Reminds me of what I was told the difference between a mechanic and a technician was. "A mechanic replaces all the heat shields, brackets and spacers, a technician doesn't need all those parts".

Yup, there should be a plastic cover over the fuel pump. It is a accumulator for road grime and gunk so it was probably discarded at some distant time when the fuel filter was replaced.

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“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now