Fuel pump change out help!

What's up vanners? Hey first off i want to thank everyone that has jumped in with their ideas on some of the posts i have put on this site! This is a great place for info! I am just working out all of the bugs in this van so it can be my daily driver so the wife can have the truck and i don't have to ride the Harley all winter long!!! To damn cold but a man has to do what a man has to do to take care of his family. this is the first time i have every had a van like this and it kind of fell into my lap so i have a lot of learning to do with it.

Anyways i burnt up my electric fuel pump (long story) so i went out yesterday and got me a new fuel pump non electric one like was still installed in it. I pulled the old one out last night and the push rod slid down and i can't get it back up to slide the pump arm under it. is there a way to get the push rid back up with out taking the fuel pump backing plate off? Any help would be great if not i will be taking the backing plate off but do i need a gasket for that? i have no idea if it has one or not because it is such a tight area to work in so i can't see if there is one behind the backing plate or not.

thanks again guys!!!

thanks for the info i will be checking that out tonight! Donivan your alright no matter what everyone else says about you brotha!

oh i will have to try that because it wasn't going anywhere when i tried to move it.

Just a pic to help, Take that bolt out and use a longer one to hold the pin in place, I have had some luck using very long thin needle nose pliers.

Well that would be nice come on with it! grab your tools I will get the beer!!!

just kidding I ended up buying a new backer plate gasket and some lithium grease and pulled the backer plate off cleaned the push rod up and everything else around it than greased it up put everything back together I had my 17 year old son helping me and had him under the van to hold things for me and then I had him tighten up the bottom bolts and he broke the head off of the bottom left bolt. So tonight we are going to get that freakin bolt out of the block and install another one. Sounds easier then it is going to be!!!! A buddy is coming over with his 45 degree drill and extractor set tonight.

you know i went home at lunch and started the van up and it ran fine and did not leak a bit so i drove it to work and it still isn't leaking. but i am still going to extract that bolt but all in all i am happy to be driving it.

i plate bolt

something you can get are small lreverse twist drill bits, if the bolt isnt "tight you can spin them out sometimes with them.