I posted a while back about my sending unit giving me problems.....gauge going from empty to full when it wants. So I call GM today and they say the sending unit is part of the fuel pump. So is this true guys? I dont want to drop my tank and spend $500 on a new fuel pump to be wrong. Any help would be great....

 

yes on newer cars from what ive seen the sending unit comes as an assembly with the fuel pump

 

hmmmm, damn sooo expensive

 

Well it takes a ton of searching but I was able to locate a company that makes just the sending unit. I plan on being a guinnea pig and giving these guys a shot here in a week or two when I do my sending unit.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-F...2em118Q2el1247

That's the eBay link.

The Ac-Delco number is Mu230 for 99-02 Units.
The Ac-Delco number is Mu195 for 98 Units.

 

i had the same issue a year ago, and yeah replace the fuel pump with the fuel sending unit.. well its "advised" that you do that. Cept i think your getting ripped... 500 bucks is a bit steep

but you can replace just the unit if you want. but its going to be a bitch to drop the tank again for the fuel pump

 

I'd cut an access door and check it out. It takes 10 minutes to remove/install the assembly once the hole is cut, and that only takes about 15. Just put a racetronix in a friends 2002.

You may be able to fix the fuel level sensor, it may have some trash on the little contacts it uses (you'll see when you get it out). It's got a bunch of contacts in a row, the float arm causes a set of metal fingers to sweep across them indicating the fuel level. Mine had a bunch of black tar-like stuff on them that was easily cleaned off. You may also just have one of the wires loose. You may post up in the parts wanted section and see if anyone has a stock 99+ assembly for sale if you need it. Lots of guys putting in complete custom systems and tossing their stock stuff.

 

That's good info Blur. I'm gonna see if I can just take mine out and clean it up tomorrow. I put in a Walbro 255 back when I was a newb and didn't replace or clean the sending unit but I did use the trap door method so I can be back at the sending unit in like 20 min once I rip my carpet up...

 

Update: I tore down the fuel system and pulled off my sending unit...It's funny but after doing the trap door for my pump I had the sending unit out in 10 minutes! That's freakin' awesome if you ask me. Anyways I have a real good idea of how the unit works now and I can visually see some play left to right on the float the may be causing the fingers to not contact the level meter chip. I'm gonna make a vid for you guys showing how to fix this issue. I plan on just prying back the fingers a bit to create more friction like it would have when it was brand new. Hopefully when I put it back in all is well. When I turned the key forward and operated the sending unit by hand I noticed that if I applied a bit of pressure on the small meter fingers against the contact meter board the gauge worked fine at the dash so I think this should fix my issue...

 

Post up some pics of the cut out you made to access the fuel pump. I would like to see that.

 

Can't wait to see this video.....I was hoping mine could be something I could fix myself as well.

 

No problem man. I'll show you a vid of where I cut and what it looks like...

Oh and KEV the only thing I just thought about is that our units will be a bit different but never the less they should come off with the little plastic retainers that you pop out. I'll show you in the vid where mine are but you may have to use some common sense to locate yours since the 99-02 models used a bucket style system...It should help you out either way though

I'll try and have it up by 2pm...

Josh

 

Alright guys I have the sending unit repair video and the trap door cut guide video up on my website.

Check them out at www.ls1videohowto.com

Thanks for watching!

 

Update: So far so great! Fuel gauge is working again just like it used to!

 

Hell yeah!

Looks like I may have saved you some dough. I do accept paypal.

 

CONNEXION2005 your the man, your trap door info and fuel pump breakdown were very informative. LOTS of help, I plan on taking on that task pretty soon.

 

Thanks Kevin. I'm freaking stoked about having it working again for free.99 haha.

It's going on down to near empty now just like it used 2...

 

Ha Ha! You guys crack me up. It takes like a total of 30minutes if that to drop the tank from the bottom, but you will spent the time to cut a hole inside your car with metal flying and everything and brag about how fast you did it??? Why not just take it out like you are supposed to and fix it and reinstall it? And I have done in many times so don't tell me. Yeah it could take you alot longer if you 1,Welded all your exhaust (Dumb move any ways IMO!) 2, have no idea of how to work on a car especially and F-body. I tell you if I was looking to purchase a car and I found that little hatch that would be the deal breaker for me. Just a little rant as I work on these cars all the time I don't know what the big deal is about getting the tank out like normally. GL guys!

 

Well since everybody is here seems to be a professional, is there anybody here willing to do it for money? If so, could you message me what you would consider it your worth while?

 

I think you may be exaggerating a bit on the 30 minutes.

I've been under the car (on my back) more than a few times, and there looks to be a helluva lot more than 30 minutes worth of crap in the way of that tank coming out. I'd give my 3rd nut for a 2-post lift! I can't unload my suspension without taking my driveshaft out or exhaust off, and my muffler is custom mounted in such a way that it would make it more of a pain. Plus the big *** steel tank in a '98 is a bit more difficult to deal with than a plastic unit.

If I ever tried to sell my heap, the fuel door would be the last thing they worry about. First thing might notice would be the lack of a motor/transmission/rear end/suspension/wheels/tires/electronics. Plus, the amount of bashing I had to do on the trans tunnel to fit a 5" bullet in beside the driveshaft draws any attention away from the easy-access-un-noticeable fuel pump access door.

 

People like you crack me up to. When trying to make a point they over exaggerate the hell out of their main point. For example you saying it takes 30 minutes to drop the tank from the bottom. You basically have to damn near drop the rear with all the suspension pieces you have to remove and unbolt. For the average person it will take much longer than 30 minutes. When I swapped rears a while back it took me atleast an hour and a half by the time the car was able to be put back on the ground and I had to have a buddy help to get it in place since it ways probably 200lbs. At the time that I did my trap door cuts that was literally the most intensive mod I had ever done (changing the fuel pump) besides changing my oil. I had just gotten the car was barely 19 and found this route not nearly as scary as dropping my rear end. I guess you think it's funny when people pull their motors from the top as well probably huh since it's not the proper way to do it...lol . It was a simple procedure for me to do and look it's already payed off in my opinion with the fact that I have used it again without having to crawl under my car and get filthy and get concrete burn on my back. I can see your point about not wanting to own or buy a car with this procedure done and that's fine. But to so many other's it doesn't phase them one bit and is seen as somewhat of a nice option to have when needed. Hell a lot of cars come with the trap door from the factory so it's not like its barbaric or something. If you have the stock catback on the car it would probably be even more difficult since the exhaust would be all in the way and is one big *** piece going over the axle that can't be separated. In that case you may have to completely drop the rear. I'm just giving you my side of the modification and you've given me yours....

To each his own...

Josh