OK, so I finally got a chance to do some troubleshooting on the Raider today. As you may recall, my Raider would run during the day, but not start in the evening when time to go home from work. It's sat in the garage for a couple of weeks now, and is repeatably not starting. Here's the results of my diagnosis today:

1) Checked for spark at plug wire and coil wire. Good spark.
2) Pulled the ECU out and took a look inside. No signs of corrosion, no bad smell. Capacitors look good. As an aside, it was interesting to note that this ECU had only 2 47uF caps rather than the 3 of various values listed in the capacitor replacement reference article on the tmo site.
3) Re-installed the ECU, and looked at the voltage on the fuel pump drive connector near the ECU. When cranking voltage is at 10+ volts. Popped the access cover and checked for voltage at the fuel pump connector. See 10+ volts when cranking.
4) Hook up battery + terminal to fuel pump drive connector. Have daughter #2 listen for fuel pump operation. No noise. Switch places, daughter #2 connects the battery, I listen for noise. No noise at all.

So, it looks like the fuel pump is dead. I went ahead and installed my new fuel filter, cap, rotor, and plug wires because I had them in hand, and had the time. Now the questions for anyone who has replaced the in-tank pump in a Gen I 3.0L.

1) Do I really need to drain the tank like it says in the FSM? Or can I just unbolt and lift the pump out of the tank carefully through the access hole in the back of the truck? Is this a "don't do that Eric!" kind of thing?
2) I will be going with aftermarket <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> because paying $500+ for a fuel pump sadly is not in my back pocket right now. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> Anyone have any experiences good or bad with particular brands? Rockauto has an AC Delco for $80, plus another $10-15 for a strainer and another $10-15 for the tank seal. Good deal? Anything else I need to get to do this replacement?
3) Why are the pump/strainer combos so much more expensive than buying the pump and strainer separately? Is there some trick/tool needed to attach the strainer to the pump?
4) Any special priming needed when the pump is installed?
5) Why would the ECU not throw a code if the fuel pump is not operating? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Any other diagnosis recommended before ponying up the $$$ for a new pump?

Thanks!

Eric W.