Yah it's a cheaper pump. I figured I'll probably just have to buy one. It was in the garage with a heater so it shouldn't be freeze damage. Wouldn't you think if you took the out hose off the pump and started it water would come out if it was pumping. It's a open hole so there wouldn't be much pressure but something would come out
I have an AR pump on my pressure washer.
On my pump, I prime the pump and hoses before starting the engine by running water all the way through for a minute and it should free flow through the pump when not running, just like your thinking.
Eliminate the possibility of a blockage in the plumbing.
Blockage would be the first thing to check.
During winter storage, whenever I get a chance, I keep the ignition off and pull the start cord a few times to cycle things to keep them moving, and I can hear the pump pistons cycling, and can hear a burp of air as it cycles.
You might want to try to manually turn the pump pulley and check to see if the outlet puffs any so you can tell if the pistons are cycling or not, you should be able to hear them cycle also.
Still seems like a blockage, because water should flow around the pistons and out if it can get there.