About 5 or 6 years ago I replaced the fuel pump on my '82 CE with the upgraded '85  AC Delco pump.  All went well until the connection hose from the pump to the sending unit split recently.  Apparently, the hose on the aftermarket sending unit I replaced did not have an ethanol friendly hose with it.  I also noticed that the rubber around the fuel pump had also turned soft and was coming off.

I doubt anything in the fuel system on that car is tolerant of alcohol fuel. I would try finding a place that sells pure gas from now on.

|UPDATED|6/5/2018 4:59:49 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

That rubber piece us there for noise insulation, as well as keeping the lower part of the pump from flopping around in the bracket, which will eventually cause the pump and bracket to wear into the metal. So, yes...you need it, or something similar, to keep the pump stable in the bracket.

http://www.c3vr.com/vrforums/c3-fuel-emission-control-and-exhaust-systems/82-crossfire-injectors-wont-fire-solved/451367/

|UPDATED|6/5/2018 5:44:19 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

I replaced my fuel pump (`82, spec pump vs. `85 pump) and all was great until the sender stopped working after a few weeks because the Willcox-sourced sender had a wire solder issue which they replaced.  But, during the replacement after 4-5 weeks I noticed that the small rubber hose that you referenced was already soft and soggy.  It felt the same as the 35 year old hose which was on its last legs. It was a blessing that the sender prematurely failed because my wife and I take our car on an extended annual cross-State trip (from Canton, MI to Lexington, MI on Lake Huron) which could have caused a catastrophic failure. So, I went to the local parts store and specified that I needed a "fuel rated hose" replacement.  It is critical to request a "fuel rated" hose which is slightly more expensive, but makes all the difference in the world.  It cost less than two bucks for the small hose piece and it has performed flawlessly.