I wanted to see if anyone can post their knowledge on how to remove the fuel pump from the gas tank without making a mess of spilled gas all over. I've done it twice and cannot manage not to spill.

 

Try and drain as much gas out first.

 

Provided you don't have a rust issue, believe it or not it's usually quicker to remove the bed. Usually only 6 to 8 bolts and one plug for the tail lights. Takes three people to lift it and move it back a foot or two to get to the top of the pump. It sounds crazy but its how we do it at work. It only takes like 10 minutes to remove a bed on most trucks. Only truck I've found that it wouldn't work on so far is a Jeep Comanche - the tank is strapped to the bed.

 

Yea but that does not solve the problem of the quart plus of gas inside the open pump itself which is the issue. The last time I removed the bed it still had all that fuel in the pump to deal with. You have to tilt it to get the float arm out and then it spills.

 

pull it out halfway and siphon the fuel out.

 

After 8 years since writing that post I wonder if he figured it out?

 

No I didn't. I don't change them that often.
I was hoping for exactly that kind of suggestion.
I couldn't think of how to siphon it while holding it then I remembered a pump I bought to fill my transmission on the little truck might work to do just that. Might need a separate one for gasoline though. I expect it would only get one use until the gas ate it up.

 

I generally remove the bed, but I use an air hose to drain the tank first. Run a siphon hose into the filler tube. Have several empty gas cans and an air supply. Wrap some rags and stuff them into the filler pipe, then pressurize the tank until the fuel starts to flow. It takes time but I've nearly completely drained tanks like that. Then just lift the pump and tilt it back and forth to let it drain. The only spills I ever get are a little dab when I swap the hose to another can and a couple of times I didn't swap it quick enough.

 

I never had luck tilting it. The way I learned to siphon from a tank was to use a hose long enough to do this, stick it into the tank then blow into it until you can hear bubbles in the tank, cover the end in your mouth with your thumb to seal it then drop that end down below the bottom of the tank and remove your thumb. Honestly I've only ever seen it done once and it took a couple try's.
Edit - When you cover the end with your thumb it should be done without stopping blowing into the hose until you've covered it. Thus "cover the end in your mouth"

 

to change fuel pump is easy. drop spare tire. unplug taillights. undo bed bolts. lift driver side of bed a foot or so and put block of wood. take pump out. never had to syphon fuel out for any reason