Tom,
This type of shurflo:  http://salicos.com/SHURflo.htm
Edward

At 11:44 PM 7/15/2010, Tom Hargrave wrote:
>Is this the Shurflow pump style that most stick on top of a 5 gallon jug of
>water? If so then the pump is self priming. If it no longer primes then one
>or both valves inside the pump are going bad and its time for a replacement.
>
>Tom
>www.towercooler.com
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of
>Edward Maglott
>Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 9:50 PM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: shurflo faucet pump priming problem
>
>I love the shurflo faucet I installed in my Westy sink, but I'm starting to
>have some problems getting it primed.  This shows up when I first fill the
>tank with water, and the problem seems to be getting worse.  I'm also
>getting an occasional squeal from the pump, so I suppose it will die soon.
>I got that replacement pump, mm, maybe 8 years ago.  Is that about right for
>pump life span?
>
>Back to the priming...  Theoretically, I can see where this faucet would
>cause a problem because it has a valve in it, and the original one does not,
>iirc.  So with the original there would be nothing to keep water from going
>into the pump as the tank is filled.  But the shurflo's valve being closed
>would sort of airlock the line all the way down into the pump preventing
>water from entering.  Then you turn it on which opens the valve, but the
>pump is already spinning full of air.  Non-theoretical, why did it work when
>I first installed it and for several trips after that?  I like the valve in
>the shurflo because I can conserve water, using only a trickle when that's
>all I need.  But the pump is going full speed and working against that
>mostly closed valve.  Maybe the shurflo damaged my pump?  I doubt this, and
>can't remember reading anything to that effect.
>
>I was going to wait a few hours and make this a Friday post "subject:
>do you suck your shurflo?"  Yes, when my faucet doesn't work, I suck it.  I
>turn it on and suck it a little and then I hear the pump slow down and it
>starts pumping fine.  On my latest trip, the worsening symptom was that this
>occurred a couple times as the tank got low.  I was on mountain roads so
>there was a lot of sharp curves, which could have sloshed all the water away
>from the pump.
>
>Let me hear your experiences and ideas please.
>Edward