91 sometimes starting...HELP

ok i have a 1991 dodge dakota 5spd 2.5l 4 banger. anyways one day when i went to leave my friends house it wouldnt start we figured out that it just wasnt getting gas. we dropped the tank pulled out the fuel pump thinkin it was bad but no it was ok. so we then figured out to replace the fuel filter. we then...just to see if everythin was hooked up properly jumpered the auto shutoff relay and the pump ran ok. so we put everythin back together started it and drove. i left it that night cuz no insurance n drove the next day. again when i went to leave it wouldnt start at all. i tried jumping the relay again to see if it would turn the pump on but all it did was click so my guess is that the fuel pressure in the lines were already built up enough so it couldnt pump any more. but it wouldnt start so i left it where it was in front of my friends house went back the next day jumpered the relay again to see if the pump would work and the pump ran. so i started it and drove home. after it sat a while it wouldnt start again. it seems like when it doesnt start that if i just jump the relay and then start it it works fine. but without jumpin the relay it will not start. i dont have any idea what that would be and i would like any help possible. thank u very much for any info on this

Your pump is bad. change the relay too, it's cheap.

well thanks i was gonna end up doin that but then the damn rear end went out so im just junkin it :(