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88 IX Fuel Tank Cleaning

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    88 IX Fuel Tank Cleaning

    Whining fuel pump
    Car: 1988 325IX
    Time Required: 6hrs casual while taking breaks to check out the ej25 motor in the bay next door. Maybe longer if you attempt this without a lift.
    Problem: After running for several minutes fuel pumps loudly whines.
    !! assumes you have already tested your fuel pump and determined that it is OK !!

    I checked my pump first by removing it and running it in a quart bottle of fuel both with open, semi and fully obstructed fuel outlet. The pump was quiet during all, so I determined/theorized that my pump was cavitating due to clogging fuel pump in tank sock/filter
    • Remove your rear seat.
    • Remove both DS and PS side fuel sender/pump cover plates, there's an oval one (4 screws) and a round one (3 screws).
    • Disconnect electrical connectors
    • Disconnect fuel lines
    • Ensure your lift arms or jack stands on the rear of the car will not interfere with gas tank when removing.
    • Move to underside of car
    • Disconnect o2 sensor
    • Remove exhaust, 6 bolts, 3 per where they meet the headers, 2 that support at the transmission, 2 per pipe cat back section and the clamp around the muffler
    • Remove the heat shield and small deflector plates on either side of the gas tank, 13mm bolts and 10mm plastic nuts
    • Loosen drive shaft collar, loosen is tigten the nut, eg when you're turning it, the nut should expose LESS threads
    • Use marking paint to mark the drive shaft flange mating points to the transmission and differntial flanges so you can get it installed back in the same orientation
    • Remove the drive shaft bolts at the transmission and at the differential 17mm. Use a pry bar at the differential to hold the driveshaft from turning.
    • Collapse the drive shaft and remove from car
    • Remove drain bolt, 5mm? hex and allow fuel to drain into appropriate container
    • Remove fuel filter
    • Disconnect fuel lines from tank to rail
    • Disconnect fuel filler hose
    • Remove the 5 13mm bolts holding the tank up
    • Lower the front portion of the tank down and disconnect the 2 small and 1 large fuel/vent lines. These are funky clamps, I used a 90deg pick tool to unhook them.
    • Jossle (technical term) the tank while pulling down on the front and slide the tank forward and down to remove. You do not need to lower or remove the rear subframe x-member
    • Once tank is out, remove the PS fuel sender x4 8mm nuts with washers
    • Use a screwdriver and tap rotate the fuel pump and DS fuel sender cover plates counter clockwise to loosen and remove
    • Be carefull removing the fuel pump or you'll leave the filter screen that is attached to the bottom of the fuel pump in the tank
    • If you have any remaining fuel in the tank, drain it.
    • Wash tank out with water and drain, set in the sun to dry
    • If you have rust in your tank, looks like ginger cheeks inside, then clean that off. I used pea gravel.
    • Dump about a quart or two of pea gravel into the tank and spray some water in. Jossle the tank back and forth holding the tank at varrious angles to work the pea gravel all around in the tank. Take your time, and make sure you let the gravel scrub the inside good.
    • Rest the tank on the drain hole end and spray lots of water into the tank until the water comes out clear. This may take several cycles of jossleing gravel around and rinsing.
    • Wash and shake all the gravel to one end of the tank and use a shop vac (remove the filter first for longer shop vac life) to suck the gravel from the tank.
    • Once you're sure you have all the gravel out, rinse the tank again and again, and once more.
    • Set your tank in the sun to dry or use compressed air to speed up the process.
    • Reverse the removal for install. Replace the funky crimp together clamps that your removed with regular screw type if desired.


    Enjoy your whine free fuel pump and nice clean fuel tank.
    88 325ix, 72 Type 1, 81 Starlet
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