The symptoms are very consistent with a failing fuel pump, and with 100k miles on the odometer, it wouldn't be too surprising. However, if you want to confirm that the pump is the likely culprit, you'd need to check for voltage to the pump and confirm that it has voltage and current and the pump doesn't run. A test light would be your friend for such a test.

-Rod

 

Seen a bit late. If you have not pinned down the difficulty, here's a few cent's worth. It sounds like a bad connection, possibly at the connector to the fuel tank, since moving harness around seemed to allow operating several times in a row. An intermittent fault real often is caused by a poor ground connection, since grounding conductors, connectors, etc., tend to corrode more readily when connected to steel surfaces (unlike metals in contact, a screw-down terminal of plated copper against a steel durface, for example). The electric current running the pump must enter the pump's windings from a grounded conductor, traceable back to the battery ground, and leaves the windings through the wire protruding from the pump (+ connection), through a connector on top the fuel tank, into the wire in the harness, then back to the inertia switch, to the pump relay, to the fuse, to the battery positive, thus completing the pump circuit. Long, drawn-out picturte, right? But, it has always helped me to know all the possible points for an interruption in current flow, before blindly jumping into it.

If all else fails, try running a temporary length of hook-up wire from the battery negative terminal back to the tank, and connect it temporarily to the ground connection of the connector, keeping the harness connected, of course, or if difficult to do, maintain contact of the wire to a shiny clean surface of the tank. Turn ignition on, see if pump works every time. If so, a poor ground exists somewhere. I would start at the tank connector. If you are lazy and a shade-tree type guy, put the temporary wire in permanently, it won't hurt anything. either way, the temporary wire has to have black insulation, or it won't work.
impish

 

so ok, siphoned out around 10 gallons of fuel, and I pulled the tank and replaced the pump. Biggest PITA was the fuel line on top of the tank going to the pump. Damn line would not come loose, and the disconnect tool would not slide into the coupler at all without a handful of 4 letter words and throwing my fuel line disconnect tool across the garage... but finally after I settled down and almost 45 minutes later, it popped right off lol, and the tank dropped right out. Got the fuel pump at Autozone, and just replaced the motor secton into my OEM assembly. Fit pretty well. Tank back in, effin fuel line popped back on, and it fires up everytime now. f

 

Glad to hear you got it all put back together and it appears to be fixed!

-Rod

 

Tried that but used a green wire for the earth(ground), now I know why it did not work....Philip

PurerockRacing Glad you were successful in changing the pump out.... yes! those lines can be a bit**... Philip