I have an 1981 silverado I need to change the gas tank out i have a hole in the bottom of the tank and have already ordered a replacement how do I get the fuel sending unit out? do i have to remove the bed or can I do it with bed in place i have took the straps off and all i have left is to get the fuel sending unit off !!! Please help quickly it is the one gas tank 16 gal under the cab. Looked at it this morning the nuts are on there so i tight i cant loosen them as for dropping the tank it will not go all the way to the ground because of the gas lines and i need more room so now what i am so frusrated !!!!
the easiest way is too remove the bed....this can be done real easy take all the screws out on the same side of the tank then take the other ones out part way and tilt the bed up.....just enough to give yourself some working room....then remove the unit. only other way to do it is drop the tank.....get yourself a good size jack and some boards and put them under the tank and slowly let the jack down. good luck..hope this helps!!
I agree with the method Texas said. Raise one side of the bed, slide the bed back or remove the bed all together. There's 2 wires you'll need to disconnect (pink going to the sending unit and black going to the frame for a ground.) Both wires have some slack in them. Slowly lower the tank w/ a floor jack and disconnect 3 fuel hoses. I usually just cut these to ease removal and go back with new hoses. The hoses are 3 different sizes also (1 hose for fuel to the fuel pump, 1 hose for fuel return from the fuel pump, 1 hose for fuel vapors from the charcoal canister located on the left side of the radiator support.)
...Yeah for got about all the stuff David said, but I figured you would see it once you got everything out of the way. Anyway let us know how it goes. Good Luck.
