Is my fuel pump on its last leg?

[Harlow]

So in the past few days I've noticed some periodic "surging" of my motor. as If I was letting off and getting back on the gas. These symptoms would only last for about 10 seconds and then all was fine again. This would happen going about 50 miles an hour. Tonight, when I took it out it started to surge again, then it wouldn't accelerate, but still stayed running and finally died all together. It was extremely hard to get it started again, when I looked at the fuel filter it was dry. It took lots of cranking to get it started again. Also once I got it started I had to keep my foot on the gas just to keep it up to idle speed, then all of a sudden it was like it got fuel again and the rpms picked up to where they should be with my foot on it. Then it would idle in gear and I would start driving again and make it a few hundred yards and it would do the same thing. Couldn't accelerate, came down to idle speed and then died. Does it sound like a bad fuel pump? I've noticed that while working on the engine sometimes the fuel filter would be full and other times it would be empty, but the engine never seemed to stumble or be starved for fuel so I figured it was alright. What do you think?

[Bobs69]

Something similiar happened to me yesterday.  Car was idleing while I was looking at a boat, got in drove down the road and it quite.  I assumed I was out of gas.  Fortunately I was able to coast/get out and push on the fly to the gas station.  Got it running and took it on the highway.  Stopped at the end of the ramp.  Turned and went on my way again.  Next stop it died again and didn't want to start.

[RECHRGD]

Check the sock (filter) on the pick-up in the tank.  I could be clogged up with old gas residue and only letting a little fuel pass through it..   Bob