MG Car Repair: 1974 MGB, battery changeout, backyard mechanic

Question
QUESTION: I recently put a new battery in my MG. The fuel pump was working prior to the battery changeout. It generated a few sparks as I was connecting the terminals.  Then when started the engine died after a couple of minutes.  I noticed that the fuel pump (original) is not working.  Have I killed my fuel pump?  There seems to be an extra electrical connector that is not hooked up. With the battery connected I now have a constant red light on at the dashboard even if the ignition switch is off.  What does this signal.  Can the fuel pump be reparied or should I just buy a new one?  When I was looking at it last weekend it appeared that if I change it out there will be a steady fuel leak.  I dont have a rack at home and jacking it up doesnt really get me much room.  Is it a change out that will get too complicated for a backyard mechanic?

ANSWER: Hi Michael,
If you had sparks when you connected the battery, it is a sign you either had something turned on at the time or you connected the battery up backwards. Inspect the heavy brown wire on the alternator and tell me if any of the insulation is melted.
Howard

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Howard I dont think I connected the battery backward as the car started up and ran for a couple of minutes after I connected the battery.  I do believe though that I possibly have a connection problem down at the fuel pump as I saw two wires just braided together leading to the fuel pump.  It is possible that I have simply blown a fuse somewhere as these wires could have easily been laying against the chassis and shorted when I connected the battery. But now I dont understand the red light that stays on when the battery is hooked up even when the ignition is switched off. Does this light indicate a blown fuse?

As an aside I have a slight short somewhere in the system anyway as this is about the third battery I have been through in the past few years.  Maybe that bare connection has been a slight short all along?

No sign of melted insulation at the alternator.  I looked through the fuses by the right front firewall and could not find one blown.  

Answer
The little light is the exciter wire for the alternator and when the key is on, power is supplied to the light and the light is grounded in the alternator when there is no charge. With the key off there should not be any power supplied to the light from the switch. However, if you have an alternator problem where power is supplied from the alternator it may light the light. You need to remove the wires from the back of the alt. to see if the light goes out. If it does check the see if the small spade at the alt is supplying power. Or if the light does not go out when you remove the wires, then you have a wiring problem and need to look at a wiring diagram and trace that circuit from the light on to the alt.
Howard