- 1). Park the truck in park on a solid and flat surface. Engage the parking brake and put wheel blocks behind the front two tires of the vehicle. If the truck has a manual transmission, put it into first gear.
- 2). Siphon out all of the fuel from the Dakota's tank into a gas can. Turn the truck's engine on to burn off any residual fuel in the gas tank or fuel lines.
- 3). Detach the battery cables from the battery by using a wrench and needle-nose pliers. Remove the black negative cable first. Pull out the fuel-pump fuse from the truck's fuse box, which is located below and to the left of the truck's steering wheel.
- 4). Raise the rear end of the truck with two jacks. One jack should lift up the frame of the truck near each rear tire. The truck should be sufficiently lifted so that you can easily access the gas tank on the vehicle.
- 5). Set a wooden block or similar object directly below the center of the fuel tank to rest the tank on when you detach it from the truck's body. The wood block should be at least a few inches tall. Resting the tank on the fuel block helps avoid damaging or stretching the fuel lines that run from the tank to the truck's engine. Loosen the two metal straps that hold the truck's fuel tank to the body of the vehicle with a socket wrench. Set the strap bolts and straps nearby and slowly lower the fuel tank onto the wooden block beneath.
- 6). Pull the fuel tank from beneath the Dakota. The fuel pump sits inside the gas tank with the top sticking out. You can now remove the pump and insert a new one, inspect the hose connections or inspect the locking ring holding the pump in place.
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