Fuel pump noise?

[mattbta]

2004 5.3 Flex. 166k miles.

Truck sits quite a bit and gets driven one time a week if I'm lucky. For the last several months I've been running e85 in it...I like the power! It has begun taking quite a lot of cranking to fire. Lately I will "prime" the pump a couple of times, and then it fires up just as normal. Seems like a possibly dying fuel pump to me. The last couple of times, when priming the pump, I notice this super weird electric "scratch" type noise in the video. When I drove it yesterday, I did a couple WOT runs from a stop and it didn't fall on its face. There's no whining when it runs. Thoughts?

Next steps:

Jump the fuel pump relay to see if noise still exists.
Rent a pressure gauge and observe pressures/bleed.

I'm fairly certain a fuel pump is in my future, it's about that time/mileage, but just thought I'd get some other thoughts.

 

[Doubeleive]

yes that is the fuel pump, doesn't sound bad though but that really doesn't mean it couldn't be going out.
a fuel pressure tester is a good idea, pre-start pressure should be around 60-65 psi while running it drops down to around 50 could maybe run a little lower, not sure what minimum is on the nbs trucks

 

[OR VietVet]

What @Doubeleive said, but if there is no fuel pressure when first start, the bleed down could be at an injector and if is doing that, IF, then you may have fuel in the oil. I am assuming you do not have a fuel smell.

 

[Doubeleive]

What @Doubeleive said, but if there is no fuel pressure when first start, the bleed down could be at an injector and if is doing that, IF, then you may have fuel in the oil. I am assuming you do not have a fuel smell.

it would have to be a pretty bad leak down to have low pressure with key on/key-off, that would be a something to check on a leak down test

 

[OR VietVet]

I thought he said he had to prime it, KOEO, a couple times to get it to start quickly. If it has leaked down enough times with an injector, there is likely damge in there but the injector or any leak was a WAG. That is why I agreed with you that is likely the pump but I am a-n-a-l.

 

[rockola1971]

Stereotypical symptom of a dying pump is multiple cold cranks to get engine started. It gets worse until no start condition or pump dies while rolling down the road.

 

[swathdiver]

What @Doubeleive said, but if there is no fuel pressure when first start, the bleed down could be at an injector and if is doing that, IF, then you may have fuel in the oil. I am assuming you do not have a fuel smell.

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