Resolved 1990 Fuel pump firmly stuck in the tank

[sacrileger]

This is a '90 FWD plymouth laser with access to fuel pump underneath the car on the back side of the fuel tank. After removing the 6 self-locking bolts/screws from the flange, the fuel pump came loose from the fuel tank flange, about 1/4", and no amount of twisting, vibrating, lifting, jiggling, pushing, pulling, etc. will dislodge it from the bottom of the fuel tank. I can pull as hard as I can and the fuel pump will spring back in. It feels like the bottom of the bracket which holds the actual fuel pump is firmly attached to the bottom of the tank and all I get is spring action as the arm connecting the back plate is thin and long metal strip...I am sure everybody knows what I am talking about. There is no play or looseness, it is firmly attached to something on thee bottom. I cannot take it out.
I have taken a fuel pump out of '92 FWD Talon so I know what it looks like and what the bottom of the '92 tank looks like... by feeling it with my hand. The pump came out like nothing...just lifted it and pulled it out. This thing just wont come out

Has anybody here run into this situation? Am I missing something? Am I supposed to drain the tank and get the drain plug out? Is that where the pump is attached to...? To the drain plug which is just about under where the end of the fuel pump would be...?

 

[sacrileger]

Am I supposed to drain the tank and get the drain plug out? Is that where the pump is attached to...? To the drain plug which is just about under where the end of the fuel pump would be...?

So it looks like I am answering my own question. Here are three threads alluding to my speculation:
How do you replace the fuel pump in 1g gst

Question about fuel tank drain plug?

1g FWD Fuel Pump Install

I should add that if this is the case, one has to get the drain plug out, that this is not the case for '92 FWD Talon. I simply took the fuel pump out of the '92 Talon w/o draining the tank ... with a lot of gas still left in the gas tank I pulled the fuel pump out just like that...no problemo.

 

[pauleyman]

Not sure if it applies to all years but yes I've pulled a fwd and there is a bracket bolt you have to remove on a 1g

 

[sacrileger]

Not sure if it applies to all years but yes I've pulled a fwd and there is a bracket bolt you have to remove on a 1g

yup, there it is:

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now I have to figure out how to replace the '90 fuel pump with the spare '92 stock fuel pump and put the drain plug back in... and still be able to drain the tank...