A vertical centrifugal sump-type pump utilizing commercially available impeller and volute designs was selected to circulate the fuel salt in the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE). Tests were conducted in water to determine the adequacy of the pump design, to assist design of the prototype fuel pump, and to investigate the effectiveness of xenon removal with high velocity liquid jets contacting sweep gas in thc pump tank. Hydraulic head characteristics were within +1 to -3 ft of manufacturers data for a given constant speed. Adequate and neccssary provisions were devised to control the liquid and gas bubble behavior in the pump tank. The results of priming and coastdown tests are reported. During the gas removal tests, the fuel, xenon, and helium in the MSRE were simulated with distilled water, carbon dioxide, and air, respectively. The best configuration removed carbon dioxide from water at approximately 99% of the ideal removal rate when the stripping flow was 65 gpm and the sweep gas flow rate was 4 scfm. (auth)