Just installed a new fuel pump in my gas tank.
First of all it is easier to pull the tank to put in the new fuel pump. Some one posted that and it's true.
Remove as much gas as you can to make the tank light. You can buy a little hand pump and tubes at Walmart for less than 10 dollars.
There is a plate that needs to be taken off where the hose camps are to remove 2 hoses to where you fill your tank.
Also it is easier to take the gas lines off at the gas filter since a person should replace the filter any how.
Before you remove the locking ring, mark the position in the tank, on the ring, tank and the top of the fuel pump. This is so that everything goes back in the same way it came out.
The new fuel pump fits several vehicles ( if you got the same one as me).
That's where the troubles began.
The top of the bracket that holds in the fuel pump had to be cut a little to fit the new pump. There is a rubber ring that goes on the new pump at the top and bottom and then it fits into the bracket, but it doesn't.
So I cut the bushing in half all the way around and put it on the top of the pump and then used the old rubber one over the top of that exposing the wire terminals. The bottom bushing will work, but it doesn't fit as nice as the original one did.
That's another thing, make sure when you switch the electrical post/nuts to the plug in type, you get the small one on the negative side and the larger one on the positive side. The negative wire is the short one that is grounded to the teal bracket. This makes a difference and if you put the negative (by accident) on the positive it will run, but not pump gas and believe me you do not want to do this job twice. In stall the new pump in the tank and turn the pump till it goes inside the tank and then line it up with the marks you made on the outside of the tank. When it seats into the tank every thing is lined up right.
I put 5 long strips of foam tape on top of the gas tank before installing it. This keeps the tank from rubbing a hole in it.
If you are doing this job by yourself cut several 4 inch blocks about 18 inches long and set them under the car where the gas tank goes and put your floor jack in the middle than position the gas tank to be installed. Each time you lift the tank put another block in to keep it level. Use some zip ties to secure all the gas lines, electrical wires, and vacuum lines neatly to the car.
Wish some one could of told me this before replaced my fuel pump.
John

 

I personally think its easier, and much quicker, to not drop the tank. Theres plenty of room to change the pump with the tank in the Jeep. After you change 5 or 6 of these pumps, dropping the tank gets really old.
Just my 2 cents worth, coming from a guy who has changed close to 10 of these pumps in XJs over the past year or two.

 

If you buy the same make of pump as was in there, it is a lot easier and less fiddling around. I had bought a Carter pump and then when I dropped the tank, I found the original was a Bosch. I had to do what you describe (change electrical connectors, fab up a holder etc). Once the Carter died an untimely death, I bought a Bosch and it fit in perfect.

I didn't drop the tank the second time and it wasn't too bad working at it. The worst part is getting that lock ring over the new washer supplied with it. I ended up grinding the teeth of the lock ring so that they were sharp instead of blunt. That way, they started to go under the teeth on the tank connection easier. The stock lock ring was a lot thinner in my case and so was the "o" ring.

Also, make sure your sender is working before you get to carried away with finishing up. I had everything back together and going for gas and the fuel gauge was reading empty and the low fuel light was on. I had drained the tank but not all the way so I new there was a problem. The float had got knocked around and wasn't moving up and down. Had to pull everything out and start over!

 

I guess the whole idea of these posts is to help people fix their Jeeps as fast, easy, and as cheap as possible. So thank you for the other post to this thread. The Chilton's books and even the instructions that came with the fuel pump don't usually help very much. I use to be an auto mechanic and went to a trade school to learn as much as I could so I wouldn't have to pay someone else to work on my cars, so I appreciate this site.
I have to say that by the time I bought the fuel filter and all the parts for the fuel pump, I could of just spent a little extra and bought the whole thing and saved myslf a lot of time also. The job got done and it was easier than when I did the fuel pump on my daughters 1999 Pontiac Bonniville with the plastic lines that you need a special tool for. That one you do have to drop the exhaust and the tank because the opening for the pump is on the top.
John