My high pressure pump wasn't sucking, so I changed it and it's still not sucking. What is the solenoid bit all about, and is there a solid requirement to prime it?


The long version. Before Christmas I had a tapping as I turned.. I think it was left. Ignored it. Failed to start one day. Bubbles in fuel line from the filter. New filter. No bubbles. No tapping.
Few weeks go by. Tapping is back. I do a bit of uphill duel most days. From full to light throttle to pull off there is a stutter. Then one day, the stutter doesn't stop, I pull off, recovery truck home.
The pump doesn't seem to be sucking. The car is a kuga but I find an S-max that looks right, and has a recon on it, minus a barrel that holds on with a couple of allen keys. Which is fine, as I'm coming back from fetching one off a focus that has the barrel but a different fuel inlet connector. The focus being a pipe a typical two button hose fits on. The Kuga is a hole in the pump, as is the S-max. So I have the s-max pump, and focus barrel bit, but it doesn't suck. It spat a little from the return, but no movement in the fuel inlet pipe. Just like the pump that it replaced. I can use a hand pump to get fuel up the lines to the high pressure, but it falls away as the non-return valve seems to be faulty in the tank. Tank off job, or just chop one in somewhere. I'm told the High pressure pump has a vane type lift stage, so I'm puzzled why it won't lift. Puzzled, and somewhat deflated..

Any ideas? Links to more pump details than a part number? Know about the electrical bits on it? Priming?

Thanks in advance

Edit: This is the pump sat on the focus, showing the barrel bit I had to move over