we have our annual memorial day weekend get-together coming up, and i'll be in trouble with the wife if i don't get the heater up and running in time...

it's a natural gas minimax heater. had no problems lighting the pilot, but the heater will not fire up. i could sure use some diagnostic help. as i turn the thermostat knob, i'm pretty sure i can hear clicking at some point, although it's hard to say for sure with the pump running 18 inches from my ear when i listen for it.

i've had trouble in the past with spiders blocking the gas jets. if that's the issue, would nothing happen at all? how can i get to them to see/clean? i've done some electrical work on other stuff, so i'm fairly comfortable with a VO meter. how can i check the electrical stuff with the VO to see if it's an electrical issue with a part that i could replace? any help would be tremendously appreciated.