96 RM Fuel Pump

I took it to the mechanic and he told me that it was the fuel pump but he said it would cost almost 500 dollars to replace the pump filter and some kind of sleeve....if i've never done this kind of work before would it be extremely difficult and if so am i being overcharged?

$500 sounds a little high so you might want to call around. The pump itself is probably $100-$200 so the rest is labor. If you've never done this kind of work it would be best left to a pro. If not, just drop the tank, pull the pump out of the top, unhook the lines and wires, put the new pump in and hook it all back up. Can't imagine it would take a pro more than an hour to install a pump. $100-$200 for the pump + $75hr labor = $175-$275. Call around first.

A fuel pump form Napa is under $100 and is easy to change. If you have a wagon it's real easy. If it's a sedan you need to remove more parts (filler neck & fuel lines). You will need special tools to remove fuel lines (they are sold at most auto parts stores).

The pump for a '96 runs from $70 to $85 on www.rockauto.com . A couple of the pump manufacturers recommend that you also replace the wiring harness to the pump,( a good idea since it's a labor intensive job in the first place , you don't want to have to do it again.) The cost of the harness is $7 to $8.50 depending on manufacturer, not a bad price to begin with. The other thing that is good to replace since you're already in there is the fuel pump strainer. This can range in price from $4 to $14, again depending on manufacturer. This is the first line pf defense against dirt in the fuel system from making it's way to your engine, so replacing it is a good thing, especially if your old one is the original one. Here is a pic of what it looks like:http://info.rockauto.com/getimage/getimage.php?imageurl=http%3A//info.rockauto.com/Carter/CARTF.STRAI.PI.STS-2.jpg