Fuel Pump?

[wadee]

I have a 1993 Astro with about 116K on it. Vin W. For the last couple months I have had intermittent starts. Sometimes it would start right up and sometimes i had to crank it, wait, then crank again, wait then start. I have seen allot of posts that say that the fuel pumps are a big problem in these vans. Something to the fact that it needs 60psi to start which would explain the hard start sometimes. This morning it would not start at all and it is the first time it has not started for me at all. Does this sound like my pump is the problem? I am about to replace it Just want to see if anyone has any thoughts before I drop the tank and replace the pump. Is there a specific kind of pump I should get? I do plan to check the relay over on the passenger side of the van to see if there is any corrosion and see if it kicks on.

[wadee]

I came home after work just to move the van up in the driveway to get it ready to do work on it. For smerks I decided to try and start it. Well what do you know it started right up. PLease offer me any ideas!!

[tableman]

I would check out your fuel pump relay first before the expense of changing the fuel pump. With these vans if the fuel pump relay is shot, the fuel pump is also electrically fed from the oil pressure switch, but there has to be oil pressure before it will fed the fuel pump, that may explain why when you turn it over and over again it will start, because you have built the oil pressure.
Can you hear the fuel pump running?

[wadee]

I had the same thought so I went to a junk yard a got a couple of relays. I put one in the van and it started right up and ran very good. I do notice the fuel pump now when I turn the key on. Probably because I am more aware of it due to my problems. Coincidently my father and I replaced the evaporator coil on the AC which is located right under those realys. The more I think of it I really did not start having the problems untill after that. So maybe we pulled a wire or something. But with the weather being warm and the back up circuit from the oil pressure switch maybe I would not have noticed untill the weather change making it harder for the oil presure to reach the 4psi it needs to actuate the pump. I have my fingers crossed. Has anyone heard about these pumps having intermittant dead spots? I thought I read that somewhere. That would be mu only fear now!