Hey thanks for the replies!
Here's the update : So I got the old fuel pump out and it had lost its filter and had a bunch of black goop on it. Had a broken hose fall off of it, so it was ready to be replaced.
Unfortunately, I could not get the new one to fit in there so I wasn't able to crank it today. I tried fitting it all sorts of ways but could not get those two notches to fit into the fuel tank female receptors.
I saw a video and it looked like one guy didn't make the notches fit and just put the retaining ring back on somehow anyways. I didn't get that far.
I did try to remove the tank but could not get one of the large bolts to budge on the fuel tank shield. Actually bent a socket extender and thought I was moving the bolt
Next time I go back I'll bring some wd-40 for those bolts. In the meantime I'll be researching putting that pump back in, maybe there's a secret. I was also worried there was sludge/parts of the old fuel pump blocking the new pump's entry. And that was the main reason for trying to remove the fuel tank.
Any insights would be greatly appreciated!