THanks Ed - a better adapter will be in the works.
I took the oil pump off yesterday. Disassembled the relief valve and the piston is stuck. When I say stuck I mean welded stuck at the bottom of the bore (no buypass position). I could not free it so used the plate off a fairly new pump I had and now back in business. Bleeds off at 55 psi just as it was preset earlier.
The builder thinks that when he cleanedthe pump off after checking in oil he might have also displaced the oil in the pump or at least to the extent some corrosion formed and froze the piston in place.
I would say the heat from brazing but he tack welded the pick-up on so heat generally is not as high as brazing.
Eitherway - problem solved, set me back a day, but no damage done.