How do you drop the gas tank on a 1993 Chevy Suburban?

Answer 1

Dropping the gas tank on a Suburban can be quite a chore if there is more than a few gallons of gas left in the tank, and given the fact that most Suburbans had 42 gallon gas tanks, I would say that that is an unfortunately strong possibility. When I replaced mine there was about 5 gallons left in the tank, which allowed me wrestle it out by myself, but I would strongly recommend getting a buddy to help with anything heavier than that as the gas will slosh around inside the huge tank, making it difficult to handle. Here's how I did it: I used with a 4' long 2"x8" board supported by a regular hydraulic floor jack. You then: Jack the board under the tank so it is snug. Unbolt the gas filler tube and fuel evaporation tube, both of which are routed to the filler neck. Go under the back of the truck and unbolt the two 15 mm bolts from the two metal straps that hold the tank in. Lower the tank an inch or two. It may stick into place under the truck. Wiggle it around until it is free. Once you have enough free play, remove the two straps so that you can maneuver the tank around. They must be rotated around to the side of the truck on each side. You will then need to get at the gas line connections, which means manuevering yourself under the driver's side of truck with the slightly lowered tank. This can be dangerous if the tank is not properly supported. Also, I highly recommend stuffing a few paper towels or a rag into the gas filler tube, as the gas fumes that come out are highly flammable and highly toxic. At any rate, use two wrenches to undo the gas line fittings that are connected to the fuel sender unit. Also disconnect the vacuum line that is connected to the top of the tank. The tank is now free from the truck. Start lowering it very carefully. Once it is down as low as it will go on the jack you can wiggle it off onto the ground. Don't worry too much about scuffing the tank as it is encased in a plastic protector shield. You can now slide the tank out from under the car and pull the fuel sender unit and/or fuel pump. Installation, as always, is the reverse of above. A second method would be to remove the carpet from inside the truck and cut a hole in the floor to access the fuel sending unit. Of course, this involves welding in a patch panel to cover the hole once you are done. That's why I did not use this method. I also imagine it is quite difficult to access the fuel line connections through a small hole in the floor - especially if the hole is not perfectly centered over the fuel sender unit.