difficulty priming 4.3 oil pump after oil + filter service

[Griff43V8]

anyone else found that 4.3 pump wont prime after oil and filter change - only c 18k miles from new and excellent pressure and suitable oil

Specialist had to pack pump to prime - c.7k miles back (still excellent pressure), but scares me leaving with new specialist / attempting to do at home

[Griff43V8]

Thats what he did, seems crazy that that should be necessary and having witnessed it fist hand, I am scared stiff of entrusting an unknown mechanic in not running engine ten secs to see if it will self prime to save extra work....

If doing it at home, whats best way of tackling it - havent looked to see how u would pack the pump if necessary

As an interim compromise (because car has been standing over 10 yrs) if I leave filter in place and just change the oil to drive it to dealer to have filter changed will that definitely keep it primed?

[Griff43V8]

.....every engine has its design flaws - how can cos produce millions of engines without evolving such flaws out...
Now I am scared to do it myself and scared to let a garage do it