OK, still getting ready to install the pump...turns out the old and new pump inlets actually are about the same height. It's just that the existing pump is angled down towards the suction side, where the backend isn't resting on the support. Looks like whoever installed this setup years ago didn't make the suction side pipes out of the ground high enough by about an inch or two and this was their solution...unless it was by design to have all air bubbles travel up to the pump basket?
So, I can either do the same with the new pump and put some rubber mat under the back end to relieve any stress on the joints and install it on the slight angle, replacing like with like. Or, I can try to level the inlet pipe and the pump, but be left with the 2" or so mismatch. I did find a 2" PVC dogleg (offset fitting) online. My only concern is fitting everyhing in the limited amount of space I have. I need to add a union and this potential dogleg fitting all the while making cuts to leave enough piping to slip on the new fittings.
It will be close, so I'm not sure what I should do at this point. Gotta love projects like these...you won't know how everything goes together best until you're half way into it.
Just to show you what I'm replacing...the pump on the right:
So, as you can see, the suction line going into the pump isn't that long and there's only another 6" or so of play to the fence. So, if I try to level the suction line and the pump, I don't have that small amount of space to cut that suction line, add a union and a dogleg and into the new pump.
So, I guess my real question is...Was the angle to the suction line and the pump itself deliberate and should I model that with the new pump?