How to unscrew fuel pump housing ring from gas tank?

Got my new fuel pump in but unscrewing the plasic ring that holds the
assembly is a pain. Any tool suggestions or a way to remove it would be
appreciated. Tried my hands and its too tight, bought one of those flexi
rubber wrenches and I cant get enough leverage or the handle of the wrench
won't extend into the cavity.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

In article >,
"stim141" > wrote:

> Got my new fuel pump in but unscrewing the plasic ring that holds the
> assembly is a pain. Any tool suggestions or a way to remove it would be
> appreciated. Tried my hands and its too tight, bought one of those flexi
> rubber wrenches and I cant get enough leverage or the handle of the wrench
> won't extend into the cavity.
>
> Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

I'm assuming your have an A3 (93-99) car. I made a "U" shaped tool out
of a heavy piece of aluminum. It was an aluminum angle that I hacksawed
to make a straight "strap." I bent (hammered...it was tempered
aluminum) it into a U shape and then I drilled a hole in the top and
filed it square so that I could use a ratchet handle to turn it. It
worked ok but scratched the ring a little.

There was a post from someone about the same time I did my fuel pump who
said he used a pair of giant channel lock pliers, ie a pair that could
open up to the 5.5 inches (more or less) required. I'm assuming that he
used them with the jaws pointed straight down like a spanner wrench. If
I had it to do over again, I'd go this route, trying to borrow some from
the maintenance guys here at work.

Bill
78 Rabbit...10/77 - 4/02 82 Convertibles(s)...since 93
95 Golf GL...since 11/99 02 Passat 1.8T Tip GLS...since 4/02

Take out the CAT to reply by email

dull wide blade screw diver and hammer.


"stim141" > wrote in message
...
> Got my new fuel pump in but unscrewing the plasic ring that holds the
> assembly is a pain. Any tool suggestions or a way to remove it would be
> appreciated. Tried my hands and its too tight, bought one of those flexi
> rubber wrenches and I cant get enough leverage or the handle of the wrench
> won't extend into the cavity.
>
> Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance
>
>

"Lost In Space/Woodchuck" > wrote in message
...
> dull wide blade screw diver and hammer.
>
I shudder to think what might happen if that hammer / screwdriver combo
would cause a spark.

It's a plastic tank and plastic locking ring and I use a hard rubber hammer.
And... I'm good at what I do!

"Papa" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
> "Lost In Space/Woodchuck" > wrote in message
> ...
>> dull wide blade screw diver and hammer.
>>
> I shudder to think what might happen if that hammer / screwdriver combo
> would cause a spark.
>

I agree, tried it but it didn't work for me - wouldn't budge. You would
have to be a complete spaz or have Parkinson's Disease to miss the ring and
strike the body. I guess if you wanted to be extra careful you could wrap
the tip of the screwdriver with electrical tape. For my problem I guess I'm
going to have to find a channel lock thats big enough to remove it - or
carefully put a cut in the ring to pry it off and buy a new one (last
resort).

Thought the rubber band wrench would did it and it would probably work if
the damn ring wasn't so deep in the hole. Can't get enough leverage on the
tool to grip it. 15 minute job taking way too long! Just praying that the
thing will start once the new pump is installed.


"Lost In Space/Woodchuck" > wrote in message
...
> It's a plastic tank and plastic locking ring and I use a hard rubber
> hammer. And... I'm good at what I do!
>
> "Papa" > wrote in message
> nk.net...
>>
>> "Lost In Space/Woodchuck" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> dull wide blade screw diver and hammer.
>>>
>> I shudder to think what might happen if that hammer / screwdriver combo
>> would cause a spark.
>>
>
>

"Lost In Space/Woodchuck" > wrote in message
...
> It's a plastic tank and plastic locking ring and I use a hard rubber
> hammer. And... I'm good at what I do!

I'm sure you are, but somebody reading your other post, which said nothing
about a hard rubber hammer, is apt to try it with a metal hammer against the
metal handle of a screwdriver. Safety should always be the watchword,
whether you do yourself or when you tell someone else how to do it.

stim141 > wrote:
> Got my new fuel pump in but unscrewing the plasic ring that holds the
> assembly is a pain. Any tool suggestions or a way to remove it would be
> appreciated. Tried my hands and its too tight, bought one of those flexi
> rubber wrenches and I cant get enough leverage or the handle of the wrench
> won't extend into the cavity.

Use a large pair of ChannelLocks. It's trivial to get it off with them.
Sears sells a pair, its either their largest pair or second largest, but
it works great.

In article >,
"stim141" > wrote:

> Got my new fuel pump in but unscrewing the plasic ring that holds the
> assembly is a pain. Any tool suggestions or a way to remove it would be
> appreciated. Tried my hands and its too tight, bought one of those flexi
> rubber wrenches and I cant get enough leverage or the handle of the wrench
> won't extend into the cavity.
>
> Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

By the way, the Bentley manual - if that's what you're using - leaves
out a critical step in the removal procedure for the fuel pump. You
have to rotate it counterclockwise (I think) to unlock it from the
bottom of the tank. It's a kind of bayonet lock. There are three or
four tabs on the base of the pump.

I just replaced my transfer pump. A couple of guys at the parts store
suggested I should use a screwdriver placed against a rib and tap with
a hammer. My screwdrivers have plastic handles plus I also used a
rubber dead blow hammer, so the risk of a spark was pretty minimal.
That worked for me, tapping on different ribs. But I noticed I needed
to hit reasonably hard with the hammer. But the ring did eventually
move.

Somebody else in this newsgroup previously suggested using one of the
large size oil filter removers, the kind that fits over the end of the
oil filter.

For tightening, the part store fellow suggested hand tighten, then give
it a tap with the hammer screwdriver so the cap turns another eighth of
an inch on the circumference.