The whole line's been checked (twice), found a couple problems which we fixed, we've applied vacuum to it too and it wasn't sucking air last time we checked (it's been gutless ever since though), I'm wondering if the diaphragm in the electric pump is not doing its job, as it did sit around in my friend's garage for a few years before I ended up with it... I know currently the fuel filter in at the carb leaks a little (gonna tighten that when I charge up the battery, soon!) but it's on the wrong side of the fuel pump to be drawing in air... Unfortunately I can't even take her for a drive around the block right now because I'm having some issues with changing insurance companies (the girl who set it all up for me left the company and didn't get everything done and left a big mess the replacement is still trying to untangle) and I can't renew my plates till it's insured. Hopefully Wednesday is garage-cleaning day so I'll have room to work on it again. And also it will no longer be barricaded in by scrap metal we need to take to the recycler!
The mechanical fuel pump doesn't leak and is fitted well, it just doesn't move as much as it should (new-ish pump which makes me suspect it's the cam on the engine that's worn) so I left it attached. I suppose I could just attach the two hoses together and bypass it, but so long as it's not leaking I can't see it actually impeding the flow... unless there's something about engine-driven mechanical fuel pumps that I don't understand (which is distinctly possible). But when I had the thing out, if I squished the plunger, it would squirt gas just fine...