Help! Fuel Pump Filter?

[Donne Trav]

While trying to solve what appears to be contaminated gas (water/dirt),
problem I've been experiencing lately I pulled the "Sending Unit"/Fuel Pump and noticed a black "soot" like substance on the outside of the "finely" meshed fuel pump filter. It wasn't much, but I'm concerned if some of this could have made it thru to the fuel filter and be causing the "low speed" cutting back I've been experiencing. I probably shouldn't have, but in the last almost 2 weeks, I've added 3 or 4 different gas additives (Sea Foam, Heet & Valvoline Gas Treatments, etc.) to a little over a 1/2 tank of gas trying to rid this problem. It didnt seem to help & might have gotten worse. After thinking about that, I then topped off my tank with some Chevron petrol hoping to dillute the additives. I now have almost 3/4's of a tank. This A.M. it appeared to start responding better when I accelerated, but not totally. My thought now is to run the gas almost to empty before moving on to the fuel filter, injectors, etc. I would certainly appreciate your thoughts/advice on this matter.
Thanks as usual.

 

[LT4man]

Chevrolet recommends changing the fuel filter when it is clogged. Not what I would do.

About every 30,000 miles is good preventive maintenance.

I would change out your fuel filter right now.

You are on the right track in getting pure gasoline back into your tank!

I would also not let your gas level go below 1/4 tank. The gasoline cools the fuel pump and you do not want a HOT fuel pump. This would cause the fuel pump to fail.

SAVE THE GOSH DARN !