How do you install a fuel pump in a 1997 dodge ram van 2500?

Answer 1

Make sure the tank is empty. It's difficult otherwise. And no, siphoning isn't possible, there's a restrictor in the filler neck.

Disconnect the fuel filler neck and vent line. Unlike the GMCs, there's no inner plastic thing, so it'll just slide out of the tank as you remove it.
Support the tank with a jack and a block of wood. There are three J-bolts, two along the back and one on the passenger side... you'll need a deep socket for them, and five bucks says you snap two of them.

Slowly lower the tank, they give you a good amount of slack in all the lines so you don't need to go inch-by-inch..... The electrical connector is kind of a pain, you need to remove that little red key and press on some spot to disconnect it. Disconnect the two smaller hoses at the T-connector.

The pump is held on by a large plastic ring. Take a large flat screwdriver and and hammer to work it out. Align the new one and install it.

Working the tank back up is a chore if there's any gas in it. I used a bunch of bricks to help hold up each side a little more at a time. Make sure you get the filler and vent necks back where they belong.

If you broke the J-bolts, buy new carriage bolts and heat them up with a torch to bend them to about the same shape.

Took me about two afternoons of off-and-on work, including the new bolts, on my '96 Ram Van 2500.