fuel pump and filter

So the good luck continues . In June 2011 I replaced a working fuel pump, as I suspected it might go away. Mind you I had 200K on the car and thought it might be original. I bought an Airtex from AutoZone. It began starting hard a few days ago. So I called AutoZone and it has a 1 year warranty on it. As hey are not willing to help with a 13 month old pump, REALLY???

Needless to say AutoZone will not get much more business from me. I bought the Spectra sender, pump and screen from Advanced on line. They gave me a great price. Hope to see it by the middle of next week.

I work for O'Reillys and can tell you that we have more Airtex pumps come back than any other brand. I have personally installed several, and after the second or third one gave up the ghost almost instantly, I am done using them. At O'Reillys Airtex has actually just been replaced by a brand called Precision, I think Airtexs were causing too much trouble. I wish you were closer, I would've taken care of you on the warranty.

GG91Wagon wrote:

I work for O'Reillys and can tell you that we have more Airtex pumps come back than any other brand.

Thanks. This is good info. It doesn't come along often enough.

Any other parts that we should avoid?

Does everyone have a preferance as to which fuel filter might be the better choice for our
wagons?For my 95 RMW!
Thanks

GG91Wagon wrote:

I work for O'Reillys and can tell you that we have more Airtex pumps come back than any other brand. I have personally installed several, and after the second or third one gave up the ghost almost instantly, I am done using them. At O'Reillys Airtex has actually just been replaced by a brand called Precision, I think Airtexs were causing too much trouble. I wish you were closer, I would've taken care of you on the warranty.

I appreciate the offer. I hope the Spectra (who knows who makes it) works better.

delphi/delco are always my first choice. I figure if a Delco pump can work for 160K, I'll spend the coin and not have to do it again, cuz I don't think I'll still have the car at 320K.

Same with the Opti. 210K on the orig opti to date, replaced the cap and rotor at 135K.

With that kind of longevity, why would I buy something else?

Good point Jon. I actually had an AC Delco sending unit and pump, but since I had just installed my new pump (last year), I sold it. Live and learn. The sending unit and pump are on the way to me. I will see what markings are on it. If my sending unit looks good I may put the Walbro 255 I have in the garage in it and be done. I can get another of those for the Impala upgrade later on. I will see what I run into. Looks like it shipped today and will be to me on Friday. So I can do the pump and clutch at the same time!!! I will be sure I get home with a fairly empty tank.

Tim - PM sent

Nick Danger wrote:

Any other parts that we should avoid?

Anchor motor mounts and Murray thermostats are some of the others that I have come back quite often. Also usually the cheaper rebuilt starters and alternators are terrible. They are usually warranteed for a year and almost always come back multiple times in the warranty period.

BigBlackBeaSSt wrote:

I appreciate the offer. I hope the Spectra (who knows who makes it) works better.

I don't care what store people buy the brand at, no matter what the defect is the manufacturer's problem in the end. I will always help people out when I can.

Just read up Joel's post on improvements to a sending unit. I will get the soldering gun out and solder as I go.

BigBlackBeaSSt wrote:

Good point Jon. I actually had an AC Delco sending unit and pump, but since I had just installed my new pump (last year), I sold it. Live and learn. The sending unit and pump are on the way to me. I will see what markings are on it. If my sending unit looks good I may put the Walbro 255 I have in the garage in it and be done. I can get another of those for the Impala upgrade later on. I will see what I run into. Looks like it shipped today and will be to me on Friday. So I can do the pump and clutch at the same time!!! I will be sure I get home with a fairly empty tank.

Was the comment about doing the pump and CLUTCH a brainfail or are you still having clutch problems?Hope not Tim!

The Bosch fuel pumps are not one of mv faborites. I had one fail in 30 days, and again a year and a half later. AC Delco all the way.

The Carter pump I put in somewhere around 60k ago is still running.
Who is Carter, you ask? One of the original oem suppliers.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

The Bosch fuel pumps are not one of mv faborites. I had one fail in 30 days, and again a year and a half later. AC Delco all the way.

Good to know. I hate manufacturers with bad quality control.

Well "I know a guy" actually a good guy that works for AZ and moved from my local store to up the road about 30 minutes. He is getting me an AC Delco and I will put that in and he is taking back the AIRCRAP pump. I also have a Spectra sending unit with pump coming of course. If I think my sending unit looks salvageable I will "tune" it and use it. If not I will us the Spectra sender and the AC Delco pump. I will then peddle the pump that came with the Sending unit or save it for a spare. Hope to break ground on this project tomorrow afternoon. Delco pump should be in at 11 am. I will put a puralotor or fram filter in while I am there.

Flasheroo wrote:

BigBlackBeaSSt wrote:

Good point Jon. I actually had an AC Delco sending unit and pump, but since I had just installed my new pump (last year), I sold it. Live and learn. The sending unit and pump are on the way to me. I will see what markings are on it. If my sending unit looks good I may put the Walbro 255 I have in the garage in it and be done. I can get another of those for the Impala upgrade later on. I will see what I run into. Looks like it shipped today and will be to me on Friday. So I can do the pump and clutch at the same time!!! I will be sure I get home with a fairly empty tank.

Was the comment about doing the pump and CLUTCH a brainfail or are you still having clutch problems?Hope not Tim!

Yes you read that correctly Jim. Yet another clutch. The "noise" that sounds like a rattle between the fork and pilot bearing is not going away. Additionally when the car gets hot the clutch becomes tougher to dis-engage. I think the fingers on the clutch are wrong. I will measure them as I pull it and compare it to the new one. Summit is warrantying the clutch. While I am under there I may weld some of the exhaust to reduce unwanted movement. We will see how ambitious I am this weekend.

OH and one of my Billsteins failed on me so I have to replace that a well.......
Under warranty but I am REALLY SICK OF CRAPPY MADE STUFF!!!!!

Tim,you need to approach some of these manufactures and offer your services as a rolling test
bed for their parts.With the mileage you put on your wagon I would say you are a great
canidate.
Jon aka 94X2 you should do the same,no charge but you get to keep the good parts and swap the bad ones!
Just a thought!

new spectra sender and fuel pump when in yesterday. soldered the input harness. most all the other connections were soldered or riveted, so that was all i changed.

bilstein shock was broken! Yikes! replaced that.

tranny came out this morning. slicer my knuckle on a heat shield so taking a break and typing with on hand while Lisa looks for a knuckle bandaid.

BigBlackBeaSSt wrote:

... soldered the input harness....

I soldered the connections on mine too, since the old harness looked like it had burned up from on of the terminals. It can't hurt.