New fuel pump, some questions

[02FailBlazer]

As part of my ongoing gas tank repair/replacement saga, I bought a new fuel pump (Spectra Premium model SP3549M) because why not. I've got the tank out, which is a PIA procedure, and the old pump was the original Bosch (model 6L6) which had been in there for 23 years and 192K miles. I suppose it worked fine, but I can see the strainer had accumulated some gunk, likely from the floater which had started to disintegrate on all four corners.

Anyway, the new pump has a different electrical connector. However, it appears it was designed to be plug-and-play, adapting the existing male connector that's attached to the vehicle's wiring harness. See photos. This should work ok, right?

New connector adapter thing attached to existing male connector on vehicle.




Same new connector attached to the new fuel pump.



Also, the instructions with the new pump mentioned installing a new strainer, but it didn't include one and I don't even see how one could be attached. Does this actually need a strainer, or is it good to go as-is? If it needs one, any idea what model strainer works with this?

 

[movietvet]

Delphi FG0387 is the one I would have chosen. The supplied pigtails should be used and will work. The strainer suggestion, is just that, a suggestion. Nothing else is needed with the "fuel pump and housing assembly".

You said yourself that the tank was a PITA to get out and from what I can see at RA, you bought the least expensive, generic quality pump assembly. If you are going to get rid of the TB, I get it. If you are keeping, you have a 50/50 crap shoot as to when you will pull tank again.

 

[mrrsm]

It is refreshing to read so much honesty in explaining all of the conditions present in your situation to -=STOP=- and re-consider all of the obvious "Something is NOT Right Here..." Earmarks as indicators why most of us prefer sticking with and using GM, ACDelco and Bosch OEM Quality Parts that won't demand all of these extra maneuvers in advance of sinking that Cheap Off-Brand Pump into your Fuel Tank.

Even if the price for an OEM Quality Bosch Fuel Pump with the proper Part Number, Components, Dimensions and Gaskets will cost 3-4 Times as much, It will NOT require Second Guessing what you are about to do with these "Modifications".

If you do make ANY Changes to the Harness and Pump by installing an After-market Nylon Fuel Proof "Fuel Sock"...the Vendor may NOT be able to take the Pump back and it may complicate shipping anything that has had Fuel run through it and might represents and some level danger and a fire hazard to do so.

If you were my Son and you called me for any advice on exactly what you are trying to piece together, I would say,

" Son... Put Down The Shovel ...and climb OUT of the Hole you have Dug yourself into..." I would also counsel him to "Visit GMT Nation and Youtube and scour Reading and Watching as many as 10 OEM Fuel Pump R&R Installations on GM and GMC Truck and SUV Threads and Videos and get your feet wet before taking any further steps and get confirmation about -=WHY=- spending that Extra Money on The Bosch Pump ...will be Money Well Spent in the Long Run. Otherwise...besides having a *Sketchy* Fuel Pump that may Quit in about 8 Weeks... You'll Plow the Same Field with having to consider replacing it with OEM Quality Pump."

You are thinking that a $99.00 Pump will be comparable after it gets "Gerry-Rigged" to work... because it is Brand New. It is NOT, This is your "Uh-Oh..." Moment... and you wisely came to the right place to ask for further advice. YMMV with many other Members on this matter... but I seriously doubt there will be many others who will disagree with being cautious and suspicious going forward.

 

[02FailBlazer]

Delphi FG0387 is the one I would have chosen. The supplied pigtails should be used and will work. The strainer suggestion, is just that, a suggestion. Nothing else is needed with the "fuel pump and housing assembly".

You said yourself that the tank was a PITA to get out and from what I can see at RA, you bought the least expensive, generic quality pump assembly. If you are going to get rid of the TB, I get it. If you are keeping, you have a 50/50 crap shoot as to when you will pull tank again.

Hey now, it's not THE cheapest, that would be the Ultra-Power at $33! (Also just now noticing I should have mentioned this is an '02 TB specifically)

Look I get what y'all are saying but I'm willing to guinea pig this one. Will I regret this decision? Possibly. But it won't be the first or worst thing I've ever regretted. Thanks for the info, going to install tomorrow and see what happens.

Also, weirdly enough the most popular pumps for this vehicle on Rock Auto are the super cheapie "economy" models, with none of the "daily driver" ones having earned the little heart icon.

 

[movietvet]

Hey now, it's not THE cheapest, that would be the Ultra-Power at $33! (Also just now noticing I should have mentioned this is an '02 TB specifically)

Look I get what y'all are saying but I'm willing to guinea pig this one. Will I regret this decision? Possibly. But it won't be the first or worst thing I've ever regretted. Thanks for the info, going to install tomorrow and see what happens.

Also, weirdly enough the most popular pumps for this vehicle on Rock Auto are the super cheapie "economy" models, with none of the "daily driver" ones having earned the little heart icon.

Your screen name told me all I needed for the 02 TrailBlazer assumption and the Spectra part number narrowed it all down. I like Genuine GM parts and if not available, I like Delphi parts, even on O2 sensors. Bosch parts are 50/50 for me.

 

[02FailBlazer]

Your screen name told me all I needed for the 02 TrailBlazer assumption and the Spectra part number narrowed it all down. I like Genuine GM parts and if not available, I like Delphi parts, even on O2 sensors. Bosch parts are 50/50 for me.

Ha, I forgot about the name! I do generally try buying OEM but at over double the cost of another "daily driver" quality part (or so Rock Auto says anyway), this one was tough to swallow, especially considering I do have the original and still functional Bosch pump to swap in if the Spectra takes a shit.

 

[movietvet]

Ha, I forgot about the name! I do generally try buying OEM but at over double the cost of another "daily driver" quality part (or so Rock Auto says anyway), this one was tough to swallow, especially considering I do have the original and still functional Bosch pump to swap in if the Spectra takes a shit.

Well then, by the time you drop that fuel tank a few times, it will be no big deal.

 

[mrrsm]

As long as you know that the general trend in "Influencing" The Members....AND YES... The Always Welcome To JOIN (Lurkers) that by following the Automotive Hippocratic Oath of:

"First... DO NO HARM..."

... along with relying upon The Group Think. The Hive Mind and The Consensus of Opinion on how we consider these problems, we try to help each other to be as Comprehensive, Correct and as Honest as Possible.

This makes The GMT Nation Forum -=Better=- for "The Long Game" of trying to keep a disappearing General Motors GMT360 Platform Alive and Well and VITAL ...Well past One Quarter of a Century. Sometimes, taking the less expensive approach works...but...meh...

...However, NOT with Fueling Systems that is The HEART THAT MUST PUMP Fuel and work steady and to allow parties of Mom's, Aunts, Grannies and School Kids... to leave from home each day and hopefully get back again without any serious issues that can leave them suddenly stranded on a barren highway a very long way from home. To be Ever Roadworthy is to Bring Peace of Mind to THEM.

The Long Game for most Auto Repair Forums is to appeal to the prevailing interests of "The Real Male Mechanics" inside of us ALL that Automotive sites "Draw Their Water" from... Sorry Ladies... but let's be Honest, Members like *VoyMom* are unfortunately very few and far between.

Regardless, at the center of all this... are Our Families; the Ultimate Recipients of these GMT Nation Non-Dealership and Non-Pro Shop Repair Suggestions, offered freely as Instructional Benefits coming from The Best Advice we can collectively offer that is possible.

NTL... Enjoy The Very Best of Luck with your Project!

 

[movietvet]

As long as you know that the general trend in "Influencing" The Members....AND YES... The Always Welcome To JOIN (Lurkers) that by following the Automotive Hippocratic Oath of:

"First... DO NO HARM..."

... along with relying upon The Group Think. The Hive Mind and The Consensus of Opinion on how we consider these problems, we try to help each other to be as Comprehensive, Correct and as Honest as Possible.

This makes The GMT Nation Forum -=Better=- for "The Long Game" of trying to keep a disappearing General Motors GMT360 Platform Alive and Well and VITAL ...Well past One Quarter of a Century. Sometimes, taking the less expensive approach works...but...meh...

...However, NOT with Fueling Systems that is The HEART THAT MUST PUMP Fuel and work steady and to allow parties of Mom's, Aunts, Grannies and School Kids... to leave from home each day and hopefully get back again without any serious issues that can leave them suddenly stranded on a barren highway a very long way from home. To be Ever Roadworthy is to Bring Peace of Mind to THEM.

The Long Game for most Auto Repair Forums is to appeal to the prevailing interests of "The Real Male Mechanics" inside of us ALL that Automotive sites "Draw Their Water" from... Sorry Ladies... but let's be Honest, Members like *VoyMom* are unfortunately very few and far between.

Regardless, at the center of all this... are Our Families; the Ultimate Recipients of these GMT Nation Non-Dealership and Non-Pro Shop Repair Suggestions, offered freely as Instructional Benefits coming from The Best Advice we can collectively offer that is possible.

NTL... Enjoy The Very Best of Luck with your Project!

This kind of points back to one of my qualifiers, when I was making the point of my preference of the Delphi fuel pump over the Spectra fuel pump. If you are getting rid of the 20 TB, put the fuel pump you want in it. If you are keeping it and especially if you haul family or family drives it or want to avoid the likely chance of dropping the fuel tank again, use the Delphi or the Bosch or especially Genuine GM if is available. The cost difference gets eaten up with a tow bill, inconvenience or your time/labor value.
When I ran shops, I preached that "Maintenance pays and breakdowns cost". Bearing that in mind, make sure the external fuel filter is changed when you do the new fuel pump, no matter the one you pick. If you say you already did that when you did the last fuel pump, two things, you sure as hell did not say you did that and I do not read minds and secondly....so what...you have no idea if the last fuel pump threw some crap down line and that is in the external filter. I prefer Genuine GM or WIX.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=488913&cc=1398719&pt=6200&jsn=668

 

[Mooseman]

OK kids, enough back seat moderating. We can all agree to disagree on @02FailBlazer 's pump choice but it should stop there. Not everybody has the finances to afford OEM quality parts. He had already made his choice and was just asking about the connector adapter .

And yes, I had seen an adapter like this with an ACDelco (made by Bosch) for my 02's pump and this is perfectly fine. There was probably a connector design change on later years and made it backwards compatible. Not the only part they did this with (the heater blower motor resistor is another one).

@02FailBlazer , don't let these old farts discourage you from posting. I'll turn this car around if I have to

 

[movietvet]

OK kids, enough back seat moderating. We can all agree to disagree on @02FailBlazer 's pump choice but it should stop there. Not everybody has the finances to afford OEM quality parts. He had already made his choice and was just asking about the connector adapter .

And yes, I had seen an adapter like this with an ACDelco (made by Bosch) for my 02's pump and this is perfectly fine. There was probably a connector design change on later years and made it backwards compatible. Not the only part they did this with (the heater blower motor resistor is another one).

@02FailBlazer , don't let these old farts discourage you from posting. I'll turn this car around if I have to

Waaaaahhhh! He's touching me!!!!!!!!!!!!! STOP touching me!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[02FailBlazer]

Well I have a new problem.

I CANNOT get the fuel pump lock ring to seat. I beat on the square notches with a steel punch and 42oz dead blow and it won’t move a bit.

Is there a lock ring tool that works for these? I looked real quick at the generic ones and none of them look quite right. Failing that, any tips on making this ring turn?

View attachment 118450

And yes I checked the fit, and the new pump and the gasket that came with it compare well with the old one, though the new gasket hasn’t been squished yet by being in a gas tank for 23 years. I tried to install the old pump and gasket for yucks and had the same issue. It’s a pretty tight fit.

EDIT: NEVER MIND I ate my spinach and got it on.

 

[Mooseman]

And is it fixed?

 

[movietvet]

Well I have a new problem.

I CANNOT get the fuel pump lock ring to seat. I beat on the square notches with a steel punch and 42oz dead blow and it won’t move a bit.

Is there a lock ring tool that works for these? I looked real quick at the generic ones and none of them look quite right. Failing that, any tips on making this ring turn?

View attachment 118450

And yes I checked the fit, and the new pump and the gasket that came with it compare well with the old one, though the new gasket hasn’t been squished yet by being in a gas tank for 23 years. I tried to install the old pump and gasket for yucks and had the same issue. It’s a pretty tight fit.

EDIT: NEVER MIND I ate my spinach and got it on.

I was gonna say that I have some Blue Goo lube that I use, from LubeGard, on seals that will allow other components like the lock plate, to move freely and ease installation. Just a film of it goes a long way.