If you’ve spent any time in the C6 Corvette circles, you’ll recall that one of the prevalent mechanical issues is the leaky fuel pump, and the diagnosis is fairly straightforward–the smell of gas fumes! If you are faced with this diagnosis, the next shock will come when a certified mechanic gives you the quote for the repair. Enthusiasts like ours below cite quotes as high as $3,000–it’s a labor-intensive job. [Author’s Note: This article is FREE and not behind a paywall. Yes, FREE! If/when any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article. One may require two steps–first, the arrow on the left, then the x on the top right.]
But fear not, because Brian S. from Facebook’s C6 Corvette Nation, a vibrant community with over 87,000 members, posted a hack that will save you time and money, especially if you’re considering a certified mechanic. But buyer beware, because enthusiasts from the popular Facebook page are divided on whether this hack is a viable one, and the discussion is now approaching 300 comments. If you have this dreaded labor-intensive fuel pump issue and are looking for more resources, we’ve included some top discussions from the Corvette Forum below today’s feature, as well as other bonus content!
What’s Inside Today’s How-To Feature
- What The Fuel System Looks Like
- Summary Tutorial: C6 Corvette Fuel Pump Access Panel Hack
- The Full Post
- Full Photo Gallery From Brian S.
- The Community Sentiment: For and Against
- The Traditional Way: From the CorvSport Archives
- Corvette Forum Resources
1) What The Fuel System Looks Like
This hack addresses the passenger-side fuel pump (located on the right side).
2) Summary Tutorial: C6 Corvette Fuel Pump Access Panel Hack
This summary is fully credited to Brian S. from C6 Corvette Nation.
- Source and order your fuel pump (resources listed in section 7)
- Drop the tank down a few inches
- Use a Multitool to cut the access hole (measurements in the photo gallery)
- Remove the old pump from the tank
- Use a wire to hold the inside tank lines up until the new pump is about 1/2 way into the tank
- Connect the two tank lines, then drop the pump all the way in and install the lock ring
- Hook up the fuel line and one wire plug
- Use some flat pieces of metal to make supports to reinstall the cutout piece
- Screw the removed piece of metal and fiberglass back down and use Seam Sealer to seal it all up
3) The Full Post
From Brian S., posted 5/5/25 on Facebook’s C6 Corvette Nation.
“New Fuel Pump….The EASY way. My driver’s side pump had the notorious leak at the top. I got estimates of over $3000 to replace it. I said HELL NO and decided to do it myself but somewhat differently. A LOT of the Youtube videos that I watched showed the guys struggling with it all and breaking stuff doing the job. I decided to ask around about an “Access Panel” fuel pump job. Someone PM’d me and showed me his pics.
So, I ordered an AC Delco pump and went to work on the car. I used a Multitool to cut the access hole. No sparks and it cut easily. I dropped the tank down a few inches before cutting the hole so I wouldn’t cut the tank or lines. It worked GREAT!!!! It was the usual pain in the butt to get the old pump out of the tank but I did it. I used a wire to hold the inside tank lines up until I got the new pump about 1/2 way into the tank. Connected those 2 lines (pain in the butt) and then dropped the pump all the way in and installed the lock ring. I hooked up the fuel line and 1 wire plug and called it a day.
Then I used some flat pieces of metal to make supports to reinstall the piece that I cut out. I forgot to take pics of those supports though. Then I screwed the removed piece of metal and fiberglass back down and used Seam Sealer to seal it all up ( I forgot to take a pic of seam sealer completed job). It was a super fast easy way to do a Corvette pump. I didn’t cut any carpet. I just folded it back out of the way. It’s all back together now and running great and NOT smelling like gas anymore. I don’t care what people say about my repair choice. I think it’s genius. It’s not harming the structure of the car like a LOT of people think and say. Get-r-done.”
You can join the viral discussion here—C6 Corvette Nation is free to join, but you must be a member to see the content and engage.
4) Full Photo Gallery From Brian S.
5) The Community Sentiment: For and Against
FOR
- You can avoid a cumbersome job!
- It’s structurally safe!
AGAINST
- The structural integrity is compromised
- Doing it the right way isn’t really too hard
6) The Traditional Way: From the CorvSport Archives
7) Corvette Forum Resources
- The Forum discusses this mod! Fuel pump access cutout done
- * * * * DANGER Fuel Leaks – SAFETY RECALL * * * *
- Fuel Pump/System Part #’s
- How to replace a fuel pump
So what’s the verdict? Would you consider this hack or go a more traditional route? Are you CORVETTE OBSESSED like we are? The team of renowned authors and contributors at CorvSport hopes you sense our passion for the iconic Corvette, and our vast database of articles and guides should prove it–5000+ features since Scott Kolecki founded CorvSport over 15 years ago! Join the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 170,000 followers (51,000 since January 2023!). Meet other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello. This is Douglas B. signing off–click here if you would like to view more of my features.
