John, what I think you are trying to do applies to an above ground pool where the pump is below the water level. You are bleeding the air out of the chamber. With the pump above the water level this would just empty the chamber even further. This thread seems to be related to an inground pool and probably the pump is above the water level. The air bubble would normally be flushed out of the chamber with adequate flow. The running pressure is a big key to solving this problem.
Al