The dreaded DEAD FUEL PUMP
 

I've read a few posts on this board and watched a few "should have been helpful" YouTube videos on releasing that monstrosity of a fuel system housing from it's trunk mounting. One YouTube guy suggested the first step is making a tool (which I did in the photo) to get the top cap off. This is where I'm currently stuck...not even tried to free up the other two bolts yet. Thus is the original fuel pump in a 2001 A8. Is there a trick to get the cap to move 1/4 inch where the two arrows line up and it then pops off? Mine is FROZEN in place. PB Blaster applied liberally...no dice on it budging. None of the videos spoke of this issue.

Thanks fellow D2 enthusiasts! I'm in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington DC if any of you folks are local and want to lend a hand over some beers and such. John

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Old pliers with the rubber ends cut off, fits into the two holes. Cranking with vise grips. FROZEN!

Did a couple of fuel pumps on my Saab 9-5's and best method I found was to take a drift or thick bladed screwdriver and lightly tap around the whole cover. Spray some WD 40 on the cap and slowly work your way around. Bury the drift low into those tabs and with repeated light taps it will free up. Good luck

I used a wooden block as a drift with a 3lb mini sledge ... worked great.

Flip the needle nose over...
 

...press it down with one hand on the handles. Take a LONG two foot bar and slip it in LOW close to the cap between the jaws pressing into the cap. Push down and turn and the cap will yield. I've done a couple this way. The bar or pipe or whatever you use applies pressure right above the cap indents on both jaws simultaneously. A long lever allows you to control the pressure and your other hand will feel if the jaws are about to slip. Steady pressure down and push the lever round. You might also try putting the needle nose jaws further out in the box shaped cutouts.

That white plastic cap, btw, is the fuel level sender. It has to come out. But you also need to remove the large black ribbed plastic ring. As mentioned, knock it round the edge with a wood block tangent to its edge.

Then there is the long bolt.

BTW, If you can find a hose barb with a thread that matches the threads of the high pressure banjo bolt you just removed, I'll show you a simple way to confirm you installed the pump correctly.

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There are a couple good videos showing removal/replacement of the pump AND replacement of the pump inside the assembly. The pump is a big plastic thing and inside, there is a smaller metal cylnder slightly smaller than a can of beer. This is the guts that goes bad. Other than getting dirty, nothing happens to the complete plastic assembly.

About 4 yrs ago, the pump died on a 2000 A8 I owned at the time. I had it replaced at an INDY shop which cost me an arm and a leg. I think the complete pump assembly is upwards of $900. After it was replaced, I asked for the old unit. At that time, getting the actual inside pump had to be ordered from Germany so I ordered it. When it came, I followed the instruction on the video, cleaned it out good and reassembled it. My reason is my wife had a 1998 A8. (She still is driving it)

My thinking is eventually, her pump would die. I was also curious as to what goes bad in the pump. It is a sealed unit so I had to pry it apart. Sure enough the commutator where the brushes contacted, was worn way down and the brushes were down to nothing, confirming that it was toast.

At this point, I have the old pump with a new pump motor inside. It's been wrapped in plastic and sitting on my shelf since back then. I now drive a 2006 A8L and the pump is different. I'm not sure when or if my wife's 98 will die. She drives very little and the old girl (car) just keeps on going.

Depending on what your options (spending arm and leg for a new unit), I might be interested in parting with my "good as new" pump.