Looking to replace my fuel pump in my 1996 B2500 5.2 van. What's the best brand name pump should I purchase? Is there a particular brand that's better than the others? Any info would be helpful. Thanks.

 

I would think original Mopar parts would be best.
Try Brads NOS, he can be found on line.

I have used Dorman parts in past with no problem.

Also Rockauto.com may have some good suggestions.

 

I've had my 96 B2500 for 22 years. Replaced the fuel pump 3 times -- 4 pumps -- original and 3 replacements. The original pump only lasted 4 years. The dodge replacement part was $300. It lasted about 4 years. A cheap $80 fuel pump from ebay lasted 10 years. I'm on my second cheap pump.

 

Let me add that the reason for failure on all of my pumps was not the pump itself but the carriage that allows the fuel pickup to travel vertically when the pump is in the tank. The guide would wear causing the fuel pickup to snag above the bottom of the tank -- resulting in the van "running out of gas" with 10 gallons still in the tank. In a pinch you could jump up and down on the rear bumper and free it. Otherwise, once the condition surface, you had to keep half a tank of gas in the van until you had room in your schedule to fix it.

Here is a picture of the pump and that's the metal carriage with the slot and two screws.

 

Thank you for the info MarkofCain.. Hard to believe you've been through so many fuel pumps in such short time. I still have the original at 127,000 miles! They say running below a 1/2 tank causes the pump to run hot resulting in the bushings wearing much faster. I'm thinking Rockauto.com, very reasonable. I see what you were talking about in the pic below.. Thanks for educating me.

 

You need to make sure you mark the original pumps position before you remove it! If it's not indexed correctly the sender will not read right. Also the pick up should drop to the bottom if it's working correctly(slots with the two screws). The pump itself sits in a container that fills with gas so even if the tank is empty the pump is submersed in gas to keep it cool.

 

I've had good luck with cheaper aftermarket fuel pumps in these and in my truck... note that one of the primary causes for failure is overheating... since the fuel in the tank is what cools the pump, running the tank empty a lot can lead to earlier failures. Both of the ones I've had fail on my personal vehicles did so after long drives, when I stopped with an empty tank and let it sit... keep gas in the tank and they last a lot longer imho...