I am thinking of doing the trap door mod to replace my fuel pump using a pneumatic grinder and cut off wheel. But I am a bit nervous of all the sparks that are going sprinkle all over my tank. I know some here do not worry about this and are willing to take that chance that their hoses/tank are 100% sealed. Well that makes me nervous because sometimes during hot days, I can smell gas fumes from the gas cap area, even though the cap is tight. I was under the impression there is a tank vent somewhere under there and I am guessing this is the source of the occasional smell. Can someone tell me there is a fuel tank vent near the gas tank on a 97 LT1 Trans Am?

Also can someone tell me if they know of a cut off wheel that will not generate sparks when cutting metal? I don't want to blowup the car.

 

There are three hoses which run from the top of the pump/fuel level assembly forward to the front of the tank and then to the driver side, supply, return and vent. If you look at the sticky you can figure out where the pump head is and use a 1/2 drill near a rear corner of the trap door, carefully, to drill a starter hole and then use tin snips to cut it out. Worked fine for me; I also lacked the nut sack for using a grinding wheel next to the fuel tank. Use left and right shears and you get a very clean line.

 

No need to throw sparks. Try this.http://www.harborfreight.com/16-gaug...ler-46061.html

 

Great. Thanks Rude Dog. tell me about a cool tool after I finished the job.

 

A nibbler sounds like a good idea. I did not realize they were so cheap. When I begin cutting, I would still want to put the car outside the garage. And have the fire extinguisher and marshmallows handy.

I am not worried about cutting the tank or lines, but rather I worry about residual fumes that may be hanging around from a leaking tank gasket or hose. So I am going to drill a 1/2” hole on one corner, then I will blow out the area with compressed air just to help dissipate any fumes that may be there. Then I will begin work with the nibbler.

 

Not exactly an "LT1 Based Engine Tech" topic. Let's move this to "Fuel and Ignition" where it belongs (and where there is a "sticky" covering the trap door method).

 

I just put a new fuel tank and pump on my car. Removing and installing the tank is a much bigger pain in the a$$ than it should be. Maybe it's easier if you have a lift, but with only jacks and jackstands, I considered pushing my car into a sinkhole. The only thing that stopped me was that I didn't have access to a sinkhole.

Having said that, I'm one of those **** guys that has a problem with cutting a hole in their car.

 

If you are worried about fumes, just put a fan nearby to flow a little air. A lot of people have done the trap door with various methods of cutting the hole and never a report of blowing up the car, of course it might be hard to post back when you're a burned up corpse.