first let me say, sorry for updating you guys with my problems once a month, but im a college kid and only get to work on this vehicle every so often.
the problem i had was the fuel pump was bad, i had someone replace it. the fuel pump would then kick on, but no fuel was getting to the engine. so since it was a generic pump, i thought they may have hooked it up backwards. so after taking the pump back out here is what i have discovered.
i had the pump in my hand while someone turned the key on and off, i noticed nothing, no gas or air spitting out the top or bottom of the pump. i then put the bottom of the pump in some gas, turned the key and no gas came out the tube on the top. does this mean the wiring is in fact backwards, causing gas to be pushed into the tank instead of pulled out?
something that would help me is a wiring diagram of the fuel pump, which wire is positive and which is negative, i would use a test light but im worried about making a spark this close to the gas tank.
i would just swap the wires and try it, but im a little scared since there is a good 10 gallons of gas just inches away.

also while doing the mentioned process (turning key on and off several times) the car started acting funny, it made clicking noises from under the dash, the secuirty light flashed a little, and the odometer will not come on. i have two keys which both worked normally just a week ago. i tried both with the same results,
is this because i have the fuel system taken apart? or did the keys go bad?
possibly just too low of a battery?

 

The keys don't just "go bad", you most likely just need to charge the battery.
To see if the pump is wired backwards use a hose on the outlet side of the pump and insert it into the fuel and if it siphons fuel and pumps fuel out through the pickup side the pump is wired backwards.

 

Fill a 5-gallon bucket with water and stick the pump in there to test it. The pump doesn't care what the fluid is and it's a lot safer than playing around with gas. Just make sure you drain the pump good before it goes back in the gas tank. Blowing it out with compressed air, or the blow side of a shop-vac works well too. If you're concerned about the water then pour a bottle of dry-gas in the tank as a precaution.

 

Alloro's right there. Playing around with an open container of gas is a dangerous thing to do and more so if you are under a car in a confined space. Any mistake could be terminal.

 

ok guys thanks for the replies.
the pump was in fact wired backwards, i switched the wiring, car started right up like nothing ever happened. (this was after sitting over a year i was quite surprised)
as for the issues, that i thought were the key, it was in fact a dead battery.
now all i have left to do is mount the gas tank back up, and switch the suspension from air to coil springs, then i have my winter driver, much better than my two wheel drive pickup.

 

I'd leave the tank out until the switch is made. It'll give you a lot more room to get around the rear suspension.

 

i was planning on that, i just have to wait till the next time i am in town, (away from college) to do it.
thanks though for the tip, sometimes i overlook things like that, then it makes the next job much harder.

 

In that case, also remove the spare tire. Once that's out there's so much headroom that you can sit up and have a picnic under the truck if you wanted to.

 

i dont know about the whole picnic thing, ha ha
it was definetly a pain trying to fit under the truck, to do the gas tank, if i was 2 inches broader i wouldnt have fit period.
its a good thing im skinny.
i did notice a access panel right above the gas tank, by the pump location. it has two bolts in it and doesnt appear to be welded, why doesnt anyone use this to change the pump? i guessed that you would have to take the carpet out...but it still may be easier than dropping the tank. i was already too far into dropping the tank to try the access door

 

You're the first person I've heard mention an access panel.

 

well it is right above the tank, looks just big enough to lift the pump up and out. it has two nuts on it, so the bolt must be in the interior of the car. but i would think you would have to remove the carpet to get to it

 

Has anybody used this "access panel" to remove the fuel pump assembly? I need to replace the sending unit on my 98 Expy.

 

I have no clue what vehicle the original poster is refering to. It would make it a lot easier if he (and others) would put vehicle/make/model year/engine/etc in their signature line. Then when members use the search function and they come across this thread a year form now they would have an idea what year(s) might have this access panel.

 

His public profile lists his vehicle as an 02 Expedition.

 

My 99XLT didn't have this - must be an 'upgrade'.
I was hoping for one though when I replaced the pump on the 99 XLT, as my FWD 800 series have them and pump replacement is a breeze on those cars.

One thing I can suggest for anyone who wil drop the tank on 97-02 Expedition is to reverse the bolt on the front fastener of the driver-side, lower control arm as it's an opportunity to do so with the tank out of the way, in case you'll need to replace the control arm later.