Many modern pickup trucks have in-tank fuel pumps. You can access the fuel pump one of two ways: dropping the fuel tank out of the truck, which requires multiple steps and disconnections, or removing the bed of the truck to expose the top of the tank for easy access. Removing the truck bed is physically demanding, but it allows for a safer repair by eliminating the need to disconnect the fuel-filter neck and fuel-tank retaining straps.
Disconnect the battery with the battery wrench. Remove the bed's retaining bolts with the socket set. The bolt heads are accessible from the inside of the truck bed. Most trucks have at least four and as many as eight retaining bolts.
Remove the fuel-filler neck flange with the socket set. Depending on the truck, this might be accessible from inside the fuel door, or underneath where the filler neck goes through the outer bed wall. In some older trucks, the filler neck is in front of the bed, making this step unnecessary.
Lift the bed of the truck off the frame with the assistance of your three helpers. Have one person stand at each corner of the bed; lift the bed straight up, and be mindful of the fuel-filler neck as the four of you walk the bed backward and off the truck frame. Set the bed on a clean, flat surface.
Wrap a rag around the tip of the screwdriver, place the tip against the vertical portion of the fuel-pump retaining ring, and tap the screwdriver handle with the rubber mallet until the retaining ring rotates off the fuel pump. Never do this with a metal hammer or without insulating the screwdriver tip from the retaining ring to avoid creating a spark that could ignite the fuel vapors and start a fire.
Disconnect the fuel lines and the fuel-pump wiring harness from the pump. Lift the pump straight up and out of the fuel tank. Make sure to remove the old fuel-pump gasket with the pump.
Put the new fuel-pump gasket around the fuel-tank pump opening, and insert the replacement fuel pump in the same manner and orientation as the old one.
Rotate the retaining ring back into the locked position with the screwdriver, rag and rubber mallet. Reconnect the fuel lines and the fuel-pump wiring harness. Reconnect the battery, start the truck, and check for any fuel leaks before continuing.
Lift the bed back up, and carry it back over the truck in reverse of how you and your helpers removed it. Make sure the fuel-filler neck goes into the proper position in the bed wall as you lower the bed onto the frame.
Align the bed on the frame with the assistance of your helpers so you can drop the bed's retaining bolts back into position, then tighten them back down with the socket set.
