[kdcing]

I'd recommend siphoning the gas from the tank. At 3/4 full and at about 8# per gallon, there is about 120# of fuel in the tank. With a full tank, dropping the tank will not be the issue,however, raising it back up and positioning it will be a challenge (especially w/ 120# sloshing and shifting position). The tank itself is light (i.e. plastic)...an empty tank can be positioned back into place by 1 person, but is somewhat cumbersome due to its size.

Every pump replacement that I've seen has been w/ the tank dropped/slanted to the driver's side....most have had the fuel inlet lines disconnected, however, I've seen the pictures of the lines not disconnected....which may stress the lines.

The FP is actually inside a round plastic cup-type piece....the cup contains the fuel guage sending unit. When you drop the tank, you will be removing the entire assembly (i.e. sending unit + FP). The FP is probably 6" tall...the sending unit is probably 9-12" tall....the higher you can jack the car, the better. Here is where it really helps to disconnect the fuel inlet lines...if they are removed, you can totally slide the tank out from underneath the car to more easily remove and replace the sending unit's holdown ring. Btw...the FP alone is $85-$100, the FP + Sending unit is $200-$250 (pricing for a '93 Eldorado, but should be similar for a '97 STS).

If you have a pick-it-yourself junkyard nearby, it may be worthwhile to visit. Before my 1st FP replacement, I visited the nearby yard and found several Caddy's w/ the tanks in various stages of removal. It was an hour well spent to prepare for the surgery. Btw, the yard near me punctures and drains the tank (for epa reasons), so my leason at the yard was cleaner/easier/safer.