Water (bilge) pump funny business

[DirtyMartini]

I recently bought an Ericson 35 MKII. The previous owner had install a brand new Jabsco 18660 water pump for the bilge. It worked fine the first few times I used it and then just quit one day.

After isolating the variables it seems the problem is with the motor itself. With the pump housing removed and the motor connected directly to the battery it motor has trouble getting going. It's like it can't overcome its own internal static friction but then starts spinning if you give it a tap to break the shaft free.

I probably need to replace the motor itself but I've never seen this kind of behavior in an electric motor before. Any ideas?