Max-flo 1500 Question

[Fishnut]

We're in the process of getting the pond media cycled, so we set up a small 50 gallon pond on the balcony.  I have a brand new Max-Flo 1500 pump and I packed the basket like casing around it with filter wool.  We discovered that the filter wool got sucked into the intake and the pump was making a high pitched noise.  It got unplugged immediately but we were at work all day, so who knows how long it had been going on.  There was no filter wool in the impeller or the pump...just in the intake pipe.

So we bought a powerflo filter yesterday and hooked it up to the pump with hoses but now there is a vibraton noise coming from the pump!!  We took it apart and there's nothing obvious wrong with the impeller or the impeller shaft.  It fits snugly in the space and spins without making the vibration noise when out of water.  As soon as we put it in, the noise starts.  What else could be wrong with it?

[bergenm]

Were you ever able to fix the pump?