Symptoms of a plugged sock are a steady loss of power during or after a long
steady hill climb or high speed run. The sock pores slowly get plugged by loose
pieces of dirt, and the problem disappears for a while after simply stopping for
lunch or fuel. Note - This condition will NOT post a Check Engine light, or store
a trouble code for the Mazda dealer's computer to read, so if you experience it, you are pretty
much on your own, unless you can convince the mechanic to take some basic troubleshooting steps......

First remove the rear drivers side seat bottom - again, easier than it sounds -
lift the front firmly and it pops out of its clips, then just lift it out, three
seconds, tops.

Four philips head screws hold the access panel on, put it aside.


S

 

The only slightly difficult part is removing the plastic ring that holds the
pump in place. The technique is to gently hammer a large flat screwdriver against the tabs of the ring, counter-clockwise (yes, lefty-loosey!)
It's very tough plastic and can take the beating if you distribute the force
around the tabs.


Here is the re-install section from the factory manual -
Fuel Pump Cap Installation Note
1. Align the fuel pump unit alignment marks and the retainer notch as shown in the figure.


2. Align the positions of the cap and retainer as shown in the figure, and tighten them one full rotation by hand.


• If the retainer and cap cannot be tighten by hand, remove the cap, verify that there is no damage or misalignment on the retainer and cap, and then tighten again.
Caution
• The cap could be damaged if the SST is used with any play between the cap and the SST. Securely attach the SST so that there is no gap between the SST tabs and the side of the cap.
3. While keeping the alignment mark and the retainer notch aligned, tighten the cap to the rotation angle and specified torque using the SST.

• If the specified torque cannot be obtained even when the cap is rotated to the specified rotation angle, replace with a new cap and retainer and repeat Step 3.
Rotation angle
50-140°
(Total angle for Step 2 and Step 3 is 410-500°.)
Cap tightening torque
80-135 N· m {8.2-13.7 kgf·m, 59-99 ft·lbf}

Can't get the pics to copy, however you just align the mark on the lid with the mark on the tank that says 'start' then rotate it thru at least a turn-and-a-quarter, nice and snug.

 

One wire connector and two fuel pipes to unplug, then the whole assembly lifts
out. The pump housing has one-way valves at the bottom, which means that the
tank itself is really clean - all the debris and flotsam get sucked into the
housing, and then trapped by the sock.

 

These sliders unclip to reveal the dirty sock, which just pulls off. A blast of
brake cleaner/contact cleaner/compressed air will get the crap out. It would be
difficult to damage with solvents - it lives in gasoline.....
Reclip, attach wires and hoses and put the ring back in place. If you ever
intend to repeat the cleaning, a dab of grease on the threads and 'O' ring will
make it so much easier next time. You don't want to buy a new ring, they're
(shockingly) expensive.

S

 

you have now idea how profound this post is.

beers

 

Care to be a little less cryptic - for the rest of us?


S

 

2nd pic.....better move those screws to the floor mat!

 

damn, that sock looks dirty

great DIY.

How often would you think someone should do this as preventative maintenance?

 

you can also just buy a new fuel pump every other year. They're $150

 

looks like a coffee pouch/filter.....

 

huh? 5 dollar can of cleaner vs. 150 pump?

 

tell me about $150 cost if your pump is 4 years old, overheats, and stops pushing fuel while in boost.

 

interesting.. to do!

 

nope.
































































ha,

just had the fuel cut car die issue again on the drive home from watching the koni and gt cars practice at daytona..

this was with a used pump that had ~35k miles on it that i put in at robeling road in nov. this was before a track weekend..

i am working on getting the fuel pump tool from a vendor at a better price so i can share the tool will all here..

at that point i will pull the pump. wipe the tank clean on both sides, and install my frankenpump..

beers

 

Stealth,

How many miles were on that pump?

Premix?

If so, how many ounces per tank?

 

How many miles do you put on the car in 2 years?

 

Sweet, Now I know what I will be doing during my shocks/springs, brakes, weekend.

 

53k miles since April 2004.

I change the transmission fluid, diff, coolant, every year. Pump isn't expensive, I don't know why the resistance.

 

I agree.

I have heard the removal and install of the cap to access the pump is very difficult without the SST. DO you find this to be true? How long does a pump swap take?

 

I've done it every time without the 'tool'. The first time is a bitch, but it just takes a pounding to remove it. I used a small pry-bar and mallet and just tapped and tapped until it rotated. If you spread the force around the rim, and try not to break any lugs off, it will come off. Worst case is you break a lug or two and give up....

I put silicone grease in the threads and she twists off real slick now! Ten minutes for the whole cleaning.

I pre-mix quite heavy, since day one, but I use stuff you are not likely to find in stores. I would expect that pre-mix plugging would be oily or tarry and/or swell the nylon mesh, but the crap I find in mine is loose strands, quite 'biological' looking, and they are just stuck in the mesh, almost like seaweed - I call it Stealthweed! It is dark green, while all the components of my pre-mix are water-clear........

The source escapes me, but the solution is now easy.

S

 

It should take about 15 mins to swap

 

Going to have to pull mine out for sure and clean it - good write up.

I may have put dynamat all over that access panel though.... oops!

 

I just swapped out my fuel pump a couple days ago and the hammer method of removing the ring was a complete failure. I ended up breaking a couple tabs before giving up. Instead I went online and found this tool:

http://www.amazon.com/Tank-Fuel-Pump.../dp/B000I14PGQ

It's less than $20 and got the job done. Compared to the official Mazda tool it is somewhat flimsy, but it's a hell of a lot easier than with no tool at all.

 

Good job on the DIY StealthTL!

 

nice find