Fuel pump cleaning (& tank removal)

[Llessur]

My 2500 project hasn't been on the road in a number of years so as well as various other recomissioning tasks I've drained out the fuel tank and lines as I don't want to silt up my newly-rebuilt carbs.

The last bit of the system to be cleaned is the fuel pump - it's a glass domed affair and absolutely full of sediment as per the picture below:



Judging by the colour, I think a lot of this is the red dye that they put in unleaded over here that has settled out. The carb float bowls were the same.

What's the best way of cleaning the gunk out from the depression around the raised filter area? Do I need to remove the pump and partially dismantle? If so, am I likely to need any gaskets/diaphragms or similar?

[johnnydog]

Personally, I would remove the fuel pump to clean it. Clamp the inlet hose, and it is only the two unions (7/16 AF spanner) and the two 1/2 AF nuts. You will need a new gasket which is a pretty common size.
Pull the gauze filter off and you can wash the sediment away easily with petrol, and refit.
I would be tempted to blow all the fuel lines through properly, plus possibly removing the tank and giving it a good swilling through before any reassembly looking at the sediment that is in there!

[Llessur]

Cheers for the reply - will whip the pump off on the weekend for a good cleaning. I'm over in Oz so sometimes even the simple things like gaskets can take a couple of weeks to obtain. I'll see what I can find.

How easy is it to remove the tank? It's already drained so that's one less thing to do. I drained it by removing the rubber hose from the L-shaped outlet at the bottom - does this outlet just pull up through the boot floor once the tank is unbolted, or does that need to be removed from the underside somehow first?

[Charles H]

It just comes up through the floor. You will need to disconnect the fuel intake rubber, and the associated breather attached to it, and the tank breather on the top on the other side. Four bolts and the sender wires once the boot back board is removed is all it takes.

[johnnydog]

Just as Charles says, although sometimes it is also easier to remove the upright part of the rear seat to gain better access to the slotted screw head of the wire clamps for the rubber fuel filler hose - it all depends which side the slotted screw head is visible from.
I'm sure you know how to remove the rear seat upright, but just in case, a swift yank upwards of each of the lower corners of the base will loosen that to remove it, which gains access to the two small hex bolts at the base of the upright that secure the two securing straps. Once the two bolts are removed, a sharp knock upwards on each side and the upright should lift off its locating tabs. It just basically hooks over the tabs at the edge of the rear parcel shelf with a piece of felt to keep it tight.

[Llessur]

Cheers both - very informative! Any hints or tips in terms of tank cleaning? Not a job I've done before.

[wild bill]

Remove the sender unit, add a few handfuls of pea gravel(small gravel),add a gallon of diesel, tie to a cement mixer and let it rip for half an hour or so. Remember to flush fully on completion.....
Good luck!
Bill.