Cranks, but does not start

Any help would be appreciated.

I have the car listed above 5-speed manual.

Background: no previous signs of a problem and running strong until I jacked up the car to replace the lower and upper passenger side motor mounts. Upon completing the repair, I tried to start to car to check the state of the motor mount repair and the car would crank over, but not start. There is no sputtering or attempts to start, it just cranks in a cyclical, metered way.

Steps taken thus far, pre-fuel pump change:

1. I inspected the fuel lines where I jacked up the car to see if something got crushed. No damage. I later inspected the entire field line from the gas tank to the engine compartment and there are no problems or leaks.
2. The car has a full tank of gas.
3. I checked the fuses in both compartments. I also made the effort to swap the larger fuses (given they are 6 that are the same, including the fuel pump) to see if the problem corrected itself or moved to another component.
4. I checked if there was pressure between on the flex tube connecting the metal fuel line (feed from tank) where it terminates inside the engine compartment to the engine. Yes, it was under pressure. No damage, no leaks.
5. I put my ear by a gas filler tube to see if I could hear the fuel pump cycle, and I could not hear a sound.
6. (Strange and possibly a clue) I noticed than when trying to start the engine, the fuel gauge rises from below e to up to e and then after 2 seconds drops back down below e even though there is a full tank of gas.
7. Assuming it was the pump, filter, send unit, float. Etc, I purchase an aftermarket complete fuel pump unit and put it in today.
8. I took care to clean the tank outside and inside before reinstalling the unit.
9. I took care to install the new pump exactly in the same position as the original pump. I took care to ensure that every electrical connection and hose were correctly reinstalled.

Post fuel-pump change:

10. I added gas and ensure there were no leaks. I cycled the switch to prime the new pump and it is still not starting. There is no sputtering or attempts to start, it just cranks in a cyclical, metered way.
11. I checked the fuses in both compartments. I also made the effort to swap the larger fuses (given they are 6 that are the same, including the fuel pump) to see if the problem corrected itself or moved to another component.
12. I put my ear by a gas filler tube to see if I could hear the fuel pump cycle, and I could not hear a sound. (Same as before)
13. No pressure: I checked if there was pressure between on the flex tube connecting the metal fuel line (feed from tank) where it terminates inside the engine compartment to the engine "it is not under pressure".
14. Same problem. I noticed than when trying to start the engine, the fuel gauge rises from below e to up to e and then after 2 seconds drops back down below e even though there is a full tank of gas.

Thoughts?

A block in the fuel link between the tank and engine? But given the fuel pump does not make an initiating sound and the gas gauge still stays below e even with gas in it, it seems less likely the cause.

I am lost. Please help.

Thank you.