Project 31: Fuel Pump Replacement

[Wayne at Pelican Parts]

Got any questions on Project 31 for your E36 or E30? Ask them here!

-Wayne

[Rubatoguy]

I am in the process of replacing the fuel pump on my '93 325i .

I understand the wisdom of removing as much, if not all of the gas in the tank before replacing the fuel pump.

However, can anyone tell me how empty the tank needs to be before you can take out the old pump without risking the gas in the tank spilling out into the passenger compartment?

I am trying to figure out how low to let the tank go before I replace the pump. I am limited in being able to empty all the gas in the tank where I am located.

thanks,
Todd

[LiquidBMW76]

You shouldn't have to empty any of the gas out seeing as the pump comes out the top of the tank and is accessed from the passenger compartment.

[koya1893]

When I changed mine I was still registering a full tank. If you do decide to do this with the same amount make sure you are level, once you brake open the carrier for the pump you have some fuel in the back seat. so I drain about 3gl. before I opened mine it was empty enough to prevent spilling.

Ben

[Wayne at Pelican Parts]

I like to do this with an empty tank. Seems that with less gas around, there is less that can go wrong. For the book, we had to change it with an almost full tank in the parking lot of a Las Vegas hotel, but we didn't have much choice (used my mini camera to take those pics, *very* carefully and no flash!

-Wayne

[97m3BostonGrün]

My fuel pump in my 97 m3 doesn't look like it has a return line like the one in your pictures. Is this normal? I'm thinking it's not. check out the pic of it.

[azzurri]

I have to change my right side level sensor but don't have the tool. (and don't feel like buying it for likely using it just once)

How successful will I be if I use a prybar and hammer ?

[Rubatoguy]

I ended up replacing mine with 1/4 tank of gas. There was plenty of headspace in the tank.

One warning that needs to be restated, is that there will be residual fuel pressure in one of the lines - so be ready for it to spray out.

Other than that, the repair was rather easy.
My pump was making lots of noise - it had not quit.
Replacing it solved the noise problem, and restored some of the performance which was missing. My guess is that the old pump was not always able to deliver the volume of fuel needed in some situations.

Also, I wrote on the plastic top of the pump the date and mileage that the pump was replaced. I find it is helpful to do this, should it cause problems again, or someone else is working on the car and wondering, when was it last replaced.

Todd

[azzurri]

Originally posted by 97m3BostonGrün
[B]My fuel pump in my 97 m3 doesn't look like it has a return line like the one in your pictures. Is this normal? I'm thinking it's not. check out the pic of it.

exactly the same as mine. If you look at the inside of the empty blue tube you will see it closed off

[97m3BostonGrün]

Originally posted by azzurri
exactly the same as mine. If you look at the inside of the empty blue tube you will see it closed off

thanks man - that was freaking me out for a minute