Last 5ktq Fool Pump Q...I hope

[Steve Buchholz]

> Did you have any gunk collected on the screen for the original pump?  If 
> not, I'd say your tank isn't flaking and I'd leave the screen on the pump 
> just like Audi & Bosch intended.   I think screen removal was a TSB 
> suggestion for cars where the tank lining had been coming off in pieces 
> that could plug up the screen and starve the pump, which leads to early 
> demise from lack of cooling by the fuel.  If the pump you removed has 
> nothing on the screen and if you see no sign of stuff floating in the gas, 
> I'd elect to keep the screen.
> 
... well, my BTDT on the screen on the BiL's car was that the tank was clear as well ... and while the screen was damp with fuel it looked like it would not impede the flow of fuel ... but once the screen dried it was covered with a thick layer of some sort of plaque ... and the car worked great after the screen was removed ... the pump noises were quieted  significantly as well ...

... I have spent a bit of time thinking about the subject of removing the screen ... and I have decided that the only component that would experience any increased chance of failure is the pump itself if it ingested enough chunks of "solid fuel" ... with a secondary effect being that perhaps the filter might get filled more quickly ... but if the tank is clear this should not be a concern.  I'm thinking that the extra stress of forcing the pump to draw through a clogged screen has got to impact the longevity of the pump as well ... 

Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)