Just wondering how many of you are still running the original fuel pump. Mine is running fine, but I'm afraid to drive it more than 10 miles from the house (keeps towing costs down). Guess I'm looking for a little reassurance that I don't need to drop the tank or butcher the trunk hump.

 

To be honest, it's totally gonna fail. But who knows when. You may get 20 more years out of it.
I wouldn't bet on it lasting that long but who knows.

 

Just to clarify, you never NEED to butcher anything! A pump, even a new one, can fart out anytime. I say roll the dice but be prepared.

 

Changed one of my 89s back in mid 90s but only for a larger pump. Other 89 i just changed 8yrs ago. Just for peace of mind.

 

My 88 350 and my 92 305 still have the factory pump. Still running strong and quiet.

 

I still have the factory pump in my 87 305. It's got a little groan at prime but is still running fine. I keep saying I'm going to swap it out but...

 

I had mine changed a couple of years ago. Oddly, it died while the car was sitting in the garage. I pushed it out and had it towed to a shop. Looking back now, I wish I would have went ahead a bought a new tank, because I'm sure mine has some rust in it.

 

My original pump died in my garage back in '97-'98 with only ~25K miles on it. I replaced it the following weekend with an AC pump. Who knows whether its mileage or age that kills them?

Toughest part of the job was getting the car safely lifted up high enough to maneuver the tank out of and from under the car; other than that, it was just nuts and bolts.

 

When I entered the Auto Repair Industry, in 1973, I sometimes recommended replacement of an old part, nearing the end of its "Life Expectancy" , as Preventative Maintenance. But in later decades as replacement parts proved to become less reliable, I sometime trust OLD, made in USA parts more the the sometime JUNK available today. I saw many many once reliable name brands deteriorate in quality.

 

i'm with the camp of trusting old OEM parts more than new, aftermarket parts. I'd run the wee out of it. SOMEday, it'll die. Enjoy it until it does...don't ruin the experience by worrying about it.

 

My '86 still has the original pump. I "cheat" by adding 2-cycle oil to the fuel for storage.

 

my 87 had the original pump till 2020 when it randomly died at a stop light with only 58,000 miles. That was fun..............................................................


I had a shop do it for me...I paid a pretty penny and I think they used a I suspect napa pump....


Then.... that pump dies after 2? years and like 300 miles. It died right after I changed the injectors / resealed the top end and was testing the prime for leaks........ ugh changed it myself,





IMHO change it. The inconvenience of having it crap out randomly isnt worth the hassle IMO....

BUT you also never know if the next one wil lcrap out.

 

I've thought about adding a little Marvel Mystery Oil at each fill up, but I'm not sure if it would do any good. Supposedly it has some lubricating properties. I do use ethanol free gas.

 

I don't recall ever seeing a pump where the pump stopped pumping, but the motor still ran. 100% of the pumps I've seen fail (personally and professionally) have failed b/c the motor stopped turning the pump.

 

the thinking is that by adding a little lubricity to the fuel, it'll help the pump run easier and build less heat, thereby making it last longer. Whether or not it really helps, I have no idea.

 

Yep. I "get it", what the thinking is....but since the failure is rarely-to-never the actual pump, part, then the only thing left is the motor. Since the motor is sitting in gasoline, I'd submit that the gasoline temperature will dictate the pump's temperature...whether there is oil in it, or not.

 

yeah. I suppose the only thing you could do to keep the fuel temp down is to keep the tank as full as possible all the time.

 

Keeping your tank at least 1/4 or 1/2 full is about the best thing you can do to keep enough liquid in tank around the pump for cooling. Running near empty repeatedly causes excess heat and early pump failure.

I'm with the crowd recommending just leave alone until failure. This aftermarket crap is pretty much a wild guess if the replacement part will be any good, especially if it is made in China.

 

Humm. Well, looks like a draw.
I might bite the bullet and install one this winter. I really want to be able to take her on longer hauls and not have to worry about being dead in the water. If it was a simple box of tools and 2 hr job, I'd leave it alone. But as it stands, I needed a quick cat back repair to pass local safety inspection a few years back, and the guy welded the pipe to the output of the cats. So, the whole exercise it going to be a multi-day event.

In the meantime, I dumped some MMO in the tank mostly to try to free up a sticky fuel float. If it helps, the pump, then great.

Thanks for everyone's input. Drive on and enjoy folks.

p.s. And @Firechicken82 Panthro drives the

 

My exhaust is all welded together too, but somehow the shop I used managed to get the pump changed without an issue (I checked, no hole cut).