I just went through dropping my fuel tank to replace the pump. I learned a few things along the way that I wanted to pass along. Hopefully it will make someone else's job easier!
- get the fuel tank as close to empty as possible before you start. messing with a tank that has even a few gallons can set you up for a hassle
- disconnect the battery. you will be messing with fuel.
- grab a fire extinguisher and have a friend nearby, just in case
- relieve the fuel line pressure. the valve should be on the fuel injector rail. it looks like a bicycle tire valve. be careful. its gas and if you were driving the engine and exhaust pipe will be hot.
- (there's a pressure release kit you can rent for this. It captures the fuel)
- get a fuel line disconnect tool. I added a pic. don't bother starting the job unless you have one. you can buy them at pretty much any auto parts store. if you never used one before, you have to push the line and the tool together before you can pull them apart. it was not all that easy
- make sure to clean the area under the tank because unless you have a lift you will be on your back
- the biggest "non-obvious" thing I learned, at the end of the job, was that by removing the left rear wheel, you get access to the fuel lines, vent lines, and filler tube MUCH easier. If you do not do it, you have to finagle your arms over the tank while you really can't see what you are doing. if you remove the wheel, you can see and reach right in. so, jack up the left side, put it on a jack stand, and remove the wheel
- use a floor jack to hold the tank up until you are ready to let it down. obviously good to use to lift it back in to place again as well
- not sure what the proper way is to get the pump out past the screen and float at the same time. but I ended up having to flex the float arm a bit. it did not seem to hurt anything.
- when putting everything back together, I found I had to connect the filler tube to the tank first, and then to the metal pipe that attached to the fuel door.
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