Help! Fuel pump issue?

[cstanley]

okay, desc. of problem goes like this.
when i actually have somewhere to be, the truck runs for about 5 miles (sidestreets and go-betweens) before it dies from, i guess, fuel starvation. after it sits a while, it'll run again.

recently, it's done it to me and it won't run again for about 24hrs, which means tow truck. what i've noticed is this: the clear fuel filter will empty itself, and fuel will only sporadically pump back in, but never filling it up. i can see this when i crank it. pump, pump, no more pumping. then after sitting, it will start pumping again and begin to fill the filter, and therefore the line to the carb. then it will eventually crank and burn the fuel in the filter until it's empty, but no more fuel entering.

i removed the small qjet filter in the carb, while still keeping the inline one, but that didn't help. even when the filter is full of fuel, i can't smell any gas in the carb (read my lips. no new fuel.)

what gives? the pump is only a few years old, and there's almost no rust accumulation in the filter. lines from the tank to the pum seem good, not kinked, and fuel flows through.

anyone else experienced similar? it's a rochester qjet carb, 350 motor.