RedFang

So I just went through this little process and I figured although its in the repair manual I would just share my experiences.

#1 I found it hard to syphon the tank with it installed, I had no exact idea how much gas was in the tank, but I knew it was below 50%.

#2 If you don't know exactly how much gas is in the tank, be sure to bring extra external gas cans, I did not.

#3 If you have no friends that are willing to help you, don't worry you can do it yourself... although friends are nice to chat with while you do all the real work.

Anyways, so first off, DISCONNECT the negative terminal on the battery.

Crawl under the back end and disconnect the electrical connection for the fuel pump its near where the fuel filter sits. It can be annoying to remove, and I did break the tab on mine so it just slides up with a tug.

Next use a rachet, I do believe 10mm to remove the fuel filter bracket.

Then use a flat head (standard) screw driver to remove the hose clamps.

Now you can purge your fuel rail to relieve the pressure, if you don't want to get gas on you, but of course as a redneck I just went ahead and forgot to do that.

so you wiggle the rubber tubing off the end of the fuel filter, I started with the end that faces the engine. Now normally your line and filter will gush fuel, because even purged your filter has fuel in it. Keep a catch pan nearby to let the filter empty into.

Remove the filter, and set in your catch pan, move the pan aside.

Guide your electrical wire through a few plastic loops and let the wires hang, do not try to remove them, it will crack and it will leak if you plan to reuse the sending unit.

Remove the rubber hose that is on the sending unit(tank), and set that aside.

Then you want to get a jack and a block of wood.

While you are getting your jack, and if you didn't read the repair manual its time to open the gas cap to give some more pressure relief.

Put the jack under the tank, and align the wood, but don't put the wood over the two support straps.

Jack up the tank till you feel the tank press against the underside of the jeep.

Crawl back under the jeep and using a 9/16 wrench, ratcheting wrench, or a cresent wrench attempt to break the two bolts free. Oh wait that won't work because it's a 1996 and the dirt, mud, and rust is retarded on the long threads.

Go back out from under your jeep and get your PB Blaster or similar other solvent "wrench in a can".

Climb back under, and SOAK the bolts and threads, it might take a few soaks.

While waiting for the threads to soak, give you mom or dad a call from under your jeep, and inspect all the mud stuck to the underside of your jeep.

If you have a blow torch, you are retarded, get that away from the gas tank.

Next try and break the nuts free, hopefully you will succeed. Since the tank is supported by the jack, you can just remove the bolts in any order, there are only two of them.

At one points about a inch from removing the nut you will be able to just lift the strap post up and wiggle it out. Why unscrew the nut any further... pfft.

Now climb from under your tank, and pull the support straps towards the back of your vehicle clear of the tank. Putting a few bits of wood under both sides of the jack would be a good idea, but of course I didn't do that, I actually put my leg under the tank.

Slowly lower the tank, watch you jack roll to the side and the tank fall down onto the ground, it will fall to the right, because the two rubber fill ports the repair manual doesn't tell you are clamped to the tank will be keeping the tank held up.

Use a screwdriver to remove those hose clamps and wiggle the two rubber hoses free of the tank. The tank will now fall further onto your leg, unless you were smart and put a few bits of wood or something soft under the tank.

There are two small pressure vent hoses connected to the top of the tank, just pull those free.

Rejoice!

You have removed a fuel tank from a 1996 Jeep Cherokee! Now drag the tank away from the vehicle, and syphon out the fuel. Hopefully your fuel will look more like clear fuel. Not green, mine was green, and brown, and had things in it.

It should look like this when you are done!