Follow-up.
I ordered a new Airtex E7181M fuel pump. The design has changed - pump, housing, filter media, pump, connections, float/float arm. Nothing could be swapped over. It appears that the original Airtex fuel pump was pulling too many amps and the wiring where I had spliced a wires for length 2" from the pigtail to the pump got very hot and came apart/melted, hence no 12 volts+ to pump. I installed the new pump and fixed the wire. New pump works as it should. Old pump also "works", but is being thrown out since it is likely failing. Float arm had to be slightly bent to be at same height at lowest point as old pump to ensure "empty" on gauge was the same.
I re-used the quick-connect plastic fuel lines, although I would rather have replaced them completely and used hose clamps to prevent any air from entering in the future. The filter pump/sock is actually filtration media instead of plastic perforated holes in the bottom of the old housing. There is also another filter media, difficult to see, under the black plastic cover for the pump/fuel return.
All 10 photos - https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing
