Question: Fuel Pump Silencer

["Tom Forhan" <TFORHAN@hr.house.gov>]

     Saturday I finally got around to opening up the fuel tank
     to replace my very loud fuel pump.

     The Bentley doesn't give many hints on getting access to the access
     cover, at least for Wagons, but after divining that, the step by step
     instructions went pretty well, improvising around the recommended
     special tools.

     By the way, here's a helpful hint of the day:  Although the Bentley
     says you need to have the fuel level down to 2/3 before attempting
     this operation, I do not intend to open it up again unless the fuel
     gauge is in the red!

     Anyway,  the thing at the bottom of the tank did not look like the
     replacement pump...closer examination of the Bentley followed.
     A diagram showed a bunch of stuff attached to the top and bottom of
     the pump, hiding the nature of the beast that was sitting at the
     bottom of the tank.

     What is all this stuff, anyway? The Bentley spelled it out...including
     the little mexican hat looking thing on top: the fuel pump silencer!
     Duhhh....I never knew there was such a thing, nor heard it mentioned
     in any of the numerous noisy fuel pump posts over the last year.

     I decided to seal it all back up until consulting the list. Anybody
     just replaced this silencer part? Should I replace this part *and* the
     pump? Anybody replaced the pump but *not* the silencer, and been
     blessed with peace and quiet? Help!



     TIA

     Tom F.
     90 200 TQW IA Stage I