So I have a 2005 H2 LUX edition, original owner. 160,000 miles on it. Last 2 years I've had to replace a few things, had the AC compressor, tension pulley, belt and Power steering pump all replaced. Last month the starter died, I replaced that myself, no big deal, I slide under and just removed and replace it. The harness has very little slack, so it takes about 15 mins of patience to maneuver it out, getting it back in takes a little patience and it goes back in.

So for about the last 2 weeks I've been smelling gas at the rear quarter when I get out, finally I took a flash light and I could see the top of the gas pump and it was wet with gas. So it looked like a had a leak. Its been 15 years, so I figure I can't complain, its about time. However I was not about to put this beast up on a lift or jacks and drop the tank. So I opted to unbolt the rear seats and put them in the back, use a pair of trauma sheers and cut a part of the carpet so I could fold it back and the same with the noise insulation under the carpet.

I read from this thread here: https://www.hummerforums.com/forum/h...el-pump-34659/ that this guy had used an Air Nibbler and cut an access panel opening with it. Well I bought an air nibbler, but it was only good for 16 gauge sheet metal, so I wasn't going to get through the double layered metal or the under carriage metal, it wasn't having anything to do with it.

So first thing I did was CAREFULLY drill some pilot holes with a 1/2" bit. Now this is VERY IMPORTANT:

Holes #1 and #2 are directly above the tank, you have about 1/2" between the sheet metal and the top of the tank, so if you are going to drill, keep your other hand on the drill to keep it from dropping through and take your time, listen and feel how the bit it going through the metal, you'll start to feel it spinning a bit faster and giving way, that is your signal to come off the drill and hold it up with your other hand so you drill through without it dropping in and drilling through the plastic tank. Also On holes #1 and #3, drill about a 1/2" over from that cover next to hole #1, there is a support beam under there and I drill a tiny bit into it, so you are going to want to move over a bit away from that cover closer towards the door to avoid hitting it.

Now the other thread showed him going all the way up to the securing bolts. After drilling those holes I could see that I didn't need to go that far, so I decided not to cut that far up.

So -- here is where I'm going to give everyone a HUGE amount of caution: Since my nibbler couldn't do more than #1-#4, I removed that section, and I slide through several 2 foot long strips of cardboard and I layered them over each other and completely covered the entire tank and pump area to create a spark barrier...

Now I used a Dremel with a set of metal cutting wheels and I cut the rest of the metal away. (This was how I did it, I am NOT recommending this way to anyone, I took plenty of safety precautions, I left all of the doors open to keep any fumes from accumulating and as I mentioned, I layered a lot of cardboard to keep all sparks from touching the tank and pump. However this is VERY risky and could've resulted in a mushroom cloud in my neighborhood. Fortunately all went fine (otherwise I wouldn't be typing this.)

So now to look at the pump, I went to go and try to remove the vapor return line (the thicker one) and it instantly fell apart and the entire top of the vapor return cap fell apart. This was how bad my pump was. The tube feeding into the fitting crumbled right into the fitting... so I was unable to remove it. Now I would need a new fitting - I purchased a Dorman 800-108 5/8" vapor return fitting.

Next I looked at the fuel line... well I found the other cause of my leak. The metal tube going into the pump was just sitting in a rusted out hole and it too was severely rusted and I was unable to remove it from the fitting. So I got a Dorman 800-059 3/8" fitting repair kit, I cut the tubing just enough for the connector and cut the other end enough, applied oil to the connector and slide it into place all the way on both lines. The Vapor return was not so easy, the tubing needs to be heated up, good luck with that, but I used a hot hand towel and warmed it up enough for it to stretch and the connector (with some very serious work) fit extremely snug into place.

Then the lock ring of course was not going to give me any kind of slack... used a hell of a lot of penetrating oil spray and about 2 hours of hammering away it finally came loose, it was just so badly rusted, the debris under it and between it and the fuel pump made removing it a serious pain in the ***.

So the old pump (what was left of it) came out, spent a good deal of time really cleaning the entire area, put a little oil on the new o-ring and placed it into position, attached the float and carefully lowered the new pump into place, put on a brand new locking ring which went on like a charm and locked into place. All clean and bright and shiny.

So I've got some sheet metal from home depot, I'm going to bend into the shape the contour of the opening, use some construction adhesive and run a generous bead around the area and place it on, let it cure for 2-3hours and then place all of the items back into place. Mission accomplished.


Carefully drilled the pilot holes.

Pump is completed rusted out and rotted. It just fell apart when I touched it, that's how far gone it was.

New Dorman connector fittings and everything back in place. All tested out driving for 30 minutes and now its time to put a lid over the opening and close things up.

 

My 05 H2 had the same problem. Smell of gas. My friend is a mechanic and the truck is on 4 stands in his driveway. Mine was totally rusted out. Waiting for parts. Check pics.

 

Almost as bad as mine. The guy at Autozone was telling me when I bought the Delphi replacement, he said its an excellent pump, its OEM standard but a better grade now than the original AC Delco version that came stock in the H2's when they shipped. But he said Yukon's and Sierra's just like the Hummers... the fuel pumps all go bad on them. He said on Fords, its the transmissions... just how they are built.

I was searching all over google on replacing the Fuel Pump and with the exception of the other thread I put a link for, there was very little on cutting a fuel access door. Also on the fittings, there was nothing on the internet. So that was why I made sure to include as much info as I could on how I cut things, I marked the drill holes and so forth, so hopefully when the next guy tried this, he'll have more info to use.

It would be nice to see automakers just place fuel pump access panels into the body's out of the factory, I'm sure mechanics and DIY'ers would be extremely thankful that it would be made more easily accessible without all of that extra work. Nobody wants to have to drop a tank. Especially a 32 gallon tank! :-)

 

One tip if drilling holes in anyplace like that.... get a set of drill depth stops. They are dirt cheap (like five bucks for a set) and easy to use. They are just an assortment of several thick rings that you put over the bit and secure it in place with a set screw. Gives good peace of mind for that sort of drilling.

Nice job either way. I'm just not sure if removing the seats, cutting or moving the carpet/padding out of the way, cutting and remaking the panel, etc. is more or less work than just putting the truck on stands and dropping the tank. Certainly more destructive but with the right seal for the new metal access panel it will make replacing the pump in the future easier. On my GMC truck it was easy enough to remove the bed bolts and fuel filler on the drivers size, loosen the bolts on the pass side, and jack/tilt the one side of the bed up to get to the pump which just like the Hummer ones eventually failed.

 

So you ruined your carpet cut your pad risked blowing up, came really close to drilling a hole in your tank ,rat some metal on to cover the hole in the body all to keep from undoing 2 straps and dropping the tank? I don’t believe that I would take that path even if I was stranded and I would rather eat my passenger and wait for help. Glad you are ok and this might be helpful to some people and that’s what makes this a forum!

 

Agreed. A fuel pump replacement is some work, but I don't see this approach being any less work, and cutting into the body of the truck seems like it would create more problems of road noise and corrosion.

 

You would have had an hour in it dropping tank and replacing pump/sender. Maybe two hours and a few beers.
i would never have cut the truck. But hey down the road someone will be able to change the pump/ sender with ease.

 

Agree. I drop the tank by myself. Wasnt a big deal . Took a few hrs
Not worth all the hassle