One thing. Not sure if it's normal but ther is no return to tank like on my 86. Looks like there is a plugged off fitting
This is probably the answer to multiple issues here.
See picture at the back the tee is plugged. I think it can be a 4 way. This is the way it was routed on the newer doner truck (89?)
I don't know why it's plugged, but it there has to be a return in the system.
It's not.
Thinking of just running some small fuel line and running it back to the tank. Is that size fuel line available?
What size of fuel line are you talking about? It's all available somewhere. The factory return line size is 5/16".
I wondering now if I get that leak cleared up the injectors will prime up guick.
They should, but you'll still need to replace the injector o rings.
The reason why I said all of this is because the fuel system was designed to have a return to the fuel tank(s). Without that, there's no place for the extra fuel to go to. This causes pressure to build up inside the return system and then the IP won't pump any fuel (don't ask me on that one. Wes described it one time, but it's way over my head). The extra cranking of the starter, to try to start the engine, kept pushing fuel into your return system. Since it had no where to go, the pressure kept building inside the system, long after the IP quit pumping, until the fuel found the weakest point, your o rings. It's only a guess, but my guess is that the passenger's side built up more pressure, quicker because the lift pump is on that side. That is what made the passenger's side o rings leak first. Once they started leaking, the excess pressure (fuel) had somewhere to go. Along this note, I don't think that your injector lines on the driver's side can actually be cracked and not leak. They would at least be damp if they were cracked. I wouldn't try to use any smaller fuel line than 5/16". That's what the engineers designed it to be and I'm sure that there's a good reason. No matter what I've heard Cummins guys claim, there was a lot of research that was done before releasing these engines to the market just like the Cummins had. I'd stick with the factory sized return line. I would also remove the plug from that 4 way, put some type of connection there for fuel line (I'd used barbed like the factory did), and then hook back up to your truck's return line. That would be the easiest way to do all of that. Once the return system returns to the tank again and the o rings have been replaced, your engine should be running. Assuming that everything else is correct.
