrets to getting the fuel line off the top of the pump - seems like general opinion is just keep the two-tabbed plastic ring around the fitting and squeeze until it pops off.
Thanks all!
Jim

 

[striker2]

you push from the side, a little rocking and slicing motions help as well. just make sure you get the blade between the bottom of the tab and the top of the ring.


for the fuel lines, if they wont disconnect by just squeezing the tabs and pulling, push down on the line (like you are trying to push it into the hole), then squeeze the tabs, then pull the line out.

 

[Smalls]

i've done this on about 15 contours in the last 3 weeks. went to the junkyard and got every connector i could find. the lines in my car were IMPOSSIBLE to get out in one piece. i found that some cars come apart like cake while others i had to put some pliers on and yank the living bajeezus out of them. just two words... GOOD LUCK!

 

[james1767]

Thanks all for the advice - wonder if anyone has ever damaged the fuel tank like the Motorcraft instructions warn can happen if you push/pull those tabs too much? Hopefully not and hopefully I won't be the 1st!

 

[james1767]

Thanks for advice - all the things I thought were going to be a problem weren't - the fuel line popped right off when I squeezed the black plastic collar while first pulling it forward onto the fitting a bit (I have the later 2000 returnless single fuel line), then pushing it back off the fitting - took probably 10 seconds (I did this same fuel pump install, minus the updated pump mod, about 7 years ago and it took me forever to get this fuel line off, probably because I did not first pull it onto the fitting a bit then push it off - this must give the four tabs underneath the collar a chance to disengage before you start trying to push the hose off the fitting). Cutting the black plastic tabs off the bottom of the fuel tank was also a breeze since I knew instantly how to go about it thanks to Striker2! For anyone doing it, I would suggest once you get the razor in between the black tab and the white ring, keep constant, steady force on it until it cuts through and snaps off - I did a bit of sawing at it and had some small pieces of plastic that broke off and settled into the small bit of residual fuel I had in the bottom of the tank - I wanted them out of there so I had to use tweezers. Oddly, the biggest PITA for me was getting the new locking ring properly engaged at the top of the new pump - each time I'd make my taps all the way around the ring, it kept walking itself out of the locking tabs - I finally had to keep a shim on one side of it (since the ring had a slightly smaller diameter than the locking tabs at the top of the tank) and then apply exactly equal taps with hammer/screwdriver on each tab until it GRADUALLY rotated and fully engaged all the tabs. When I did this same fuel pump install years ago, this locking ring took me all of a minute to tap in there - this one gave it to me, that's for sure.
Thanks again - this site is fantastic and truly one of the reasons I enjoy owning and maintaining the SVT!