Not in my experience, depending on the restriction. If the fuel being starved is replaced with air, you get big changes(surging, bucking etc). If it's just drawing a vacuum... it tends to just be anemic because the plungers can't push fuel. It also becomes somewhat retarded due to less internal pressure.
That's what I'm saying. There are more symptoms than boost numbers. The truck will not run normally (doesn't have to be complete stalling/dying/surging), but you will notice more than a change in what the boost gauge reads.
This is why I've had a fuel pressure gauge in the cab of my IDI's for the last 12 years. If the truck isn't running right, I quick glace at the fuel pressure gauge and I know if I have a supply issue or not.
Fuel supply issue here could be easily diagnosed if he (we) knew what his fuel pressure was doing when driving the truck.
Heath