I've had a problem lately with my '89 Montero 3.0L where it takes a LONG time to start in the morning... maybe 4 or 5 tries. Since this only happens when it's sat for 12 or more hours, I'm thinking that fuel is draining out of the lines due to a bad check valve. Can I assume that Monty's have an internal one built into the pump? Is this a typical malfunction or am I barking up the wrong tree? I realize that I could be having issues with the ECU or even the pressure regulator -- but I'm not noticing any other fuel delivery problems at any other time. First thing I did was to replace fuel filter without any change. Could this be a sign of the pump about to fail completely? I don't want to deal with the hassle and cost of replacing the pump, but at 200,000 miles -- I have no idea if it ever has been replaced. The manual also talks about testing/checking the "fuel pump drive control system" -- is this referring to the ECUs ability to turn on the pump when you turn the key? I don't understand where this is/how to test.

Just wondering if anyone has experienced similar or has some thoughts on the most logical cause.

Thanks for any help,
Bryan