MF! VX Kaput

[bartmanS4]

Went for a haircut and she wouldn't start afterwards. Appears to be a fuel pump issue. I don't hear the pump at all and I pulled the line going to the filter and had someone crank her over - no joy. Fuse OK and I swapped the relay with the starter relay - nope. I jumpered out the relay connector pin according to the manual - negative. I am going to have a buddy tow me in the AM, I just hope it doesn't get towed in the meantime. I am considering cutting an access hole trough the rear floor, I saw that JPuga87's ride had this done but from the pictures it looks like the wrong spot. Thoughts?


http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...8&postcount=19

[Marlin]

You should be able to follow the wires to the top of the tank and feel by hand where it is from the rear and the side. Kind if eyeball the location from above and cut a small hole to get started. I need to do the same on mine as I carry an extra fuel pump on the trail. On the Planet, I am sure there is a thread about it there. Get yourself some silicone and some aluminum angle so you can make a new frame and voila, easy access to the fuel pump forever!

[VXorado]

It's pretty easy to drop the fuel tank. Once the skid plate is off, it's 6 bolts to drop the tank and I remember mine dropped low enough to work on without disconnecting every line.

...but having an access flap would be pretty good for future repairs. I'll need to do the same thing because the gas tank lift required me to modify the mounts so I can't drop the tank.

I need to do the same on mine as I carry an extra fuel pump on the trail.

Good Call. I like carrying extra axle shafts and an alternator. Didn't think about a fuel pump but they do die suddenly and will leave you stranded. I'll probably add a spare fuel pump to my inventory before summer.

[bartmanS4]

Well, good news all around. My VX didn't get towed over night and the parking lot I was in includes a CarToys. The guys there helped me push her a little closer and let me plug in an extension cord for my angle grinder. Since I have a '98 Trooper parts car I was able to cut it's floor board first as practice and measurement and to get a free replacement fuel pump. It also provided me with a patch piece for the access hole in the VX. The Trooper was much easier to cut but I was eventually able to get the VX done too. This hole makes it so easy to replace the fuel pump! Once replaced she started right up.

Not the cleanest cut but functional.

Interestingly the VX pump assembly is a little different than the Trooper. The pump voltage feed is hard wired at the VX pump and the Trooper has a connector at the pump. Both have another connector attached to the side of the tank. I used just the pump from the Trooper until I got my VX home and then switched over to the entire Trooper assembly. My original assembly had a bit of corrosion on it so there may be a tank swap with the Trooper in the future. You can tell this wasn't originally a Colorado car...

Some RTV, self tapping screws, and the patch plate removed from the Trooper completed the job.

[tom4bren]

Glad you had a relatively easy fix.

Also glad you were able to get those pesky little phillips screws out without stripping/breaking them. Last time I had to replace a fuel pump, I wasn't so lucky.

[evillecutter]

check the pressure on the valve on the fuel rail on the top side of the manifold - if you have pressure its not the pump - i almost dropped my fuel tank to change it until i realized it was the starter - does it click when you turn the key?

[bartmanS4]

check the pressure on the valve on the fuel rail on the top side of the manifold - if you have pressure its not the pump - i almost dropped my fuel tank to change it until i realized it was the starter - does it click when you turn the key?

Thanks but...
You may want to have a cup of coffee and re-read this entire post.

[evillecutter]

sorry - 10-4 on the coffee

[VXorado]

Nice job Scott.

Thanks for the pics, i'll use them to mark out my floor cut.

[VxSport]

Good Thread... I had done this to my old Zu Amigo years ago. I have had this on my mod list for a couple years. Hopefully your thread will put some fire under me.
thanks

Glad your vx sat over night unharmed. Bet you didn't sleep so well....

[bartmanS4]

Glad your vx sat over night unharmed. Bet you didn't sleep so well....

HaHa, no I did not!
Thanks,
Scott

[yellowgizmo99]

do you remember the distance from the back door jam or where the seam is?

[Marlin]

Billy, this should be easy since my rear is empty, we can measure from the end of the factory floor coating. I want to do this on mine as well, we can experiment with mine, then do the final on yours.

[Marlin]

Went ahead and cut the plate in my truck. Cut it too small, had to take another piece out. I welded those back together. I ahve about an 1/8" of herculiner back there, so it was hot enough to be melted under the outer shell, just pushed it back into the weld groove with a chisel Never know it wasn't one piece from above. Billy is picking up some steel so we can make the brackets to hold the final plate in. I will seal it with RT and then touch up herculiner over it. I may pull all the what were once phillips head screws. They are rusted pretty much flat. Rather do it now than on the trail
Not a terribly hard project and will save LOTS of time if I need to swap the fuel pump one day.

[Marlin]

Came out great! Never even know it was there except the 8 extra bolts heads, but I sunk them into the bedliner so they are pretty flush. This little project will turn a 10 hr beast of a day to get the cladding and tank do down and back up into a 1-2 hour pump swap. I am going to address the rusted out screws later. None of them even have a pattern left on top to put a screwdriver in. I am going to cut them off, rotate the entire assembly a 1/4 turn or so, drill new holes (4 or 5 instead of 8, I think 8 is way overkill) JBweld bolts from the inside of the tank. This will allow me to use nuts vice screws and not worry about corrosion as much. Save a ton of time in the future.