fuel pump going bad or what?

[82 GT]

I was on my home from Columbus Indiana the other day. I got to I-80 in Youngstown Ohio and my engine started to spit and sputter and finally just quit!! I coasted to one of those access roads the cops sit and clock people. It started up after about 5 min and did the same thing 2 miles down the road.
I didn't know what else to do so I called a tow truck and spend the night at Econo Lodge.
I call the garage the very next morning and they said it's just fine and hasn't done anything for them. The spark and fuel pressure was good. So I crossed my fingers and hoped I would make the next rest of the trip home ok. I made it home but am puzzled as to what happened that it quit like that.
I'm thinking maybe bad gas because I don't think the fuel pump would last that long if it was going bad. Any ideas!!
Oh, by the way, I was so mad that I made it from Youngstown Ohio clear across Pa. to Danville in less than 3 hrs!! I was hauling a$$
Oh, when it was sputtering, I noticed small backfires from the exhaust. Is that part of a faulty pump?


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'82 GT 351W C-4,BBK headers,Carter 625 carb,Comp.Cam,Flowmaster exhaust.
1988 GT...T-5,bone stock

[Smokedawg]

Maybe the fuel pump relay??

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347 Stroker Motor: Balanced, Cobra Transmission, Extrude Ported and Polished Upper and ported Lower, GT40 Milled Ported and Polished Heads, B303 Cam, BBK 1 5/8 Headers, 30lb Bosch Injectors, Holley AFPR, March Underdrive Pulleys, Perma-Cool Fan, 3-Core Radiator, Accel Performance Coil, Accel 300+ Racing Wires, Ram Air, K&N Filter, 73mm Vortech MAF, 70mm TB, FlowMaster Exhaust w/BBK Offroad H-Pipe, Hurst Shifter, 3:55 Gears, Ram Clutch, Cross Drilled Rotors, AC and Smog del, rear seat del.

[82 GT]

How will I know if it's the pump or the relay?
I know the pumps are notorious for going bad but what about the relays. Where are the relays located?


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'82 GT 351W C-4,BBK headers,Carter 625 carb,Comp.Cam,Flowmaster exhaust.
1988 GT...T-5,bone stock

[Smokedawg]

If its your 88GT thats doing this to ya, the relay is under your driver seat. My car would die on my sometimes and that ended up being the problem. Although when I found this out I had already replaced the fuel pump anyway. Its only about 10-15 bucks. I am not saying that this is your problem but spending 10 bucks is better than spending 160 on a new pump and then having to go through the trouble of installing it.
When you turn you ignition on, do you hear the fuel pump kick on? If the pump stays on and never stops whining, its probably your relay..

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347 Stroker Motor: Balanced, Cobra Transmission, Extrude Ported and Polished Upper and ported Lower, GT40 Milled Ported and Polished Heads, B303 Cam, BBK 1 5/8 Headers, 30lb Bosch Injectors, Holley AFPR, March Underdrive Pulleys, Perma-Cool Fan, 3-Core Radiator, Accel Performance Coil, Accel 300+ Racing Wires, Ram Air, K&N Filter, 73mm Vortech MAF, 70mm TB, FlowMaster Exhaust w/BBK Offroad H-Pipe, Hurst Shifter, 3:55 Gears, Ram Clutch, Cross Drilled Rotors, AC and Smog del, rear seat del.

[82 GT]

I hear the relay click on and hum for a second and then stop like it's supposed to but lately I have noticed a different pitch in the humming sound.
If it's the pump or relay it probably going to just quit on me for good soon...huh?
Yeah, it my 88 mustang


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'82 GT 351W C-4,BBK headers,Carter 625 carb,Comp.Cam,Flowmaster exhaust.
1988 GT...T-5,bone stock

[John]

How long has it been since fuel filter change, I had the same type of prob. on my old nissan p/u ended up being fuel filter

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89 Notch: ASP Pullies,
K&N Air,Transgo shiftkit,Trans. cooler,FMS 3 core Radiator, FMS 4:10's, 1.5" cowl, cold air kit, hooker shorties(jet hot coated), O/R H-Pipe, ASP solid mounts, Energy Sus. Trans. Mnt. BBK 70mm TB, MSD 6al, Dual elec. fans, 5.0 Firepower Kit, Scorpion 1.6 RR's, always room for more

[82 GT]

I thought about the filter too. It's probably never been changed as far as I know.
Today I did notice a hum from the fuel pump from inside and outside the car. Is it supposed to be that loud? The car runs fine now but I am just waiting for it to quit on me again at some point.
If that loud hum is NOT normal, then how long can I expect it to last before it dies?


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'82 GT 351W C-4,BBK headers,Carter 625 carb,Comp.Cam,Flowmaster exhaust.
1988 GT...T-5,bone stock

[BlackFly]

For what its worth, i'd put money on the pump being shot. 3 for 3 went the exact same way. between my 5.0 and my cousins many 5.0s, thats how they went every time. choke , cough, backfire, die. wait a few seconds to a few minutes and fire it up and drive away. next time was between a few days and a few months later. but then i had to wait longer to fire it up. and then more often and longer. new pump and alls well.change it yourself, and the performance pumps in the states are only 99 bucks.

[MTU 50]

I've had fuel pump problems for about a month now, and I finally figured things out. It started (or failed to start actually) when I was coming home from a 300 mile trip and I was halfway, stopped getting some gas. Came out to the car and went to fire it up and it wouldn't start. I noticed the fuel pump was not coming on when I turned the key, so I checked the inertia switch and that wasn't it. I waited 20 minutes and it still wouldn't fire up. Finally after an hour and a half it started.

I made it home and the next day it fired up fine, but if I drove the car for a long distance or in the heat it wouldn't start. So I replaced the relay(it only cost $9 at Murray's) and that didn't solve the problem. The car never died on me once it was running, but only had problems starting. Well it died for good the other day and yesterday I put on a new holley 190lph pump and that did the trick. Ran some juice through the old pump(which was replaced 2 years ago) and she was dead and finally sputtered on after a couple tries.

The reason I new it was the pump and not the relay is I looked in my Chilton's manual and found the wiring schematic(sp?) for the pump. I located the hot wire, tested it and it read 12.17 volts. Next I tried the wire to the pump and it read about 12 volts. There is another wire that comes from the ignition switch. I tested that and it was fine, but turns off after about 5-10 seconds, because then then the computer takes over control of delivering fuel to the pump. So after figuring all this out I knew it was the pump and put a new one in and voila thankfully that was the problem and not the computer. If you can find a wiring diagram for your 88(my chiltons is for 89-93 only), you should be able to use a voltmeter and find out exactly what the problem is.

Good Luck!

[MTU 50]

Forgot my sig. BTW, I have a 1991 GT.

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1991 GT, AOD, Moroso Cold Air, 3.73s, Pulleys, 3-chamber(the left one fell off-NO time+No Money=College), FMS c-springs, and KYBs