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Never taken one out of a Jimny but in general remember that even empty of liquid a petrol tank contains extremely volatile vapour and they will explode for fun without any serious provocation. One of the old boys who mentored me was known to disconnect the lines with the tank in situe and fill it with water to the very top and then lower it away with an assistant. Better safe than dead was his motto!
Temeraire (2018 quasar grey automatic)
One of the last 200ish of the gen3s, probably.
ADOS Attention Deficit Ooooh Shiny!
Last edit: 01 Jul 2019 14:32 by Lambert. Reason: Water don't explode.
Ive had the tank out of Ulysses before cutting the back off. It was pretty easy (except it was a full tank).
You cannot siphon as there is a trap thing at the hose connection into the tank, so the only way to empty it is to run it dry with the engine or remove the top plate where the pump and filter arrangement is. This can only be reached when its out unfortunately.
to remove:
- first disconnect the battery and short both leads to the body to earth everything. Have a foam or CO fire extinguisher to hand and no smoking/sparks/fire, etc.
- remove the rear prop as it gets in the way.
- undo the clips on the two pipes connected to the fuel filler cap and free off the pipes. Access through the rear wheel arch. There is some small plastic trim to remove. DO NOT try to undo the screws either side of the filler cap as they WILL snap and cause hassle.
- pull away the two hoses and stuff with rags.
- undo the bolts holding the tank to the chassis, supporting it somehow. Its not heavy when empty, but if full is 45+kg. I cant remember how many bolts but its about 4 or 5 that hold it in.
- lower the tank enough to reach the small bolts on the top. Blow over with an airline to clear loose crap and remove the small bolts. The fuel pump/filter arrangement will remove all as one and is about 30cm (the depth of the tank). Pipes do not need to be disconnected as there is enough flex, but the wiring connector may need to be unplugged.
- tank is now out. I would advise protecting the filter setup with some clean plastic clingfilm or bags, likewise for the tank to prevent dirt ingress.
- refitting is the reverse, except making even more sure everything is super clean.
J999 MNY, ULYSSES M18 VVT with ITB's Dyno tested at 130hp
I am aware that petrol fumes are quite volatile. However, I do not plan to use electric tools during this job and no grinding or drilling.
The suggestion with disconnecting the battery first is a good one. Perhaps also ground the chassis to proper earth (to earth in a nearby 220 V AC el. power socket).
I have already unbolted the bolts holding the fuel filler pipe to the body. No problems there, except rust around that body hole ...
Riccy, thank you very much for a fine and compact guide. I will make a small wiki article from that.
What do you think if the fuel tank can be temporarily lowered by about 15 cm without removing the fuel pump from it and without disconnecting any pipes and wires from the tank or the pump?
My primary reason for lowering or removing the fuel tank is to perform some proper anti rust underbody coating. I got fed up with seeing rotten rear floor sections on my previous Jimnys. Now I have an almost rust free one and I intend to act preventively.
Last question - If I do remove the fuel pump, would it make sense to replace the petrol fuel filter while I am at it? The vehicle has traveled about 60 000 miles, which is almost half of filter's service life.
Where can I get a high quality replacement filter?
Could the existing filter be cleaned?
Has anyone ever had an issue with a clogged petrol fuel filter in a Jimny?
Grounding to a power socket would not be advised because it would be pretty easy for someone following the guide to make a mistake and connect to a live conductor, thus making it a whole lot more dangerous!
I would suggest that a jump lead connecting the car to any surrounding exposed metalwork would be sufficient. As an electrician, I would call that 'equipotential bonding'. Its purpose is to make everything exposed and conductive connected together, thus meaning the potential difference is 0 volts. You could check this by using a basic A/C multimeter and testing for voltage between the car and anything close. Simpler just to link with the jump leads as suggested above.
Yes you should be able to just lower the tank without removing the pump/filter arrangement for access. I would think upto 20cm fairly easily.
Not sure about the filters, I sort of assumed it was a 'for life' filter and just kept it clean and put back in. It didnt look worn or clogged and the car has done 85000 miles or so. If your filter looks discolored it would definatley be worth putting a new one in as thats the only way to get access.
J999 MNY, ULYSSES M18 VVT with ITB's Dyno tested at 130hp
Crickey, this all sounds too complicated for what it is.
Just run the tank as low as you dare to make it lighter. Remove the rear prop and then the filler neck bolts.
Support the tank on a jack with a thick sheet of wood to spread the pressure of the jack. Undo the tank bolts and lower it on the jack a little bit. Undo the electrical plug and fuel lines, noting which went where and lower the tank fully.
Grease the tank bolts with copper grease before re-fitting and soak with WD40 for a day or so before you remove the tank to help prevent them from sheering.
There's no power to the pump or sender unit when the ignition is off, so why are we disconnecting the battery?
If the filler neck bolts sheer it's no biggie really. Just put your left hand up into the wheel arch to push it into place and stick a rag into the filler hole and drill new holes next to the old through the body and the plate around the filler and use automotive self tappers to hold the filler neck in place next to the old bolts.
Just don't drill too fast. The metal is so thin you drill through it so quickly that no heat is generated and you've eleminated fumes with the rag, plus you're in open air.
Job done.
It could be the ideal opportunity to fit an aftermarket tank guard if you are an off roader.
Kirkynut
The underdog often starts the fight, and occasionally the upper dog deserves to win - Edgar Watson Howe.
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