ourpump.com blog

The fuel pump in your 2001 Chevy Malibu is located in the fuel tank. To replace the pump, remove the fuel tank to gain access to the fuel pump assembly located on the top of the tank. The pump is inside the assembly along with the fuel level sending unit. While this repair is well within the abilities of the average home mechanic and requires only basic hand tools to complete, it is a very strenuous job if the fuel tank is full.

Raise the rear of the vehicle and place jack stands under the pinch welds on the lower body rocker panel. There are reinforced areas here that are designed to support the weight of the vehicle. Lower the car onto the jack stands and remove the floor jack. Unscrew the fuel filler cap to help relieve pressure that builds up in the tank due to fuel evaporation.

Disconnect the plastic fuel lines leading from the tank to the front of the vehicle by pushing in on the line while depressing the quick disconnect fittings. Unplug the vapor return line and the fuel pump’s electrical connector. Remove the fuel filler neck hose by loosening the hose clamps with a screwdriver and prying the hose loose with a large pry bar.

Remove the two rubber exhaust system hangers located near the rear of the exhaust. This will allow the exhaust to move when removing the fuel tank. Remove the metal heat shield from the bottom of the car.

Place the floor jack under the fuel tank, with a large flat piece of wood between the jack and the tank, and lift the tank slightly. This will take the weight of the tank off the straps attaching the tank to the undercarriage of the car. Remove the straps holding the tank to the body of the car, and lower the fuel tank. Slide the fuel tank past the exhaust system, and out from underneath the car.

Remove the fuel pump assembly by turning the spring-loaded retaining ring with the hammer and chisel. Lift the whole assembly out of the fuel tank by lifting the assembly up and then rotating it over to clear the level sensor arm. Unsnap the top, and separate the plastic housing to gain access to the fuel pump. Remove the fuel pump electrical connector, and remove the pump from the assembly by pushing the pump up and over until it clears the assembly.

Install the new pump into the assembly using the new rubber coupler and the new vibration cushion supplied with the pump. Plug the electrical connector into the new pump, and snap the two halves of the plastic housing back together. Install the assembly back into the tank, and rotate the spring-loaded retainer using the hammer and chisel.

Reposition the tank under the car, and lift the tank into place with the floor jack. Install and tighten the retaining straps, heat shield and filler neck hose clamps. Reinstall the exhaust system hangers. Plug the electrical connector back into the assembly. Reconnect the fuel lines and vapor line.

Lower the vehicle off the jack stands and prime the fuel system by cycling the ignition key from off to run a few times. Start the engine and check for leaks.

When dealing with a reputable provider, renting can provide all the advantages of having a premium piece of equipment, without the costs or responsibilities of ownership. When a pump needs service or repairs, the rental provider does them. Businesses no longer have to worry about how to dispose of a unit at the end of its usable life. A wide assortment of reliable rental equipment can be delivered to a jobsite quickly, giving convenient access to the right equipment for almost any task.

State of the Industry-2010 Outlook

With the economic challenges the United States faced in 2009, 2010 will continue to be the time for companies to consider renting versus owning.

Businesses continue to look for ways to cut back and minimize their expenses. Fewer companies are willing to spend the necessary amount of money to expand their fleet or purchase new equipment, especially when older, less reliable machines are still part of their overhead. With credit more difficult to obtain, companies want to avoid having any asset not used on a regular basis on their books.

“Renting is a great option for those who need a specific pump for one phase of a project but do not foresee getting that much use out of the equipment in the long run,” said Robert Dotson, western regional manager, RSC Equipment Rental Pump and Power Division. “Even in cases where they think they may use it frequently, it is worth comparing the cost of renting versus owning the equipment.”

The Importance of Green Accountability

As we enter an age of greater transparent accountability for climate change, rental companies are providing innovative solutions for pump users to meet new equipment emission standards.

Newer equipment units such as Tier 3 options are generally cleaner-burning and more fuel efficient, so when renting pumping solutions, it helps to deal with rental providers who have a younger fleet and are knowledgeable about environmentally friendly options. It also makes a big difference if their units have been properly maintained and serviced.

When Renting Makes Sense

For users, renting offers independence to accomplish things that were out of reach before the right equipment was available and affordable.

Renting makes sense when a business would rather accomplish something than add to its possessions, when a tool or pump solution will be used once (or just once in a while), when storage space is tight, when the purchase price is high and when money has to stretch. Rental equipment has another intrinsic advantage-it is generally more powerful, better built and more thoroughly tested than equivalent products offered for sale to consumers. “Rental tough” equipment is contractor quality or professional-vendor quality. It is designed to do an outstanding job.

Furthermore, because industrial equipment is such a large investment, many companies are forced to keep an asset that becomes devalued quickly and pay for the storage and maintenance of infrequently used equipment. In contrast, rental fleets have an average lifespan of just five years, making them younger, less prone to problems and more environmentally sound, letting out fewer emissions than older diesel engines.

Rental companies have taken the rental equipment industry beyond just machinery, adding benefits that are beyond cost. Portable trailers custom-stocked with specialized tools and small equipment are available for short-term projects. Onsite maintenance prevents costly downtime and increases productivity. Software allows users to manage their fleet, costs, time and rental spend more efficiently-all issues that are particularly important to long-term projects with large job sites.

How Renting Affects the Bottom Line

Renting equipment provides a tremendous economic benefit to users. Renting a pump solution means spending money only when and where the equipment is needed. If equipment sits idle, it can be expensive. Renting equipment also means getting the best equipment for the job, because the type of pump needed and when it is needed can be specified.
Working with rented equipment can even simplify bidding and billing processes. The rental invoice is the only accountable cost figure.

One of two cast bronze bearings from the bilge pump of a Roman ship which caught fire and sank in St Peter Port harbour around AD280. Of surprisingly modern appearance, such bearings are known from Roman shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. Pitch being carried in the aft hold of the ship melted during the fire, sealing the bearings and many other objects, effectively preserving them. The ship is the largest and most intact Roman vessel surviving from Britain and is one of the oldest sea-going ships found in northern Europe. It appears to have been a merchant vessel engaged in coastal trade, with objects from as far apart as Algeria and Germany on board. It is constructed in a Gallic or Celtic manner using heavy oak timbers fastened by massive iron nails. Gallic vessels which sound remarkably similar were described by Julius Caesar almost four centuries earlier.

Work on restoring an historic water pump near the remains of a canal in Cardiff is due to start within weeks.

Historic monuments body Cadw and Cardiff Council have agreed to fund the project involving Melingriffith water pump and wheel in Whitchurch.

The 200-year-old pump stands on what is left of a tinplate works and near the Glamorgan canal, which brought iron and coal from the valleys to Cardiff docks.

The pump supplied water to the canal but has been disused for 67 years.

The £100,000 restoration project has been delayed, after bats were found roosting at the site, off Ty Mawr Road.

A bat expert will be on site to make sure the pipistrelle bats, a protected species, have all moved to their winter roosts.

Excited

The pump was first restored in the 1980s in an award-winning £300,000 project by industrial archaeologists and the Inland Waterways Association, but it needs work again.

The Friends of Melingriffith Water Pump are supporting the latest restoration, which is expected to start in February with the dismantling of the pump.

Much of the work is to take place in workshops throughout the rest of winter and spring, including refurbishment of the timber and treatment of the metalwork.

After this, the restored pump will be reassembled in the summer.

Stephanie Wilkins, chair of Friends of Melingriffith Water Pump, said they were excited about the project starting.

The group hopes to hold an event at the site.

“The structure and site is of importance to local people and those with special engineering and historical interests,” she said.

“As a group we will be working hard to make this project an ongoing success and urge people to get involved in safeguarding this unique structure for future generations.”

The Glamorgan canal once ran 25 miles from Merthyr to Cardiff’s docklands. The tinplate works is thought to have originated from the middle of the 18th Century.

Councillor Nigel Howells, executive member for sport leisure and culture, said: “This pump is not only a landmark for the area but an important symbol and reminder of this region’s industrial past.”

Heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones, who has responsibility for Cadw, said: “I am pleased that this collaboration with the City and Council of Cardiff will be giving people the opportunity to see the pump as it was and to provide information about its purpose and role in the tin plate works and the area as a whole.”

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) disclosed recently the inauguration of its latest product section, Fluid Pumps.

The product section was agreed upon in unanimity by AHRI’s Board of Directors at its meeting on November 15, 2009, and will be added to AHRI’s 40 other product sections.
 
“This is an exciting opportunity to bring together manufacturers of fluid pump equipment to address issues of common interest in this growing market, and to establish a dialogue among industry leaders,” - Henry Hwong, AHRI’s Vice President of Product Section Services.
 
The new section was launched in order to meet requests from fluid pump producers for the creating of a forum where common issues can be discussed and solved. The approved range of the section covers the whole array of roto-dynamic centrifugal pumps/circulators used for fluids flow in residential and commercial buildings, mainly used in closed loop heating and cooling systems, domestic hot water recirculation, steam systems, cooling towers, geothermal and solar industries etc.

Harley Davidson oil pumps are two-sided, gear-type, positive-displacement pumps. The oil pump drive shaft is driven by the cam gear-train which passes through the case and into the back of the oil pump body. Two sets of gears are keyed to the drive shaft: a thick set and a thin set. The thin set supplies high-volume, low-pressure oil to the engine’s oil system. The thick set, or return set, draws oil that is collected by the breather valve and forces it through the oil filter and back into the oil tank.

Locate the drive key slot in the drive shaft close to where it exits the case. Insert a key into the slot and insure that it nests fully in the groove evenly without cocking. Slide the thin drive gear onto this shaft and engage the drive gear key into its slot on the gear.

Place the thin driven gear onto its mounting stud on the backside of the pump body and hold it in place. Place the new inner pump gasket onto the locating studs on the case and slide the pump body onto the drive shaft. Rotate the driven gear until the drive and driven gears nest together, allowing the pump body to slide up tightly against the case.

Insert a key into the drive shaft where it exits the front of the pump body. Slide the thick drive gear onto the shaft and engage the drive gear key onto its slot on the gear. Slide the thick driven gear onto its mounting stud and rotate the gear until it nests with the thick drive gear

Place the pump cover gasket onto the locating studs. Slide the pump cover onto the locating studs and install the cover bolts finger-tight. Tighten the cover bolts to factory spec and in the approved pattern set by the manufacturer. Install the oil return line onto the spigot on top of the pump and install a new clamp with the factory crimping tool.