2001 Chevy Silverado How to replace a fuel pump

I wanted to write this to help you if you want to save some money. I knew it was going out because my truck has always cranked a few time before it would start, no matter if it was hot or cold. The fuel gauge would always go from showing that I had gas to being empty and then back to working again. The fuel pump didn’t just die. It would start and idle for a few seconds and then die; when I would step on the throttle the truck would just sputter and only go about 5MPH.

I am in no way a mechanic. I can do minor repairs and maintenance, but trust me I am not a professional. I didn’t have the money to pay the $600 to fix it, so I did it myself. If I did another one of these, I could do it in an hour and I didn’t drop the tank; it was full.

First don’t buy the pump until you know which one you need, there are two types. Use an impact wrench, an 18mm socket, an extension and a swivel for two of the bolts. And partially remove the bed to your truck.

Remove the four bed bolts on the driver’s side and the three small bolts under the fuel filler cap. Then loosen the bed bolts on the passenger side. Loosen them so they are almost completely out. The tail lights plug in right behind the spare tire. Make sure you disconnet the wire harness. Then get some help and raise the driver’s side of the bed and place a 4x4x24 block of wood to prop up the bed.

Remove the ground from your battery and then you can take out the fuel pump. The pump is held in place by a retaining ring. You can remove that with a flat screwdriver and a hammer. The fuel lines are held on by plastic clips that are removed by squeezing the tabs and pulling them off. There are three of them. Then there are two wire connections. Once you get the three fuel lines and the two wire connections off you can use the screwdriver and the hammer to remove the ring. Once that ring is off the fuel pump is out.

Putting it back in was a little tougher. The new fuel pump comes with a different connector and you have to splice the new connector on. The wires are color coded and you’ll have plenty of room to make it work. To put the retaining ring back on you have push down on the pump and smack the heck out of the ring to get it to lock into place, so you’ll need help.