Center tank fuel pump keeps failing - 1988 F250 460
 

Hi folks,

I'm writing this for my Dad, who is 76 years old and not an internet user. He's been a Ford F250 owner / DIY mechanic since he was a young man, but he can't figure out what's going on with repeated center tank (in-tank) fuel pump failures in his 1988 truck -- it keeps failing after a few thousand miles / few months or year or so. I think he said he's been through 8 of them in 9 years, and he barely drives, maybe 5 or 10,000 miles a year. Fuel filter is not very old, likewise "fuel module" (? I'm not mechanically experienced). He gets the replacement on warranty but what a hassle.

If this sounds familiar and you have an idea what the cause might be, I know he'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
George

I've heard some stories about substandad quality pumps but that would be some kind of record.

Is it possible , now that your doing internet searchs for your Dad, to call the techline for the mfg. of the pump, and let them weigh in with their opinion?

You would think they'd have an interest in a situation like this.

Thanks TobaccoBarn460, good idea, I'll do that.

The vast majority of replacement pumps out there (e.g Airtex, Delphi, etc) are CHINESE, MEXICAN JUNK , substandard and fail frequently --- many infant mortalities along with other early failures caused by clogged/partially clogged fuel filters, contaminated pump strainers, old harness/dirty connector causing high impedance forcing the pump to work harder, and "upstream" problems under the hood impeding fuel flow.......

I'd start with the peripheral items --- clean up the harness/connector, new fuel filter, new strainer.......

I second the opinion on fuel pumps. In particular, if you do a search on the Airtex brand, there's a LOT of complaints about them, which is odd since they are so widely available. Motorcraft PFS141 shows available from Rock Auto. The cost is considerably more than the aftermarket brands, but failing another component being at fault, you get what you pay for...

All aftermarket parts really should go through a certification process to insure that nothing on the market is below the standard of an OEM part. There's a LOT of garbage on the shelves at you neighborhood auto parts stores.