Yes, #13 although that looks like an O-Ring in that drawing, but does the same thing, seals off the end of the driveshaft against the plate.
Drawing up thru the drive is iffy unless you can get the water really high. When I use a tub (big tote like you have) i have to have the drive tilted a little to get it under it and then get it all the way up against the transom shield and under the tilt levers, then run the drive back down and keep moving the tub forward in steps.. I have the DuoProp though and the length of the props makes it a challenger to get the leg down into the tub. I loosen the front cover on the pump and pour water in there and tighten it back up just to get some "lube" to the impeller as it does take a little bit of time, 30 seconds or so, to draw the water up. I always keep the hose running so as not to reheat and recirculate the "same" water. I also use a rubber tie down across the width of the tub so it does not spread out too much, keeps the water level just a little higher. It is kind of messy. Afterwards I siphon the water back out of the tub so I can move it again.
It is probably worth a trip to the lake and try it there first if you can find a not too busy time at the ramps. If it draws ok there then you know the pump and plumbing up to it is OK. The water level will force water on into the hoses that hook to the pump and the pump will prime very quickly. You can still have an air leak between the grates and the transom, like in the raw water nipple on the intermediate drive, or the hose that connects to it and goes thru the transom. All of that is underwater when just floating or backed in on the trailer so the pump will draw then. Up on plane, or in the tub, is a different scenario and is when plumbing problems after the grates and before the transom will show up. I had to replace the nipple on mine as it had corroded away all under the hose, not readily seen from the outside. I took it off when doing the bellows and saw the problem and replaced it and the hose that goes thru the transom. By the way, on these VP drives you only need to remove the top section of the drive to get at the ujoints and drive bellows, no need to remove the entire drive just do it right on the boat.
One good thing with the VP setup is that water will stay in the pump for the "next" time due to the hose routing, as they go up some the the pump. So even an accidental bump of the key will not stress the impeller for a few seconds. Of course that is one more winterization item, to remove the pump cover to drain. For really cold climates Volvo wants you to take the impeller out and store in a bag of water at room temp.
I do realize some of these points are elementary and known by the ones reading, but I tend to get wordy so any future searchers with similar problems will find it and maybe get some help from it long after Doran has cruised into the sunset with his "cool" AQ260...
