Bill Andersen wrote:
OK, I have a Rule-Mate 750 (the biggest pump I could get that would connect
to my existing 3/4" hose), It has an enclosed float switch; I think it has
three wires: black, brown, brown/white. I have a West Marine Three-Way Panel
Switch with fuse. I think I may have to remove the pump housing from the
base, which is screwed to the deck, to manually check the operation of the
float.
I'll probably go to West Marine tomorrow and check one out on the shelf.


http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/RUL/RULRM750.html

You're on the right track.
Squeeze the white plastic tabs that insert into the blue "strainer",
and you will remove all the important parts of the pump. (I have a
shower sump pump that works on the same principle, but it uses an
external float switch rather than one inside the strainer). When you
have the pump removed from the base, just simply lift the float and see
if the pump starts up.