I've seen a lot of discussion of Walbro pump installs on the forum, however, I haven't seen a comprehensive write-up. I just got done installing my pump successfully so I figured I'd go ahead and do a write-up on it to de-mystify it for people.
This write-up covers the installation of a Walbro fuel pump in 95-99 B14's. This install is pretty straightforward, however, there are some opportunities to make big mistakes so be careful and
take your time. Please take the proper safety precautions before doing this installation because there will be fuel spillage in your work area. Also, be sure to do this in a
well lit and well ventilated area. I would advise against doing this install if you have more than 3/4 of a tank of fuel, somewhere in the range of 1/4 of a tank would be ideal.
What You Will Need:
-Phillips head screwdrivers
-Flat head screwdrivers
-Pliers
-10mm and 8mm sockets w/ 1/4 or 3/8 drive ratchet
-Solvent impermeable gloves (highly recommended)
Before doing anything you will need to relieve the pressure in the fuel system. To do this, access the fuse panel under the dash. Start the car and with it running, pull the fuel pump fuse. When the engine stops, the fuel system is de-pressurized. On 98's and 99's, the fuel pump fuse is the blue, 15 amp fuse located in the second row from the left. It is the fourth fuse from the top. You will want to double check with your fuse diagram though.
It is now safe to proceed with the removal of the stock pump. First and foremost,
disconnect the negative terminal on your battery. Next, you will need to remove the back seat to access the pump. This will reveal the sending unit access panel. Remove the three 10mm bolts from the access panel.
What you see is the top of the fuel sending unit. Next you need to remove the electrical connectors and move the grey access panel out of the way. Disconnect the send and return lines, be careful when doing this as residual fuel will probably spill out of them. Next, remove the six 8mm bolts from the sending unit.
Lift the sending unit up slowly, depending on how much fuel you have in your tank, there will be some drainage going on. There will be an electrical connector and two hoses connected to the bottom of it. Take note of the send and return lines and remove these items along with the connector. Carefully pull the sending unit out.
Now you can see the fuel pump which is installed in a plastic housing.
I would strongly advise solvent impermeable gloves at this point because in some cases, you will need to completely submerge your hand in gasoline.
The pump housing slides out of two tracks. To get the housing out, press up on the tab located at the bottom of the housing and slide the housing toward the front of the car. When it is free,
slowly and carefully remove it from the car. You will want to let it drain for a while before fully removing it as it will be full of gasoline. When it is out, it will look like this.
The housing consists of two sections, an upper and a lower. There are five tabs that hold these two sections together. They look like this.
Carefully unhook these tabs and seperate the two housings. This reveals the actual pump itself.
Remove the pump from the lower housing and take not of the hose orientation.
At this point, you will want to ensure that you have all of the necessary hardware for the Walbro pump pictured below. Be careful because some of the parts are extremely small.
Follow the instructions provided with your Walbro pump exactly and ensure that you use all the provided hardware when installing the filter, hose, and connector onto the Walbro pump. Luckily, the connector pulls right out of the stock pump and plugs right in to the Walbro. You will discard the stock clamps for the send hose and use the screw-tight kind that Walbro provides. Orient the hose the same way on the Walbro pump as it was on the stock pump.
Set the Walbro pump into the lower pump housing. It fits perfectly on B14's.
Next, snap the upper part of the pump housing back on. You should have no problems doing this. If it does not snap back on with ease, the pump may not be positioned right.
Installation is the reverse of removal. Take care when you are sliding the housing back into its tracks and be sure it is secure. When you are done tightening the top back on the sending unit and the hoses are reconnected(as in picture 2), re-connect the negative terminal on the battery and turn the key on before you bolt the grey access panel back down. This way the pump can prime and pressurize and you can check the send and return lines for leaks before buttoning up.
Finish up and you're done!
