Ihavea 1996 Dodge Ram Van B2500 with 5.2 V8 engine. I bought the van Dec 2001. The fuel pump died about a year later. The replacement lasted about 2 years. And now that pump is bad. What happens is the pump stops picking up fuel, first at 1/4 tank and the keeps getting worse until it stops at about 1/2 tank. Not sure what kind/make the replaement pumps were(rebuilt OEM, I think). Is this normal for the vehical? Is there a pump that is more reliable? And how hard is it to change the pump?

 

The pump is in the fuel tank, so that has to be drained and removed. It's more awkward than difficult to do and of course there's the explosion hazard factor to deal with. Some people have stated recurring problems with using cheaper aftermarket fuel pumps and recommend only getting the pump from a dealer even though it's more expensive. But myself, I have never had a problem with an aftermarket pump (knock wood.)

 

I dont know if this applies or not, but the adding of more ethanol to the gas has been causing problems with theis type of thing in the marine area for quite a while.

 

The next time mine goes and thinks I'm paying another 650.00 to have it replaced, Im dropping the tank myself, cutting an access panel in the rear floor, adding a secure fire proof door on a hinge, then turning the pump assembly into only a fuel pickup/return and fuel level gage, then mounting a remote fuel pump and filter along the frame rail. I should have done this last time but I was pinched for time. Also I was told that having less than a half tank of fuel helps wear the pump out that much faster as the fuel is what keeps the pump in the tank cool. Like anything else heat kills.