Great writeup, complete with pictures and all.

That being said, I can speak out against both Airtex and Bosch fuel pumps. I can also speak out against the Napa fuel pump. Every one I have used of those brands has left be broken down out of town. They work great for short trips, but for longer trips, the pumps overheat and cavitate. This causes a loss of pressure. The symptoms go away after a cool down.

If you can get a Motorcraft pump, its worth the extra money. I have yet to prove it, but another member here has so been using a Denso pump with good results, and I have a spare Denso I carry in my van, but so far I have not needed it as the Motorcraft one just keep on ticking.

Carter used to be good (they made the Motorcraft), but the current Carter pumps are just re-boxed Airtex pumps, which are known garbage. My Focus has a Carter pump, and it is working great.

I have heard a Walbro pump, while noisy, does work great. The 255 lph models flow too much and can actually jam the FPR and cause erratic pressures. The lower rated models should work fine.