An 800 double pumper does sound good in theory but if you are just cruising around you may be too rich.If you smell gas at idle you are wasting gas in a street car.Try to find a friend with a smaller carb to test with and get it to temp before checking for issues.As stated that's condensation...
You may have found your problem but don't rule out a bad battery.I had a battery a couple years old and the terminal inside the case was broken.It would start for a while then one day nothing no click,lights nothing.I would twist on the terminal while some one turned the key over to start...
If the pump was mounted in a bind and not tightened down surface to surface removing the gear may relieve the bind and cause the pump to be loose.If that makes sence.
I have some Hookers that do not slip apart but the geometry is different than his.The driver side tube covers the two rear plugs pretty good and his looks to have better access.
Sounds like you may have put the oil pump,drive gear in a bind.So you did start the engine?If so and it didn't have pressure then you most likely damaged the gear or the pump.
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2011/01/chevrolet-corvette-sales-figures.html
This is the sales figures for corvettes since 2010 monthly.So yeah alot of people have that kind of money laying around.Roughly the same price so maybe the mopars will start matching those numbers.
Also those full size...
Was the engine running?While running the shaft the pulley bolts to has a magnetic pull.Never heard of one going so far as to magnetize the pulley though.I wonder if it was over charging?