I am planning on dropping the gas tank this coming weekend to address some rust issues on the skid plate. Would you guys go on and replace the fuel pump while you had it down? Anything else that you would recommend addressing while it is out? Any suggestions at all would be welcome, thanks in advance
Removing the gas tank
- Thread starter mike.s
- Start date
If you have the 15 gallon tank from the factory, now would be a good time to do the filler neck mod to convert it into a 19 gallon tank.
If you’re repairing rust, it might be worth checking and repairing the frame and body under and around the tank while you have access.
A few people will add an access panel to the body under the rear seat to make accessing the fuel pump much simpler. (GenRight makes a kit, others may too)
If you’re looking to upgrade the skid, consider one of the aluminum skids from UCF, GenRight, or Savvy. That will not only protect the tank better, but aluminum doesn’t rust. (Additionally you can lift the gas tank further into the body if you have a body lift.)
If you think you might be replacing the shock absorbers in the next few years, this is also a good time to attempt to replace the shock mount bolts. Be aware if the Jeep has any significant rust, they stand a very good chance of snapping, at which point repairs are necessary. It’s probably significantly easier to repair without the gas tank.
If you’re repairing rust, it might be worth checking and repairing the frame and body under and around the tank while you have access.
A few people will add an access panel to the body under the rear seat to make accessing the fuel pump much simpler. (GenRight makes a kit, others may too)
If you’re looking to upgrade the skid, consider one of the aluminum skids from UCF, GenRight, or Savvy. That will not only protect the tank better, but aluminum doesn’t rust. (Additionally you can lift the gas tank further into the body if you have a body lift.)
If you think you might be replacing the shock absorbers in the next few years, this is also a good time to attempt to replace the shock mount bolts. Be aware if the Jeep has any significant rust, they stand a very good chance of snapping, at which point repairs are necessary. It’s probably significantly easier to repair without the gas tank.
Unlike opening up differentials or transmissions or other labor intensive procedures, dropping a gas tank is relatively quick and easy which weakens the "might as well do these other things while I'm in there" argument.
If your fuel pump is working my advice would be to follow the maxim, "if it ain't broke don't fix it" and leave it alone.
If your fuel pump is working my advice would be to follow the maxim, "if it ain't broke don't fix it" and leave it alone.
Rollin20z
TJ Enthusiast
Just run your fuel as low as you can so your not taking down a bunch of weight. Let you light come on and run it another 50 miles. just keep a can with you with a couple gallons in it just in case.
While it is a straightforward job to drop the tank, if there is a rusty skid you potentially could have to deal with what I did recently. I had to cut out and replace the 3 frontmost carriage bolts that hold the tank. They were in bad shape, mostly disintegrated (no more square base to fit nicely into the frame, so it was spin city).
More info and ideas here in case you need it:
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...in-edition-oem-build.12446/page-3#post-402431
These bolts are in a tough spot that is hard to clean at the car wash, so most will ignore and rust will have its way with the poor quality fasteners that were used at the factory, at least on mine! I've also read about it happening to others as well. Some don't have salty roads and common rust issues, so I just wanted to mention it!
P.S. If it were me, even with that mileage, I'd replace that 20yo fuel pump and keep the OEM as a spare. You never know when it will fail, with a full tank or not, so planned is always preferred to unplanned in this case in my book.
More info and ideas here in case you need it:
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...in-edition-oem-build.12446/page-3#post-402431
These bolts are in a tough spot that is hard to clean at the car wash, so most will ignore and rust will have its way with the poor quality fasteners that were used at the factory, at least on mine! I've also read about it happening to others as well. Some don't have salty roads and common rust issues, so I just wanted to mention it!
P.S. If it were me, even with that mileage, I'd replace that 20yo fuel pump and keep the OEM as a spare. You never know when it will fail, with a full tank or not, so planned is always preferred to unplanned in this case in my book.
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I went with the Savvy Alum. skid a very tight fit, but I like that since I have a 1" BL I could raise up the tank that extra inch. The Savvy skid comes pre-drilled so you can use it either way with or w/o a BL
I just did it on my 2000, with 215,000 miles....I wouldn’t do the pump at 59,000....it should last a while and it wasn’t too bad to get down. I got lucky, living in the rust belt, was able to get all the bolts out (except the 2 straps over the top of the tank). Planned on replacing those anyway with the new skid plate.
I'm sure someone in the automotive service, repair or parts business will correct me if I am wrong, but years ago when I was into restoring fuel injected Type 3 air cooled VW's, I experienced successive failures of several "used but not abused" fuel pumps. I distinctly recall conversations with the guys at Bill & Steve's in Downey CA, considered a mecca by VW gearheads, that the seals in fuel pumps submerged in gasoline during years of use and then allowed to sit out on the shelf would dry out resulting in failure of what appears to be a perfectly good part when the pump was put back in use. I was cautioned to install new fuel pumps rather than used. I followed that advice and never had another VW fuel pump failure.
I had essentially the same conversation several years later with a fellow named Jerry Piper, the owner of the parts house that supplied my local jeep shop and the other repair shops in the area. His take was slightly different. He had no problem with installing a used fuel pump if you had one but no money for new parts, as long as you realized that the odds were only 50/50 that it would last and at least 50/50 that it would fail at the worst possible moment.
Those conversations were in the back of my mind when I commented that if OP's fuel pump is working he should leave it where it is.
Makes sense, perhaps it might not make a reliable spare. You could make a case either way, no doubt. Concern over breaking something instead of leaving it alone has merit, no doubt!
Whether I am right, wrong or crazy, my initial part of the thought process was:
1. Age as well as usage could come into play on longevity. Jeeps with a lot of off-road, city driving, or a lot of idling could have more usage than the odometer suggests, or it might not. Potential exposure to water and regular exposure to ethanol and other chemical detergents/clean burn agents etc. in gasoline could potentially wear down components over 20 years of time etc. Additives and ethanol percentages changed over these years since the date of manufacture. The E10 mandate wan’t in place yet, target date was 2006, but lapsed to 2013 when finally all fuel was to be E10 instead of E5. MTBE was phased out and replaced etc.
2. Dropping the tank isn’t on my top five things to do in my spare time!
3. New Mopar fuel pump gives me peace of mind when I drive far from home and through some areas of town.
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Filler neck mod turns my current 15 gal tank into a 19 gal tank?!?! how have I never heard of this!
Yup. It’s the exact same tank. Just with a longer neck so the dealer could make a few extra bucks to up sell the “bigger” tank. Instead of swapping the tank they would simply swap the filler neck.
If you cut it down, you will be able to use the full capacity of your tank. Your current fuel pump will work fine, but the gas gage won’t move from full until you burn off 5+ gallons. Not normally an issue, but if it bothers you simply install a fuel pump assembly for a 19 gallon tank.
Search on this site or Google for “TJ fuel filler neck mod” for more details.
I've driven it for so long i'll just have a "bonus" time period for full tank
Definitely would do the shocks. They can be a real b!tch with little room to work with. Tank out makes it sooo much easier. And if any repairs are needed for the upper mount the extra room will be a godsend.
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