Returnless Fuel Pump Replacement

[Aussie Ford]

When I bought my 99 SE the fella said "one thing I should tell you is it runs out of gas at 1/4 tank." As you may know this is a common problem with the returnless fuel systems. It really didn't bother me too much but since my son has owned the car it is getting worse. We didn't have a clutch to do last weekend and other things didn't workout, so we installed a new to me fuel pump that I've had sitting on the shelf for several years. I just didn't want to do this job....... but the time came when it was needed. Many of you know that I work on the thought that the car in the JY isn't there b/c of the part I'm getting from it and mostly that is correct. Ford has a replacement Fuel Delivery Module for this problem @ about $200. My pump was $10.

DO THIS JOB IN THE SHADE ON A COOLER DAY WITH A SLIGHT BREEZE! this helps control gas fumes at the open tank. DO NOT spend a lot of time breathing them. Max exposure should only be about 3 minutes during removal and installation of the pump. Work Smart and Have Help near by.
First open all the windows then disconnect the battery and the fuel line at the engine. Have a rag ready to catch the fuel that will come out of the line (about a cup)


Then remove the rear bottom seat cushion, and the rubber cover over the fuel pump access hole. Next enlarge the hole using tin snips so you can remove the fuel pump. Remember you will be closing it back up again so do it smart.
Remove the electrical connector and the fuel line (squeeze the sides and pull). Have something ready to catch the fuel about a cup again.
Using a drift and a hammer (I use a plastic hammer to minimize potential for sparks) remove the retaining ring around the top of the pump.


Put on some fuel resistant gloves lift off the top and reach in and grab the pump case, turn counterclockwise. This is to remove it from the retaining tabs on the bottom of the case and the swirl pot. Always becareful as the swirl pot is attached to the bottom of the plastic fuel tank.


Install your new fuel pump, align the screen on the bottom with the large hole in the bottom of the swirl pot and turn clockwise to snap it into the retaining tabs, use a new GREEN rubber seal (stealership item $11 +/-) (I didn't have one) and put it all back together. After closing the hole back up so the rubber cover will fit again, seal the cuts with a sealant or as I did with duct tape.

Below are a couple of pics of the pump. I don't know what the cause of this 1/4 tank issue is but I'm thinking it is a clogging of the filters on the bottom of the case and the inner one on the fuel pump. When I got mine from the JY I cleaned them using some Brake Parts Cleaner b/c I had it handy. Carb cleaner may work as well.


With my gas can in the trunk the kid drove off to see what would happen. He called later to say that at about 1/8 tank a light in the instrument cluster came on showing a gas pump and an arrow pointing to the fill door. There's something I've never seen before ..... at least in that car. :laugh:

AF

 

[blu_fuz]

Great writeup. Can you tell us why you disconnect the fuel line at the fuel rail?

 

[Aussie Ford]

Sure, there should be a schrader valve in the system to relieve pressure but as you can see by the picture I didn't find one. I didn't want to have pressure on the line when I removed the it at the pump, that had the potential to spray gas all over and possibly even inside the car. Not a good thing and the fumes would not be controllable. As it was there was a bit of gas that spilled out at the pump end but not under pressure when I disconnected the line. This was easy to catch with a rag which I tossed out into the sun to evaporate. Removing the fuel line at an accessable point just seemed reasonable to me.

I have the old tubing and paper clip tool to drain pressure at a schrader valve, and have done that on other Tours this one is just well hidden if it has one.

AF

 

[Aussie Ford]

I didn't find a schrader valve in the system to relieve pressure so it seemed like the easiest place to do it. You can get good access and it was easy to catch the gas. That way when I disconnected the line at the pump even though some spilled out it was not under pressure. Had it been under pressure you risk having it spray around possibly even into the car and create more fumes where you are working. Another way one might try is to pull the fuel pump fuse and turn the engine over. This just seem like the best way to do it (to me).

AF

 

[RedSoloCup]

To determine if your fuel pump has stopped working as well, with our pumps, should they make a humming or vibrating noise when you put the key in the "on" position?

 

[amc49]

Yes. Old post but there it is.

I note the pump picced there is the same recalled body (different top) as used by early Focus which later got modified in around '02 or so. They clog up the strainers to then not fill up the cup reservoir there and why they then run out of fuel turning hard to the right at 1/4 tank or less. The strainers clean out much more completely using water as most of the crap is water based and comes in with the ethanol part of the fuel. Both my Focus did that and simply cleaned pump strainers reassembled and went on many many more miles.

See how tall the inside filter is in last pic? They lay it over sideways on the modded pump to not be able to reach air, which it will do if the fuel level drops in that cup. Most of the trouble had nothing to do with the pumps, rather the early quality of ethanol fuel which was horrible, the gas people realized they were going to be sued into nonexistence and got their act together to make the fuel much cleaner, so if you clean it out it may be good for a longer while. Both mine (I have two Focus cars) messed up around 75K miles and the older one finally just failed outright at 200K.