is there any special tools neede to remove fuel pump? (out of gas tank?)

Not that I know of? However, I had the dealership replace mine in my Malibu,, although I did it myself in the Yukon.

I know this is quite outdated, but I figured I'd give an update to this in case anyone stumbles on this in the future.

No, mine did not require any special tools. I'll let you know that the Haynes manual says to remove the exhaust system from the rubber insulators. I removed them, but it really did not make a difference. You can probably skip this step.

Note that when it comes to the filter (slightly off topic, but I'd recommend changing it, too), the Haynes manual recommends a flair wrench to remove the outlet hose, but I was able to do it with a standard one. It also recommends removing the fuel lines with a flair wrench.