car:

1996 camaro v6
196k miles

the only things that have been replaced are:
1 x alternator
2 x water pump
1 x battery

and a few minor things...
all in all I have been able to keep the car running or know what is wrong with it..

however I pulled into work today and it was running choppy...
like it wanted to stall... it is a stick..

well I go to leave work and it was.... cranking over and try to start (sputter) but now it just cranks...

I was able to pull
P0122 and P0300
so TPS and multiple cylinder missfires

in addition I already had a bad MAF.... have been through 5 of them in the last 8 months so I have that issue too... not sure if it is due to them being autozone reman's...


anyhow I cant start the car and not sure what to check...

I believe the fuel pump may have went..
my bud was under the car while I turned the key on and we didnt hear that few seconds of fuel pump clicking....

so I am going to go back to work and try to squirt starting fluid in the throttle body and see if it wants to start..... also going to disconnect the fuel filter under the car...

with the fuel filter disconnected...should i see fuel pump out if I turn the key on? that will allow me to determine if the fuel pump is ok.....

if that seems to work im going to change the fuel filter as this one has a lot of miles on it.....


so please give me some ideas..

my father said to get under the car if it is the fuel pump and bang on the gas tank... will that work on these cars? he is a mechanic (old school and doesnt work on the newer cars)

also if it is the fuel pump... how does one change it out?

I will be going back to work and have access to a computer so I will be able to check what yall think....

Thanks
Appreciate it
~Jeff

 

those gas tanks are a bitch to get out at least it was in my 2000 v6, yeah u have to take the fuel tank out to get to the fuel pump ..and it setting directly on top,...

 

well hell with that... couldnt one just see where it is on the tank and just cut a hole on top?
I really dont care about this car anymore... it is on borrowed time and I am only keeping it due to gas prices... or else I would have gotten rid of it... the wife did give approval for the new camaro when it comes out... but I have a feeling that is going to be out of my price range....

had this car since it had 3 miles on it.... so im lucky to go this far.....

 

Its not too bad to drop the tank. You can however cut a trap door up top and change it within minutes. Do a search here for trap door, it'll come up with the measurements, etc. Just be careful. Have you disconnected the filter yet to check for flow/pressure? Basically, to drop the tank, if you chose that way, jack the rear of the car up in the air until the axle is hanging at its lowest point. You SHOULD have enough clearence to get the tank out. Some people find it easier to unbolt the shocks and set the rear down farther. Just do a few searches in the general F-body tech section and I believe shoebox has a guide on his site as well. Its all here. Hope you get it figured out.

 

Ok I will check for the trap door..

problem is I have no way to get it home.. (cheap that is..) I will have to pay an arm and a leg for a tow truck (already checked)
and uhaul wont allow me to use their hauler with my 2005 trailblazer ext....

so im going to change it at work..

going to hopefully borrow my neighbors generator... and use a jigsaw and cut a hole in it......and replace it..

Thanks!!!

p.s. yes I unhooked the filter... pinch side.... which was towards the back .... and cranked the car over and no fuel came out....

also you dont hear any clicking from the pump.... also tried banging on the tank.......

 

be careful how you cut the trap door out, the tank and fuel lines are very close underneath the deck you'll be cutting. did you find the guide on here? If not I'll look around and see if I can post it up here for ya.

 

yeah I found it...

I found that I can cut ok on the back, front and right side... the left side is where the fuel line runs..

im going to drill a hole.... on the lower left.. and cut to the right, up, left then bend... and cut from there where I Can see the hose...


I did a search on trap door... and there are people that did it and a few people that constantly question cutting up these cars..... they say it is easy to drop the tank...

well I have a FULL tank... well filled up 2 miles from work where it didnt start... so I am 2 miles short of a FULL tank.. so id have to siphen it out (and probably get arrested )

then do all this in the work parking lot...


trust me i am handy with a saw zaw... look at my truck

 

yeah, that much still in the tank I think Id want to cut too... LMAO at probably get arrested siphoning gas out of your own car. Spend 24 hours at the PD tryin to straighten it all out then having to go back and get the second half-tank of gas out to probably get arrested agian. I could definately see that happenin around here.

Still might want to be careful cutting it to get at it from the top, they still might think your tryin to steal your own gas lmfao. I think with sh*t the way it is today, Id call up the local pd an tell them what your doin first Thats bad. On a serious note, Id have allllllllll your paperwork for the car and ID layin back there with ya in case they do hassel ya. Let us know how it goes.


edit--- they will either hassel ya over that or think your stealin your catalytic converter. Im takin bets on which one they try to stick ya with. Just dont jack the car up in the parking lot. j/k

 

checked out the truck, you sure your not from here????? Naww I take that back, most of the mudders around here have trucks that are about to fall off the frames. Have fun.

 

well it is done... not a pretty job though..


I made a list of tools and had them all since I was going to be out from my house and at a place without access to even AC

so I get there, draw what I am going to cut, get out the generator.... get out the extension cord...


and realize I forgot my jigsaw!!!!!!!!

well round trip would be 40 mins to 1.5hrs... so I at least brought snips with me.. heavy duty ones..

so I drilled a few holes.... and then used the snips to cut some of it.... then drill bit was a step bit... so do a few of the 1/4" holes next to each other in a big row.. go back and use the step to the next size and click them together..


so I didnt cut the left side.... just bent it up.... got a few cuts out of the entire deal...

got it all done and no fuel was coming out... I had the fuel pump still disconnected.... then I realized that I forgot to plug the electric in!!!! HAH... plugged it in and viola.... so changed the fuel filter while I was there.... and we are good to go.. now I have to go back to get the car...

 

Glad you got it goin again. Didnt have any run ins with the local police either huh. Well at least if it goes out agian it'll only take a few minutes to change out again.


edit--- did you use anything around the cut to seal it back off from the outside? Silicone or anything like that?

 

well yes it is a hole right now..

I am going to cut the rest of the metal out...

go to a local steel shop and get a big piece.... silicone it up and rivet it down... so it wont be easy to get out again as you will have to grind all the rivets out...

however I dont see me keeping this car much longer... 196k miles... im hoping to get 200k...


I also noticed that my rear swaybar is missing the entire part for the drivers side....


so the car needs
swaybar piece
shocks
struts
nasty oil leak
turn signal switch
a/c doesnt hold a charge
there are a few others but oh well....

 

glad I didnt patch the hole.. I just put the carpet back over it...

seems my fuel pump went bad again tonight!!!

I am thinking it is time to get rid of this car... I want to make 200k miles.. but dont think it will!!!!!!

also since the hole was still there it was a snap to replace