Old lug nut, fender washer, and some grease is the easiest DIY way. Or pull the hub off and hammer it in with a socket supporting the hub on the threaded side.
GD
You need the controller for safety reasons. Never hot wire a fuel pump. In an accident, it won't shut down and could lead to someones death and possibly a lawsuit to boot. If you can't afford to replace it, try this.http://www.revolutionelectronics.com/Fuel_Pump.html I use these when I do restorations. Just finishing a frame up restoration on a 68 Mustang and it got one. Works perfectly.
does it run better immediately after an ECU reset? If not, I'd look for a physical problem; vacuum or intake mani leak or dropped valve guide/tight valve as mentioned, etc,
if it does run better after a reset, probably a bad sensor - a:f or knock sensor.....? maybe as simple as cleaning the MAF ???