[sluggo]

Are you priming the system?  Sot sure where you seastrainer is but mine is hard plumbed right to the intake side of the pump.  Take the cover off the seastrainer and slowly open the seacock until water over flows out of the top of the seastrainer.  Then put the cap back on, and fully open the seastrainer.  Did you say the Tech bench tested the pump and had the same symptom?  Just a click and then nothing?

Yes we primed the pump by doing what you said, and yes I said the tech bench tested the pump, and it ran for a few seconds and shut off, and it was primed as well (as far as I know).  His solution is to order new pumps, which is fine, but there is something in me that thinks we are missing something.  thanks for the help.