Removing the fuel pump on the Toyota MR2 requires that the fuel tank be removed. Once the tank is removed, the rest of the process is very straight forward as compared with removing the tank! Here is a diagram from the service manual showing the layout of all the pieces. The service manual pages for this operation can be found here.
Start off by removing some of the interior components inside the cabin to gain access to the fuel pump and fuel level electrical connectors. These are located in front of the gear shifter. The screws from the ash tray need to be removed. The plastic piece around the center vents needs to be removed next.
Disconnect the two connectors – one is for the pump and the other is for fuel level. Next to the connectors are two bolts that need to be removed.
Next up is to remove the heat shied from the engine compartment. In these pictures, the turbocharger has been removed, but you can certainly still remove the tank without removing the turbo. Some of the bolts are quite a stretch, but can be done OK.
Looks like this now:
Now you can remove the fuel lines leading to the tank. I found it very difficult to remove the large pipe leading to the fuel filler (fuel inlet hose), but you don’t need to remove this one yet. What you can do is just loosen the clamp, and then when you drop the tank, it is much easier to pull off then. You need to remove the following lines:
1. Fuel breather
2. Fuel pump tube (metal)
3. Fuel return
4. Two evaporative bent hoses.
Hoses marked with red arrows. Notice that the fuel inlet hose has been loosed, but not removed.
Close-up of metal fuel line and fitting: 
I found it easier to just remove the entire ‘evaporative assembly’ as shown here.
All necessary fuel lines removed.
Jack the car up and set it on jack-stands or something that can support all four corners of the car. You want to get the car high enough so that you have space to work under the car, and once the tank is dropped, enough space to remove it. A typical set of jack-stands works fine. Remove all those plastic under covers – just keep track of the order in which they go back on. You can also refer to the white diagram above.
Next up is to remove the brake intermediate level and center floor cross member. There are four bolts holding the intermediate lever in place – remove those first.
Now remove the two bolts holding the center cross member in place.
Remove the spring and then remove the cables from the brake intermediate lever – they just pop out. You don’t have to remove the cables, you can leave then there, just when you remove the tank it will be a little in the way, but it’s not a problem.
At this point I would drain the fuel. The drain can be opened with a typical socket extension (square). Now you can start removing the four bolts that hold the A/C lines to the body of the car. Don’t worry, you don’t need to disconnect any A/C or coolants lines, they just need to be unbolted so they can be moved out of the way so that the tank can drop down.
6 bolts hold the coolant lines to the body that need to be removed.
Next up is to remove the front bracket. It is held in place with one bolt. On the other side (from the bolt) is a swing bar – so just remove the single bolt and it will swing out of the way. You can remove the entire bracket easily then.
Then remove the rear bracket held in place by two bolts. Don’t worry the tank won’t fall on you, but just in case, do hold it up (oh and you did drain the fuel right?).
Be sure that you have all the lines disconnected, and the two electrical connectors up top (interior) disconnected.
To remove the tank, you’ll need to push the coolant and A/C lines out of the way up towards the front of the tank (front of car). I had to hold one set of lines out of the way with one hand, and then pull the tank down with the other. I found it easier to drop the front of the tank first. Once that is on the ground, go and pull the back part of the tank down. This will also pull out the fuel inlet hose, if you (like me) could not get it to disconnect earlier.
The tank removed:
Close-up of the fuel lines on the tank.
To remove the fuel pump, unbolt the 10mm bolt holding the fuel pump tube to the tank. Then just unscrew the 5 Phillips screws as shown.
The pump then pulls out of the tank along with the lines – and yes – that is underwear.
To connect the new pump, in this case a Walbro pump, disconnect the stock pump and cut the wires to length. Make sure that the positive wire is cut so that it is just long enough to reach. You don’t want the wires flopping around inside the tank (and under gasoline!), with the chance that the positive might touch ground. This also shows the stock pump next to the Walbro pump.
Here some insulation from speaker wire was used to wrap the connection after soldering (Thanks to my brother Friedl for help and idea!). The insulation was then zip-tied around it. The ground wire was also zip-tied in place so that it will not move around either.
This documentation in no way replaces the Toyota MR2 Repair Manuals. The purpose of this content is only to provide supplementary information to fellow MR2 enthusiasts. Midship Runabout and its contributing authors will not be held responsible for any injury or damages that may occur as the result of practicing any of the methods or procedures described within this website. Article and photo submissions are property of the contributing author.
So- if I cut the wires to long would it Blow my wife up when she starts tha car. LOL. Jk I have built hot rods all my life, but I have NEVER heard of So much crap to move to take out a fuel pump !