91 318is Fuel Pump "Strainer" - Please help...

[gojira]

Purchased my 318is last week from well-meaning young man with no previous BMW experience. He states that at some point over the last 12 months he replaced the in-tank fuel pump witha fuel pump that he did not know the make/model of and he did not keep the receipt. He did not install the fuel pump "strainer" as he had no idea what it was and had never been exposed to a fuel pump strainer before. Soooooo:

1. Has anyone seen anyplace that sells the strainer separately or am I going to have to drop 300.00 to get a new fuel pump?;
2. If it is sold separately, I would assume that I will need to pull the pump to get the brand and model number, right?;
3. Do you believe that this is absolutely something that must be done immediately (I just dropped some money for essential tie rods, guibo, oil, filter, plugs and wires and if I could wait a month before spending on a new fuel pump that would be awesome)?.
4. Is it true that I can replace both fuel pumps with a 325i fuel pump? If so, is the replacement in the tank or in-line?

Thanks,

Damien

[DesktopDave]

There's only one in-tank pump in the late e30, but I think the strainer is the same for mostly any e30.

I wouldn't worry about it immediately, unless the tank is original.  Rust sediment will kill a pump quickly.

I'm not 100% on this but I thought the lift pump in the earlier e30's is the same size.

[DanOKC]

I sorta have the same situation. I borrowed a sock from a brand new pump I got for a 2002 megasquirt conversion to fix up a good used pump for my 318is. When I pulled the bad pump out, the sock on it had pretty much fallen apart. I just did a search for fuel pump sock, as I couldn't find it as separate part on realoem. Here is a link to a Bosch fuel pump sock for BMW motorcycles. It looks very close. 10 bucks.

http://www.euromotoelectrics.com/BMW_K_R_Fuel_Strainer_Sock_16_14_1_341_233_p/ff-233.htm

Summit web site & autozone & others have the airtex brand strainers,
http://www.summitracing.com/search/Make/BMW/Model/318IS/?keyword=Fuel+pump+strainer  That FS10 strainer is also listed at autozone's web site.