So I pulled the fuel pump per detailed instructions from Spook- very helpful, thank you. I set the pump to the back of the wagon and seal off the port with a plastic bag and some rubber bands thinking I won't be going back into it until I get the replacement pump. I think, what the heck, I'll try connecting this again just to see if it works or even get a chirp out of it. I plug it in, jump the fuses and it's whirring like there's no tommorrow ??? O.K., well surely it won't work under a load- I stick it in a bucket of gas and run a line off the fuel delivery hose and it streams like gangbusters. What? So, I put it back in the tank, hook up the line from the delivery line to the engine and leave the return line going to a bucket. Jump it and fuels coming back from the rail thru the return line???? So, I connect the return line and temporarily put the filler line and vent line back on. Jumped it and can hear it running perfectly- I was not able to get but a chirp out of it prior to removing the pump and sender unit from tank. I put the fuses back in, try cranking it and the engine fires right up !!!!!!
So, I guess what I'm asking here is- do I have a pump that's questionable at best? Perhaps the roughhousing I gave it got freed something up within the confines of the pump itself? Stuck brush? Something in the impeller?

Any ideas? Thanks for all your help thus far