First of all, thanks for the thought food, Jymmm!
My fiasco began while attempting to leave for work with the why-won't-you-start tirade.
After running the diagnostics and collecting myself after calling the repair shop ($600+, not including tow), I set about searching for parts and how to do the job myself. I happened across this thread, and spent one less day cussing and cleaning out the garage to find my tools. Given the cluster of posts, probably many more fuel pumps are going to fail sooner than later, so I thought my two cents might make it a little less painful.
If you are reading this, most likely you are about to embark on a mission that is DEFINITELY DOABLE, so don't spend a lot of time hemming and hawing and cussing like I did. The part about dropping the spare tire made it possible for me to sit upright behind the rear axle. Jacking and standing in front of the RIGHT REAR tire instead of the left rear opened the space between the rear axle and the bed enough for me to squeeze my torso through. I'm 5'4", 155# +-5, which made it fairly easy to do this from the ground. I figure someone taller could probably make this work, but unfortunately this doesn't exactly favor the girthy among us.
Anyhoo, I was able to reach all the important stuff without in-house improvised tooling, although I did buy the metal fuel line disconnect tool and spared myself and the neighborhood excessive cussing IMO (vs. plastic tools or the sharpie cap trick - definitely worth the $7+). Fortunately all the connectors came apart without much persuasion, which later led me to think this wasn't the first time the fuel pump failed (This Expy is my family's first used vehicle).
The major point of frustration (aside from having to do the job in the first place) is the lock ring. I got it moving with a dead blow hammer and a very large dowel, but I could see this was going to take nearly forever, so I sat at my computer, contemplating other tools when it dawned on me to use this tool:
6" Quick Release Bar Clamp
The progress I made using this tool probably saved…a lot…of time and frustration. Granted, I had to use two hands to hold it against the lock ring as I turned it, but the lock ring seemed like it came off really fast. I cleared the ring of the sender assembly before attempting to lift the assembly out. Of note – when I removed the sender assembly from the tank, I rotated the assembly roughly 180° as I lifted gingerly, and it cleared the opening rather nicely. Replacing the fuel pump itself was cake compared to the rest of this mission. I am now fighting with getting the lock ring to thread properly, and it’s winning. Most likely I will be borrowing OTC-6599 (tool) to close the deal.
Since I am currently stranded without expedient transportation, I am planning to also replace some fuel line that appears to be dry-rotted. I’ve gotten more exercise on this job than I have in months (bike ride to auto parts store and yoga under the truck), and I’ll be glad when it’s over.
The two nuts on the bed many of you will notice above the fuel sender assembly attach a U-bolt to the bed, providing a latching point for the rear bench seat. Didn’t dawn on me until I looked from inside, so unfortunately, no easy access port, but you probably won’t need one if you go the route listed throughout this thread.
DISCLAIMER: Doing your own vehicle repair is HAZARDOUS. If you have any doubts about your ability to perform this work, DO NOT PROCEED. The thoughts of fire and being crushed between the rear axle and bed were enough to make me proceed expediently and diligently, with an emphasis on fast and gentle. My father always believed that if he could afford to pay somebody to do a job, then it wasn’t worth getting dirty over. Problem is, I can’t afford to pay even myself, so like most of us, I know it’s fixed because I fixed it. (Well, in the end, with a little help from my kids and my brother)