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Contour Fuel Pump Replacement

Pale Horse

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
Feb 19, 2004
Messages
540
Location
Somewhere in MO. Bleeding Mercon 5
How-to: This Example Is Of The Focus SVT Fuel Pump Install On A Contour: by Pale Horse

The quickest way to do this is to first remove the lower section of your backseats. You can lift the rubber grommet and gain access to the fuel pump from there. However, all I recommend you do here is release the fuel lines and wiring harness from that area. There should be two fuel lines that you can squeeze and they will release and a wire retained wiring harness that Is simple as well. Unless you have a returnless system(99-2000 Model Years), in which there will be only one fuel line.

Go ahead and disconnect your battery. Move to the underside of the car (it should be on jackstands and have plenty of clearance).

Directly to the left of the PASS side rear wheel is the fuel filter. You need to disconnect it on the rear side of the filter and remove the bolt clamp that holds it on.
***Be careful as you are letting the fuel pressure out here so the pressurized fuel in the tank side lines will be emptied. Have a bucket or something ready as well as some rags!***

Once this step is done you will need to lower the exhaust. You could completely remove it if you want to, but I just removed the hangers from the resonator back and propped it up so it wouldn't hang too low and flex too much at the Y-Pipe. We just need about five inches to get to one of the tank strap bolts. This part will probably need two people.

Once you've lowered the exhaust you should easily see the passenger side strap bolt. Leave this one alone for now. The DRIVER side strap bolt is located under the heat shield nearest the resonator. It's easy to find; just trace the strap! You'll have to remove this heat shield to get to the bolt (one side may be riveted in and you may only be able to rotate it to one side).

Now you can remove the strap bolts. Have a drunk friend ready to help! Don't remove them all the way as there are still some lines to be disconnected on top of the tank. Once you have the room you will see on top of the tank three more lines that will need to be removed. One is on the DRIVER side of the tank. One uses a pinch clamp like on a coolant hose and there should be another one right next to the pinch clamp. However if yours is a return style system, there may be another one lurking around on top of the tank.

After removing these lines, there is one last thing to do before the tank can be removed: the filler neck! On the PASS side of the vehicle on the rear/top of the tank, you will see where the neck enters the tank. It has three collars: A metal one that is attached to the filler side (can't be removed its just a retainer). A white one in the middle (must be rotated 1/4 turn counterclockwise so that the tabs on the bottom black collar are lined up with the "windows" in the white collar). After this is done, you can lower the tank straps all the way out and let the tank down.
****The tank must come out EXACTLY LEVEL or the collar on the filler neck won't release. This may also take some prying but be careful not to break the collar. YOU WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE GAS TANK IF YOU DO!!!!!!*****

Once everything is down, you can remove the pump collar. It is self explanatory being removed. Just tap the collar counter clockwise (I believe) until it releases. You can reuse the O-Ring if it is not ripped or torn in any areas. The FSVT O-Ring does not fit. It is too small. You must use the Contour O-Ring.

Remove all of your electrical connectors and pull the pump basket out. It also requires...you guessed it! A 1/4 turn counterclockwise to release it from the tank.
*** Be careful not to bend the floating mechanism when removing or your fuel level will be off!!***

Pop the tabs on the basket to release the upper half of the basket from the bottom half. You can now see the pump body. You will be using the rubber end caps on the stock pump body regardless of which pump you go with. If using the FSVT pump, you will also be using the Contour screen filter. Remove the one from the FSVT pump body and, after a thorough cleaning, reinstall the old Contour screen filter. Unless, of course, you have a new one (obviously use the new one!). It is also recommended that you remove the screen from the bottom of the basket and use it for a Frisbee. (This part has been debated, but I threw that thing as far as I could.)

Finish draining the tank and wipe clean with a clean rag (Please don't use a water hose to clean out your tank unless you have plenty of time to let it dry out COMPLETELY!).
I also cleaned the entire outside of the tank so the debris would not enter back in upon reinstall of all of the components.

Reinstall is reverse of removal.

****Update****
There is now an updated fuel pump assembly for the contours. It does require a Special tool that is used to cut the retaining/lock rings off. The tool can be had through Ford or perhaps someone from the Ford Stealership nearest you will allow you to use theirs (as some people here have been fortunate enough to run into this mysterious, generous wizard that works at some of the local stealerships). The new assembly retails for somewhere around 230.00-270.00 greenbacks. Then there is the cost of the tool (I'm not sure on that price as of yet). This is something I will check on unless someone else already knows it's cost and wants to post it here. This assembly DOES come with instructions for the Mechanically Declined. If it does not, use the special Ford tool to inflict bodily harm on the parts counter guy (HE IS NOTHING WITHOUT HIS COMPUTER!) Unless his name is Bill Jenkins. (Shameless Plug!!!)

****If any one has anything to add as far as their experience with either pump assembly, it should be posted here. Additionally if there is anything that I have missed or failed to mention, please let me know, as we want the most accurate information to make this as easy as possible. Perhaps the Mods can sticky this on this site to make it easier to find for the Noob's. Thanks in advance.
 
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Why are we dropping the tank? You can do everything from the interior.

Also, it would make more sense to divide this up into a return-rail and returnless howto.
 
Why are we dropping the tank? You can do everything from the interior.

Also, it would make more sense to divide this up into a return-rail and returnless howto.
The returnless pump is too big to go through the opening under the seat and you have to snip the chassis up (per original how to). Dropping the tank ensures that you don't have to deal with fumes or other unwanted moisture or smells should the rubber cover not fit properly (or tight) after the "surgery".

Edit. Original how to for returnless pump. Note the snips in the rear seat area of the chassis.
http://www.contour.org/mods/mods.php?s=howto&displayid=39
 
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After I spray-painted the parts of the chasis that I cut to get the fuel pump out (recommend some type of anti-rust paint) I simply ran duct tape over the hole. Yes, it's slightly ghetto, but no one can see it and it keeps the road noise & fumes out...
 
When we replaced the pump on my car we had found the metal already cut and ready to go. Pulled the pump, looked immaculate in there... Bent the metal back down, put the cover back on and I havnt noticed a single smell at all. Psh, just do it from the inside, its not worth the time to drop the tank, unless you can see all sorts of crap floating around in there..
 
NO STUFF FLOATING AROUND , but that cross-filter-disc was completely BROWN : " GET OUTTA THERE " .... now i got my 200HP back !
 
Does this apply to Zetec models too?

How much does is typically cost for a mechanic to replace the fuel pump?
 
My Fuel Tank Mod

My Fuel Tank Mod

When I did my fuel pump I cut out a window around the access hole. It was square and only about 6 inches square and I made sure I did not cut into the ring that the big fuel pump acess pleg went into. After cutting out I did my pump replacement. To reinstall, I took some galvenized flashing and made a rim around the panel that I had cut out. This gave me place the shoot self tapping short screws and remount the window in the floor. Then I sprayed painted both sides with rustoleum. I sealed ender the lip with RTV black, and screwed the panal back in. Looks pretty good if i say myself. The original pump plug still fits and if I need to replace the pump again all i have to do is unscrew the new access panel.
 
I haven't seen any mention of FSVT pump swaps with the revised fuel pump assembly. I have the new assembly and just finished swapping pumps. The new pump housing is nearly identical to the FSVT housing! The only difference is that the revised one's housing lid has 2 holes for the spring shafts to go through.

So, here are the steps.... after getting the pump out. This also assumes you're already using the revised assembly and have done the necessary steps to use that new assembly (cut the tabs off the tank bottom).

1) As standard, remove the 6 bolts from both pump housing lids (3 around the perimeter, 2 holding the fuel line to the pump, and 1 holding the fuel line to the lid).
2) Unplug the electrical connector from the fuel pump.
3) *Additional step*: Remove the 1 bolt holding the fuel level module (on both housings).
...3.1) After you complete step #3, the lids (and top plates (FSVT plastic and our metal ones)) will be independent of the housing base. DO NOT REMOVE THE PUMP!
4) Swap the housing lids so the revised Contour/Cougar lid is on the FSVT housing base.
5) Put everything back together (mount the fuel level module--remember the grounding wire!; other bolts,etc...).

That's it! No trimming the electrical connector, no need to ditch the top (or bottom) rubber pump things. Everything in the housing base is identical. The only reason I swapped fuel level modules is that it was easier/quicker to do that than to pull the wires from each connector.
 
No special tool needed

No special tool needed

I too pulled the tank, if ever in the future I'll cut the access hole

As for the 'special tool' required to cut the tabs in the bottom of the tank to install the new style returnless fuel pump assembly. I just used a single edged scraper blade. The special tool uses a brass tool to do the cutting and simply cuts the tabs flush with the bottom of the tank.

If I were to do it through an access hole with gas in the tank, so much the better. NO possibility of a spark lighting off liquid gas, just deal with the gas smell.

30k miles on the pump and no problems.
 
Where is the occuring exactly? Pics would be helpful here.
Did you use a new gasket?
Are the connections installed correctly and not broken?
Is the pump cracked?

AF
 
As for the 'special tool' required to cut the tabs in the bottom of the tank to install the new style returnless fuel pump assembly. I just used a single edged scraper blade. The special tool uses a brass tool to do the cutting and simply cuts the tabs flush with the bottom of the tank.
So are the tabs that need cut made of plastic? I was thinking that they were metal.
 
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