new pump, old well, no water

I am so glad I found this format! Hopefully you all will be able to help.

I have an old shallow well. I thought by turning on the electricity everything would work. Well it did at my last place anyway. Not so here. I took the pump apart and rust fell out everywhere, so I replaced the pump and tank with a 1/2 H shallow well jet pump. Hooked up everything fine and primed.
The water did not go down to the well much, I think I have a lot of air in it and no way for it to escape, so that may be my first problem.
I primed the pump and turned it on. It sputtered for a while and I thought I was getting somewhere until I tightened the priming tee and the sputtering stopped, but no water.
The pump started to get hot and steam, I hope from the water I spilled on it priming it, and smelled a little hot so I shut it off.
Primed it again and nothing happened except the pump again started to get hot. I am thinking overheating, not just normal usage hot.
Could something from the old pipes (rust and stuff) got jammed into the front of the pump. I will be taking it all apart today to see.
Any suggestions? I could really use the help.
Thanks,
Sassy in Iowa

It's always possible that rust and other buildup can get knocked loose when a new pump is installed. A shallow well jetpump has a small nozzle right at the impeller that plugs up rather easily. Check this out, as well as check for any lreaks on the suction side of the pump, too. The tiniest of leaks will allow the pump to suck in air and break prime.
Also, do not let the pump run so long that it gets that hot. Many jetpumps have plastic impellers and guide vanes that can melt.
Just as an extra measure, re-check the voltages of the input power and motor. A mismatch here will cause the pump to overheat and ruin that new motor.
Ron