Fuel Pump going out?

[Hozer 88GTConv]

Mostly occurs after sitting overnight, but car starts up fine. Then, sounds/feels like electric/fuel starvation cut out, you hear a gasping sound from the MAF, like fuel delivery or spark just died. It'll surge a couple of times then die.
After it cuts out, I hear the fuel pump prime and several clicks in rapid suggestion, which sounds like a relay tripping over and over again. The fuel pump relay is OEM and gets pretty hot, but I think that is a symptom of the 255lph pump. I put a fp relay from autozone on it and it burned it up in less than 10 minutes. I put the OEM one back on and it has been "working" ever since.
The MSD wires are good, the MSD distro had a little corrosion in it but it is clean, the blaster coil is new, and the plugs are new gapped at .050.
FP is set at 41 PSI, and holds at 36 PSI at idle w/ vacuum connected. I rev it and fp drops a few psi on the gauge.
FP rapidly drops to 20 psi on the gauge after it cuts out.
I checked/cleaned the TPS (.98vdc), IABV (11.5vdc at idle avg),
and ECT (steadily decreasing voltage from 2.0vdc down to 1.4 vdc as engine began to warm up)

After it comes up to operating temp it seems to run well, with only the occasional cut out. I already bought another pump (BBK 255lph)
and will put it in after I drive around today and empty the tank.

thanks in advance...and happy new year, hope everyone gets some cool tools. I'm holding out for a Anderson PMS!