Fuel Pump replacement (N/A 3800)

My 97 NA Riv died last week.  It has 161k miles.  

It had sat for a few days, jumped in it to go to town and it stumbled, but didn't start.  The next try it didn't stumble at all, just wouldn't start.  

I waited a few minutes and tried again.  It cranked just fine, but would not start - so I knew it probably wasn't the pass key.  The fact that it stumbled the first time told me it was getting spark, so probably not the crank position sensor.  Hmmm?  Must be the fuel pump?
The fuel guage only worked from full to half, so that was an indicator...

I could hear the fuel pump run when I turned on the key.  It ran for 10-15 seconds and stopped and that seemed normal. I popped the hood, grabbed a rag and small screw driver to press the schrader valve on the front of the fuel rail to check for fuel pressure - nothing.  Not even a drop.  Bingo! Bad fuel pump.

Time to browse over the riv performance website for hints and tips.  Thanks guys for all the write ups - they were very helpful!

I ordered a new Carter fuel pump, AC DELCO fuel filter, an AC DELCO gasket, and a new AC DELCO locking ring from RockAuto.com (about $200 total).  All the parts arrived in four days.
The first thing I noticed is that the Carter fuel pump came with a new gasket proper gasket, so I didn't need to buy the AC DELCO one.  The locking ring was a good idea though.  I had been spraying the old ring with penetrating oil every other day to prepare to remove it.  On careful examination of the new fuel pump, I noticed the float arm would contact the plastic sensor mounting bracket on its way down and get stuck half way down.  I carefully bent the arm to clear they bracket and ensure reliable full travel.  It also came with a new GM electrical connector and instructions on wiring it.  I didn't need it since the existing plug fit perfectly on the new pump; no re-wiring needed, but I did use the dialectric grease provided to protect the connections.

The toughest part was dealing with the locking ring.  Despite soaking it in penetrating oil for four days, it was still very stubborn.  I didn't have a brass punch, so I tried hard wood and plastic.  It wouldn't budge; I had to go to the parts store and buy a brass punch (another $15).  Even with the brass punch, I had to go around and around every tab with much patience and effort to finally get it to break free.  Putting the new locking ring in was not much easier.  I lubed it up good with heavy duty silicon spray, but had to bend each locking tab up a little with a good screwdriver before it would spin into the locking position.

It was soon all worth while, when my Riv started up and is back on the road putting a smile on my face again!

Great work! Glad the info here was able to help. And you are very lucky you were able to save the ring where the locking ring goes!

Nice job. Never underestimate the powers of PB Blaster and a little patience. Glad to hear everything worked out, and thanks for posting.

I wonder if GM ever made a tool to remove those rings, like a big wrench, to avoid having to drift that thing off.

Don't know, but I do think they planned on replacing the rings rather than reuse. They are readily available at the parts counter.

Well, not so much regarding the locking ring itself, but the receiver on the tank....

I agree one may as well replace the ring if replacing the pump, after all it is only about $5.  But for some cars with a rusty ring you run the risk of breaking the receiving ring when pounding the old ring loose.  So  I wondered if GM (or anyone) had ever made some sort of wrench to lessen the stress on the entire fastening system.

I've never seen such a tool, but it seems like it would put less stress when unlocking and reinstalling the ring.

Mine was practically completely free of any rust, and I still had to really whack it to get the old one off and the new one on.  Nothing bad came of it, but I worried just a bit if I broke that receiver out of the tank neck

GM "Fuel Sender Lock Nut Wrench" #J 39765

I'm afraid to ask how much one costs, but it could save you damage on your tank if you ran into a lot of trouble.

For most of us, I think its a good tip to remember that you can bend the retaining tabs (that are part of the outer ring that is attached to the plastic tank) with a good stiff screw driver. A little bend on each tab goes a long way to reducing the friction between the locking ring and the retainer. Just don't bend so much that you won't have adequate pressure to squeeze the gasket enough to get a good seal.

I still have to replace the fuel filter. No matter how much cleaning I did around the opening, there was still some debris that fell into the tank. I thought I'd drive her around for a couple of tanks before installing the new filter. I'm not sweating that job though, it is fairly accessible (for a skinny person) right in front of the left rear tire.

Excellent, thanks!