The lift pump went out on my 97 for the SECOND time and rather than replace it again I decided to put a raptor on it. Of course forgetting to grab the plunger for the lift pump that ended up inside the oil pan, I'll get that out later.

One of the final steps is connecting to the fuel tank. The quick disconnects were frozen to the tubes coming out of the tank. After working on it for awhile the cheap tin piece the two lines go thru to get into the tank and the supply line decided they weren't friends anymore and broke loose.

So I lifted the bed to check how bad it all is. At first glance it's not that bad. The top of the tank where the sending unit, vent and supply & return lines is modularized. I was expecting to have to replace the sending unit and everything.

The supply and return lines are on their own piece that attaches with a rubber grommet. It's about 2" around and only has the two lines going thru it. It also came complete with a part number - that the dealer says is no longer available. As close as they can tell the lines and that silly little part is going to run around $500. Not on my wallet it's not!

Does anyone know of an aftermarket replacement or should I just plan on making one?

Thanks!
Vince.

 

Convert to something like a Vulcan Draw Straw:

http://www.vulcanperformance.com/category-s/220.htm

You could probably run new rubber line from the tank to the lift pump.

 

That would be my suggestion as well. Cap off the old ones and put in the straw.

 

Yep, Vulcan is the way to go...........

 

Actually, this is the one I always use..........

http://www.vulcanperformance.com/Dra...shlo-p/dsi.htm

No need to plug anything off, just remove the broken lines and cap from the rubber plug and the drawstraw plugs right back in the hole......

 

It's nice to see that everyone's on the same page. If they had the installation instructions on the site I'd have been all set. Does this thing fit inside the 1.5" hole in the top of the fuel tank module? With all the surprises I've been thru so far, I don't want to find out I need to also remove the module (sending unit/vent/etc).

Thanks for everyone's suggestions!

 

This one: http://www.vulcanperformance.com/Dra...shlo-p/dsi.htm installs into the factory grommet. But if you read the instructions, it says "slight internal modification to fuel module required."

I would say that if you go to the trouble of dropping the tank to get the drawstraw in you may as well remove the module and have a look in the tank to make sure its clean. So Id say pulling the module is just one of those things you do when you go to the bother of dropping the tank.

The only other thing to mention is you shouldnt run the tank under 1/8th once the drawstraw is in (you shouldnt anyway with or without the drawstraw)

 

What he said.......... Seriously, it is easy to pull the module, just unscrew the ring and it pulls right out. I guess you could screw up putting in a drawstraw, but the directions were clear, and it didn't take me long even though my module was different than the 2 possibilities they showed.

 

The Draw Straw I was the one I figured I needed. No need to drop the tank, I tilted the bed like a dump truck (with the help of the hilo) so I can sit on a 5 gal bucket and work comfortably. It was a tossup of making one (I have a lathe so it'd be easy enough) and getting this. I'm probably going to go with this since the intake would be bigger. I would've only made a simple replacement.

I wasn't so much worried about screwing up installing it or even making the mods, but every time you open up or take apart something there's the risk of needing yet another part - gasket or seal, broken screw, etc. After all, it is about 12 1/2 years old.

Thanks everyone!!
Vince.

 

I just the other night installed a drawstraw1. It is the new model. It fits in the original spot that you describe. My old lines did the same as yours-including the quick tabs on the lines. I just cut off all the flex line and used fuel line instead. The mod to the sender is a bit more then slight. Everything in the modual is removed. the screen on the bottom stays. I messed up on the order and got the ridged line. It works but tilts the drawstraw "head" a tiny bit.

 

Heres some pics for ya....The last pic is all the stuff needed to be removed.

 

The pictures sure helped. Since the weather was on it's way downhill (snow and rain in this week) and knowing without express shipping it'd take a week to get a DrawStraw here (couldn't find one locally) I opted to make one from a piece of 1 1/2" (6061) aluminum rod. Here's the picture story http://metalshop.nobucks.net/?truck

End result, the truck runs great again.

For anyone whose installed one of these before, where did you find to hook up the fuel pump power? The instructions said in the fuse/relay panel under the hood to connect it to an unused fuse holder that's on when the ign is in the on position. There are no empty fuse holders, all but one relay socket is taken and every available connection in there is hot all the time. I ended up soldering a wire to one of the relay pins for the fuel system. It works, but ...

 

No offense but I do not like that copper tubing. With all the vibration these things see - it could crack and leave you on the side of the highway. JMO.

 

Yeah, I'm far from thrilled with copper as well. The only plastic I have around here is PEX which I was even less thrilled with and no nylon. I also wasn't thrilled with drilling straight thru, I'd rather have drilled and tapped. Harbor Freight has the pipe taps on sale this week (bonus coupon), perhaps I'll do a version 2 (or just order a DrawStraw). This won't be a primary vehicle before spring anyway. The driver's side door latch is bad (a few broken springs) and some other odds and ends. It's almost like it got POed at me for buying the Durango!