[Joemoseley]

Hey guys. The fuel pump on my 08 has been "whining" a lot here recently and I'm about to replace it. Has anyone done this job before? Any tips or pointers? Thanks!

 

[amc49]

Make SURE you put or have more fuel in tank than you think, these wear out/tear up easily when fuel level gets low and why all owner manuals now say never run out of fuel. 60 seconds dry cranking with no fuel and pump can be junk. Plastic impellers, they melt easily when dry.

I myself NEVER try to start one back up with less than 3 gallons and prefer five to make sure. When I was in parts I used to take back burned up pumps left and right from people who think one gallon of gas when they ran out and killed pump was enough for the new one. One gallon may not supply enough fuel level to prime them, especially if say a big truck tank.

Dunno about '08, whether there is an access hole under rear seat cushion to not have to pull tank? A Ford 'on again, off again' sort of thing.

 

[freemind]

Make SURE you put or have more fuel in tank than you think, these wear out/tear up easily when fuel level gets low and why all owner manuals now say never run out of fuel. 60 seconds dry cranking with no fuel and pump can be junk. Plastic impellers, they melt easily when dry.

I myself NEVER try to start one back up with less than 3 gallons and prefer five to make sure. When I was in parts I used to take back burned up pumps left and right from people who think one gallon of gas when they ran out and killed pump was enough for the new one. One gallon may not supply enough fuel level to prime them, especially if say a big truck tank.

Dunno about '08, whether there is an access hole under rear seat cushion to not have to pull tank? A Ford 'on again, off again' sort of thing.

^Facts. Listen to this man's advice.

Personally, I tend to full up when I get down to an eight of of a tank. On the Mk1 the light goes on when there is 3 gallons left in the tank. I replaced my fuel pump when the car had around 190k on it. Judging from how brown the dang thing was, it was probably the original. It took a little over an hour and half by myself to drop the tank, pull the old pump out, put the new pump in and put everything back together.

 

[whynotthinkwhynot]

Buy the Motorcraft part. It's worth the extra money especially since it comes with the fuel filter.

I don't know about the 08+, but in the earlier Focis you had to cut the exhaust shield out by removing the rivets. Maybe Ford made it easier, but I'd definitely take a long hard look at how the tank comes out. It would be so very nice if Ford would put an access panel in these vehicles for the fuel pump- especially since I think all cars come with the (most hated) lifetime fuel filter.

 

[Joemoseley]

Okay, yea I usually don't fill up my tank till the low fuel light comes on. I'm not going to be doing that anymore. I also know there is not a acces panel under the back seat that would be too easy lol.

 

[domnatr6]

Buy the Motorcraft part. It's worth the extra money especially since it comes with the fuel filter.

I don't know about the 08+, but in the earlier Focis you had to cut the exhaust shield out by removing the rivets. Maybe Ford made it easier, but I'd definitely take a long hard look at how the tank comes out. It would be so very nice if Ford would put an access panel in these vehicles for the fuel pump- especially since I think all cars come with the (most hated) lifetime fuel filter.

You still have to remove part of the heat shield and wrestle with a tank removal to get the pump module out. Process has not improved much, if at all...

--CDM

 

[amc49]

I simply removed exhaust shield or slightly rebent it on '00 and '02 and no cutting at all. Biggest issue taking out tank is getting it back in with all the poillution tubing intact so no evap leaks. Harder the older the car gets. I later cut a hole under back seat for pump in one, I had previously only removed pumps and cleaned strainer to get them back up and running again, finally one pump failed around 200K. The hole cutting issue gets complicated in that the pass side has an emission plastic tube that is very easy to damage while cutting the hole, if you do and simply pass on it then evap system codes again. I cut out 4 inch long piece and patched in a piece of steel brakeline and working fine now but it's a trick successfully sealing that corrugated plastic line up to seal 100%. I initially cut the hole because car getting old enough I envisioned all kinds of hose breakage going on there. Of course you need to make a cover for the hole you've made as well.

If hole cutting time you should know that the commonly viewed pics of holes cut may not work on some models, Ford tended to move the top access hole around on the tank tops sometimes. At least one guy here ran into that.