no the motor was not primed, couldnt find how to run the pump on it's own.
I aborted the start when the tailcone began glowing.
By the next attempt it was primed.

Actually I think we found the problem. When I put my finger in the front to spin the blades, it will not spin freely. It appears that the cup on the starter is not disengaging from the nut. This would make since about the motor not spooling fast enough.