The fuel pump is loud in the 1994. Mine can be heard easily at idle. One way you can tell if the pump is going bad is how quickly it responds to vacuum changes, e.g. when the brake pedal is mashed. If it sounds lethargic in changing, your are going to suffer a side-of-the-road experience at some point. The noise can be effected by many things, the least of which is a cracked or leaking seal on the top of the fuel tank where the pump mates to the tank.
This problem sounds like an electronic issue to me. I have had bad pumps before and YOU KNOW IT. It will feel like you are running out of gas intermittently and when you are foot-to-floor, the car will feel like you are trying to drive through lake Michigan. Plus, if it smells like fuel... hmmm. Could be anything from return lines, to tuning, to a bad sensor. Check codes. I know that Autozone will tell you that the car has to have the check engine light ON when you go to them, but the OBDII will 'store' codes. Start there.