OK, yesterday I was getting ready to start my 85 Trans Am 305 TPI and when when I turned the key on the fuel pump did not activate and the car would not start so I tryed it a couple more times and it kicked on and the car started fine. Today I went to autozone and purchased a new fuel pump relay and went ahead and replaced it.

But do you guys think that was the prob. or do you think is was the original pump(to my knowledge it is a factory pump). My car usualy takes about 2 sec's to start up which is a long time comparing to the other TPI's I have started could a worn out pump effect that.

Also my dad was driving the car to town last night and said that the voltage just completly dropped, and he put it in N and reved it up and it all came back and worked fine. So when I was at autozone I got them to check out the battery and Alt but both checked out fine. Could that have effected the pump?

Please help me out this is my daily driver.

 

it could have been the pump or maybe a pump relay connection is loose maybe. or if all possile it could have been just a 1 time thing with the car. alot of times if the pump doesnt kick on. people can tap the tank with a rubber mallet and it will work perfectly fine. maybe it was gummed up. many possibilities....

 

Well I have decided to play it safe and just get a new pump. How long do the originals usually last anyways?

 

to be honest id say anywhere from 10-20 years, depending , i had one go in of of my cars and its a 93 and i know some cars that are older that still dont need it.

 

How do you know it is bad does it just go all at one one time or does it gradually die.

B/c right now I am scared that I will be some where and it will just not work.

 

it could be both.... iv had one gradually go and die out like after i drive it for like 20 min then id have to wait, cause it would cut out.....but some peoples just quite. you probably made the right choice, you can check it when you get it out, im not sure if itll need fuel running through it too cool it but you can see whats wrong...

 

i have had one go out go just driving fine and the car just cut off it was my moms van 89 astro fuel injected; pump just died had about 130,xxx miles on it. no warning at all, could be due to the fact she runs it down to almost an empty tank all the time.

 

My 88' TPI pump went bad in june this year. Check the fuel pressure with key on/engine off, pressure should be between 38-47psi when relay times out that pressure reading should hold sometimes for days, extended crank times are due to zero psi on start. Check valve is going bad, or vent is plugged (test for pressure to hold with gas cap off, if pressure still bleeds off, it's the pump check valve.)

When replacing pump insure that check valve retainer ring doesn't come off when removing protective rubber boot from pump output port, the valve will get pushed out with pressure and cause the same problem you're trying to fix.

The tank's a major PITA to remove and reinstall. Best do on lift, how ever you do it have a couple bud's to help ( I had neither.) I put in a Holley 255lph (Walbro pump) with a Holley adjustable fuel pressure regulator, if you're just replacing it with same flow rate and pressure then you don't need a AFPR.