I am trying to resolve an issue with my 98 XJ8 stuttering, i.e., stalling momentarily while accelerating at highway speeds. It never occurs at lower speeds, even under full throttle, but only at highway speeds. Downshifting to fourth gear has no effect on the behavior.

I suspected the fuel pump might be the culprit since colder weather starts took an extra second or two than they once did, despite having newer spark plugs installed. Replacing the pump helped lessen the severity of the stuttering, but didn't alleviate it completely.

So far I have checked fuel pressure at idle - 40 psi and replaced the intake pipe, fuel filter, as well as cleaned the MAF sensor. There was some oil that seemed to come from the valve cover vent tube, so I cleaned both sides and ensured the left side was open. I've ordered a new fuel pressure regulator since at 110K, replacement won't hurt anything. The car has been well-maintained its whole life, so I don't have any deferred maintenance issues that I know of.

Anyway, the main point of my post is to share how I changed the fuel pump w/o disconnecting the fuel lines from the tank. On my car, I couldn't reach the fuel line disconnects. I DID disconnect the line from the fuel filter, which seemed to be the key to obtaining enough free play in the lines to pull the tank out enough to access the top and remove the pump. I have included a couple of photos to show how far the tank must be pulled out to access the pump. I took care not to pull the tank out any more than absolutely necessary so as not to kink the fuel lines. I didn't have a problem with putting the tank back into place and reconnecting the line to the fuel filter. But take care on that point so you don't create more problems for yourself.

We'll see how the rest of the problem solving goes. Hope this helps if you need to replace teh pump on your car.

 

I'm facing this issue on my XJR. Thanks for the pics.

 

Glad you got it! For the archives and the record, lots of folks have screwed up and kinked the fuel lines this way which is a VERY costly event. Check the archives.

 

I read about the fuel line kinking problem, so I was careful not to pull too hard on the tank. My experience was disconnecting the line at the fuel filter was the key. When I did that I gained a lot of "slack" in the lines and was able to pull the tank back enough to get clearance. I am nearly certain if I had not disconnected that line, I would have kinked it trying to pull the tank back. The fuel return line has a different geometry/routing (at least on my car) so it had some slack in it to allow the tank to be pulled back. I would still take care not to pull the tank back any more than is truly necessary to reach the pump.

 

Reading between the lines of other posts, it seems the key is to create as much give as possible in the lines. This includes undoing the fuel filter line but should also include releasing all still attached portions of fuel line from the retaining clips.

The other factor seems to be the patience of the person doing the removal. People who are prone to giving things the big heave-ho will probably run into problems.

BTW, the edges of the tank are razor sharp ... wear gloves.

 

What's the best way to remove the fuel drain hose ? Can I pull it out at the bottom ?

 

You can pull the bottom part (the one that goes thru the black grommet) but not the top part (there is a spring clip that needs to be disconnected if you go that route)