Opinions and/or experience with Autozone Airtex fuel pump for '89 Toyota?

Have an '89 Cressida with 160K plus miles on it, running the factory
fuel pump. No issues currently but looking to take a long road trip
and seems like a good idea to do some pre-emptive wrench turning.

Autozone had two, an "Asian Manf'd" for like $160 something, and an
Airtex for $130 something, Also getting the tank gasket and the pickup
filter.

My brother who does car stuff adamantly insists that anything from
Autozone is garbage - period, that I need to go with either Toyota
parts or what he called "A line" parts from someone *other* than the
well known places like Autozone, Advance/Discount auto parts, Bumper
To Bumper. The problem with anything from Toyota obviously is the
cost. I've never priced a valve stem cap there but I feel reasonably
certain it wouldn't be under $20. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration.

What say you? You think I'd be asking for trouble installing the
Airtex unit? Any other brands you recommend?

Does the term A-line mean anything to you?

Thanks

On 12/13/2010 1:54 PM, muzician21 wrote:
> Have an '89 Cressida with 160K plus miles on it, running the factory
> fuel pump. No issues currently but looking to take a long road trip
> and seems like a good idea to do some pre-emptive wrench turning.
>
> Autozone had two, an "Asian Manf'd" for like $160 something, and an
> Airtex for $130 something, Also getting the tank gasket and the pickup
> filter.
>
> My brother who does car stuff adamantly insists that anything from
> Autozone is garbage - period, that I need to go with either Toyota
> parts or what he called "A line" parts from someone *other* than the
> well known places like Autozone, Advance/Discount auto parts, Bumper
> To Bumper. The problem with anything from Toyota obviously is the
> cost. I've never priced a valve stem cap there but I feel reasonably
> certain it wouldn't be under $20. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration.
>
> What say you? You think I'd be asking for trouble installing the
> Airtex unit? Any other brands you recommend?
>
> Does the term A-line mean anything to you?
>
> Thanks

You should just get a generic electric fuel pump - they're a lot cheaper.

"A-line" is a term for a style of a cut of a woman's skirt. How I can
know this and still be a heterosexual is beyond me. :-)

muzician21 > wrote:
>My brother who does car stuff adamantly insists that anything from
>Autozone is garbage - period, that I need to go with either Toyota
>parts or what he called "A line" parts from someone *other* than the
>well known places like Autozone, Advance/Discount auto parts, Bumper
>To Bumper. The problem with anything from Toyota obviously is the
>cost. I've never priced a valve stem cap there but I feel reasonably
>certain it wouldn't be under $20. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration.

There is a possibility that you may encounter something from Autozone
that is not garbage, but the chances are not good. So the question
becomes, how much of a gamble are you willing to take?

If changing out the fuel pump is a half-hour job under the hood, I would
be willing to take more of a chance on a cheap part than I would if
it was a matter of dropping the tank.

>What say you? You think I'd be asking for trouble installing the
>Airtex unit? Any other brands you recommend?
>
>Does the term A-line mean anything to you?

Yes, go to whatever jobber your brother is using. Get something decent.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

muzician21 > wrote in news:403baeb4-1f86-4804-9e74-
:

> Have an '89 Cressida with 160K plus miles on it, running the factory
> fuel pump. No issues currently but looking to take a long road trip
> and seems like a good idea to do some pre-emptive wrench turning.



WHY? Why on earth would you mess with something that's working perfectly-
well on the daffy hypothesis that on THIS particular trip (and not on all
the other trips the car's been on in 21-years) the fuel pump will conk out?

LEAVE THE OEM PUMP ALONE. By your own admission, it's working fine.

That pump cost $300 when new, and there's a reason why.


>
> Autozone had two, an "Asian Manf'd"


Ah, yes. "Asian Manf'd". ChiCom junk, you mean. The very thing to inspire
confidence while in the middle of Death Valley with buzzards overhead.
Well,you go right ahead and replace your top-quality OEM Toyota pump
(that's working perfectly) with some unknown-quality Chinese knockoff. I'll
send flowers when the buzzards eat your striated musculature.

In this case, the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," definitely
applies. There are other things you can do to make sure your ride keeps you
away from the buzzards, but replacing the fuel pump isn't one of them.

--
Tegger

"muzician21" > wrote in message
...
> Have an '89 Cressida with 160K plus miles on it, running the factory
> fuel pump. No issues currently but looking to take a long road trip
> and seems like a good idea to do some pre-emptive wrench turning.
>
> Autozone had two, an "Asian Manf'd" for like $160 something, and an
> Airtex for $130 something, Also getting the tank gasket and the pickup
> filter.
>
> My brother who does car stuff adamantly insists that anything from
> Autozone is garbage - period, that I need to go with either Toyota
> parts or what he called "A line" parts from someone *other* than the
> well known places like Autozone, Advance/Discount auto parts, Bumper
> To Bumper. The problem with anything from Toyota obviously is the
> cost. I've never priced a valve stem cap there but I feel reasonably
> certain it wouldn't be under $20. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration.
>
> What say you? You think I'd be asking for trouble installing the
> Airtex unit? Any other brands you recommend?
>
> Does the term A-line mean anything to you?
>
> Thanks


Here's a link to RockAuto. They have a Nippon-Denso fuel pump for 90-ish
dollars.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,ca...,parttype,6256

(Scott Dorsey) wrote in news:ie6f0b$34n$1
@panix2.panix.com:


>
> If changing out the fuel pump is a half-hour job under the hood, I would
> be willing to take more of a chance on a cheap part than I would if
> it was a matter of dropping the tank.



If this fellow wants to perform the utterly useless task of replacing a
perfectly-good OEM Toyota fuel pump with unknown Chinese junk, he would be
best advised to take the old pump with him, plus appropriate tools, so that
he may put the old pump back when the cheapo replacement fails on him
during his "long road trip".



--
Tegger

On Dec 13, 6:54*pm, muzician21 > wrote:
> Have an '89 Cressida with 160K plus miles on it, running the factory
> fuel pump. No issues currently but looking to take a long road trip
> and seems like a good idea to do some pre-emptive wrench turning.
>
> Autozone had two, an "Asian Manf'd" for like $160 something, and an
> Airtex for $130 something, Also getting the tank gasket and the pickup
> filter.
>
> My brother who does car stuff adamantly insists that anything from
> Autozone is garbage - period, that I need to go with either Toyota
> parts or what he called "A line" parts from someone *other* than the
> well known places like Autozone, Advance/Discount auto parts, Bumper
> To Bumper. *The problem with anything from Toyota obviously is the
> cost. I've never priced a valve stem cap there but I feel reasonably
> certain it wouldn't be under $20. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration.
>
> What say you? You think I'd be asking for trouble installing the
> Airtex unit? *Any other brands you recommend?
>
> Does the term A-line mean anything to you?
>
> Thanks

If it's not broken don't fix it.

No issues with your motor either but I don't see you putting a new one
of those in either.

Just do your basic tuneup & filter change, brake check etc and I'm
sure you'll be fine.

Btw, Airtex is a good aftermarket brand.

I too won't purchase parts from Advance or Autozone unless I'm broken
down and they are the only thing open.

I'm also leery of brand name products from these places too.. They
should be the same parts as real auto parts stores, but I still don't
trust them for some reason.. I'd rather buy the same product from
Fisher, NAPA, or a mom & pop store.

On Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:28:59 -0800, m6onz5a wrote:

> On Dec 13, 6:54Â*pm, muzician21 > wrote:
>> Have an '89 Cressida with 160K plus miles on it, running the factory
>> fuel pump. No issues currently but looking to take a long road trip and
>> seems like a good idea to do some pre-emptive wrench turning.
>>
>> Autozone had two, an "Asian Manf'd" for like $160 something, and an
>> Airtex for $130 something, Also getting the tank gasket and the pickup
>> filter.
>>
>> My brother who does car stuff adamantly insists that anything from
>> Autozone is garbage - period, that I need to go with either Toyota parts
>> or what he called "A line" parts from someone *other* than the well
>> known places like Autozone, Advance/Discount auto parts, Bumper To
>> Bumper. Â*The problem with anything from Toyota obviously is the cost.
>> I've never priced a valve stem cap there but I feel reasonably certain
>> it wouldn't be under $20. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration.
>>
>> What say you? You think I'd be asking for trouble installing the Airtex
>> unit? Â*Any other brands you recommend?
>>
>> Does the term A-line mean anything to you?
>>
>> Thanks
>
> If it's not broken don't fix it.
>
> No issues with your motor either but I don't see you putting a new one of
> those in either.


No issues with the motor? An '89 Cressida with a 3.0?
ROFLMAO!!!!

Had any head gasket issues yet? If you're going on a long road trip, I'd
make sure the HG is up to snuff! 160K is juat about the time 'issues'
start showing up. On this car, THAT would be my #1 concern before driving
over 250 miles...

muzician21 wrote:
> Have an '89 Cressida with 160K plus miles on it, running the factory
> fuel pump. No issues currently but looking to take a long road trip
> and seems like a good idea to do some pre-emptive wrench turning.

WHY? If the pump tests OK, then leave it alone. Easy enough to test it
using an amp meter and a flow meter. If it is putting out the proper
flow at the proper pressure and drawing withing the proper range then
it's fine.

>
> Autozone had two, an "Asian Manf'd" for like $160 something, and an
> Airtex for $130 something, Also getting the tank gasket and the pickup
> filter.

Both made in China. Both JUNK.

>
> My brother who does car stuff adamantly insists that anything from
> Autozone is garbage - period, that I need to go with either Toyota
> parts or what he called "A line" parts from someone *other* than the
> well known places like Autozone, Advance/Discount auto parts, Bumper
> To Bumper. The problem with anything from Toyota obviously is the
> cost. I've never priced a valve stem cap there but I feel reasonably
> certain it wouldn't be under $20. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration.
>
> What say you? You think I'd be asking for trouble installing the
> Airtex unit? Any other brands you recommend?
>
> Does the term A-line mean anything to you?

Yep. Most parts places carry different levels of parts. From cheap junk
up through high quality parts.

The A- Line are the ones that are factory or OEM manufacturers parts.
Yes they will cost more. That is because they are made to a better
level, tested and actually LAST.

>
> Thanks


--
Steve W.
(\___/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

On 12/13/2010 3:01 PM, Tegger wrote:
>
> WHY? Why on earth would you mess with something that's working perfectly-
> well on the daffy hypothesis that on THIS particular trip (and not on all
> the other trips the car's been on in 21-years) the fuel pump will conk out?
>
> LEAVE THE OEM PUMP ALONE. By your own admission, it's working fine.
>
> That pump cost $300 when new, and there's a reason why.

This is a good point. My suggestion is that he buy a cheap pump and
stashes it under his seat because it will probably make him feel better.
My guess is that the pump is like most other pumps except a little more
heavy-duty. OTOH, I haven't checked one out.