In addition to the other thread I have going about my fuel tanks swapping fuel back and forth, I have now gone through three new fuel pumps in the past three months, including two from NAPA (one of which lasted a whole day) and the latest one a "Precision" brand from O-Reilly which made it one whole week. Are aftermarket parts really getting that bad these days, or is there some other issue causing these failures? My front tank has a bit of rust in it but not nearly as much as when I first got the truck based on what's getting caught in my inline filter. Is there another brand of pump I should try instead?

 

The Delphi from Auto Zone certainly doesn't look any better.

 

Sadly most of them are imported from the same manufacturer. while they're not OEM quality by any means I haven't had that bad of luck with them and I've used a bunch .

You might put a filter in front of the pump if you haven't already. if you have junk getting in the pump they're always going to fail.

 

Well it looks like Advance Auto Parts has the CarQuest Premium brand in stock, so I guess I will give that a shot. I have an inline filter before the pump. It's the typical chrome/glass universal type with interchangeable filters inside and I have changed out the filter element several times. Perhaps the filter element isn't fine enough to catch everything? Then again whenever I have had the carb apart it has always looked really clean inside. As for all of them coming from the same manufacturer, there were definite differences between the NAPA and Precision brand. Anyhow what a PIA... I need to use the truck today.

 

Their pumps are expensive, but compared to getting stranded on the side of the road.......

I've never heard a bad thing about their pumps, & they actually have real live in the USA tech support. Hopefully they make one for your engine. https://www.robbmcperformance.com/pr...fordfe550.html

 

Refurbishing or replacing one or both fuel tanks might be a good move. Many good radiator shops will clean and coat the interior of your fuel tank for less than the cost of a new tank. Go through the fuel lines as well. I found a section of my fuel line right behind and hidden by my power steering box to have been crushed. Apparently some PO crushed the fuel line while replacing the steering box. The initial symptom was "fuel starvation." Imagine the wild goose chase that preceded discovery of the real cause.

 

Not sure if the FE unit fits a 460 engine, but yeah if this CarQuest one takes a dump I will contact them.

The CarQuest unit does look much better made than the NAPA or "Precision" versions. I also added a second paper element filter from NAPA just after the inline screen filter. I'll be monitoring them to see how much junk they collect.

I'll definitely be doing that to the front tank soon. The rear tank was spotless when I had it out a couple weeks ago. I will check all the lines too.

 

You want a large bowl filter before the pump. One with large in/out ports so it doesn't restrict flow at all. These pumps are designed to pull through an unrestricted fuel line. Too much extra resistance can cause pump failure by stressing the diaphragm and tearing it if it has to pull against too much restriction. The bowl filters are good cause they allow most of the debris to settle out and the filter catches the finer stuff, plus you can easily monitor how much crap is in there. If you know your tanks are that dirt, I'd buy a bunch of fuel filters and change them out at a regular mileage interval until you get the tanks flushed out.

I'd be hesitant on having any sealer or coating put inside my tank, if it isn't applied properly and fails it's gonna cause all kinds of issues. You'd be better off going to a plastic tank.

 

What happens when they die? Not normal for them to all be bad. I think you have a suction problem. Maybe vauum in the tank due to bad venting?

 

X2 on check all venting, is it a EEC tank? Are the vent lines clear, no mud dobbers? Vented or none vented gas cap? Is the sending unit pick up tube filter sock clean? Have you ever dropped the tank and insp the sending unit? Put a little LOW pressure air in the fuel line back to the pick up tube and listen for bubbles. Is the sending unit rubber line connection to sending unit metal line the correct size? Some say 3/8 some say 5/16.

 

Yes both tanks are EEC. I have had the rear tank out and replaced the vent check valve and pickup filter. The tank is spotless inside. All lines flow freely and all hoses are ⅜". I will be pulling the front tank ASAP.

I just replaced the 5/16" clear glass "Mr. Gasket" brand filter with a much larger ⅜" clear plastic one from NAPA. The difference in I.D. is quite substantial. The old one was probably a little over ⅛" I.D. because the walls were so thick and I'm thinking this was the problem. The new one is probably 5/16" I.D. and should flow a LOT better. If you've got a link to a good bowl type I might just go that way but the NAPA one was cheap and readily available.

Back when I used to restore Lambrettas for a living we saw lots of really rusted out tanks, sometimes full of holes like Swiss cheese, and what worked best was POR-15 inside. The Kreem stuff used to flake off just like you said and cause all kinds of problems later on. My front tank has no holes and I will either get it boiled out or look for another one rather try any coatings.

 

I always had good luck with Cardone and Carter mechanical fuel pumps which I still run today...

When I rebuilt my 390 engine in June 2006, I installed a brand new crappa (napa) fuel pump and it NEVER worked when I primed the engine getting ready to fire it up...had to install another new fuel pump as time and time again whenever I installed any napa fuel pump or electrical part from napa in the past, it hardly worked or didn't last very long...napa parts are a last resort for me...

I had one Napa parts counter employee tell me personally that NAPA stands for :
- Never a Prompt Arrival..
..Not A Part Available..
and when they hand a customer the wrong part or a defective part, the customer returns all mad and says NAPA stands for : Need Another Part, A-$$#*(@$ !!!

 

I’ve generally been happy with Napa, aside from belts. I’ve been running a Napa fuel pump on my 400 for about a year without problem, doesn’t see a ton of miles though. Pulled off an electric one that cut out on me enough times.