Month: April 2022

The fuel pump I purchased roughly 10 years ago was working, however there are now better alternatives. The stock fuel pump setup has a very complicated baffle, pickup hose, and zinc plated steel parts. I previously removed rusted parts and had them replaced. The pickup hose can easily collapse, especially if it’s aged, or slightly twisted. Collapsed pickup hoses will cause the pump to fail, and the car to stall. In my experience, when driving for long periods of time in 90+ degree weather, the pump will start making noise. Unburned fuel returns to the tank at higher temperatures, and the temperature in the tank can quickly elevate. The pump will start moaning loudly, which is unsettling since it’s not clear if it’s about to fail. A workaround is to fill up with fresh gas, which is stored underground at around 60 degrees, and will cool down the pump. Once driving is resumed, the problem will quickly resurface – ask me how I know this!

I had previously replaced my moaning fuel pump because I thought it was about to fail, only to have the new pump behave the same way. I wanted to use one of the newer GM fuel pumps in my car, and find the needed parts to retrofit it into the fuel tank. The new pumps are meant for a Chevy Tahoe with a V8, which has enough fuel pressure for the Delorean’s K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection. I’ve seen the full kits available from vendors, but I wanted to get a lifetime warranty on the pump from a chain auto parts store. I found a fellow Delorean owner who was selling all the parts needed, with installation instructions.

New parts, ready to go. The new pump also has an integrated fuel level sender, which I removed. My stock fuel level sender is working correctly, which I opted to keep, and eases installation. I bought some long nitrile chemical resistant gloves, but ended up not needing them because my fuel level was low, and regular nitrile gloves were sufficient:

Cover removed:

It’s hard to wiggle the fuel hoses off the hard lines, so I ended up cutting them off:

Removing the old pump and baffle setup:

Look at all that crud on the pickup screen:

Included is a flexible ring to clamp down at the top of the tank. The ring has wording on it, including “TOP.” It took me a few minutes to figure out it actually mounted upside-down:

There’s a little locator tab needed for the Chevy Tahoe setup. If you choose to keep it, you need to cut the mounting ring to allow for the tab. I opted to break the tab off. There’s a possibility that I’ve voided the warranty. If I ever use the warranty, I’ll say it broke off during removal:

All done:

I’ve got about 50 miles on the new pump so far. It’s worked flawlessly, and it’s quiet! Having done this job once, I could probably do it again in about an hour. I’ve got the broken-off tab, fuel level arm, and receipt saved if I ever need to use the warranty.

Costs: