[Guy]

Guy , 
   I had trouble with the '86 after changing filters a few years ago . At the same time I also replaced the original fuel water separators ( looks like yours) with more modern 
Racor type units . I plumbed an electric pump into the secondary filter housing feeding from a bucket of fuel . The engine started right up and would run as long as the pump
was running , but would not continue running after electric pump was turned off . 
I ended up plumbing a gear pump into the system , just before the Primary filter housing . Ran the pump with a drill until the engine smoothed out . 
Removed gear pump and restarted engine as soon as I could . No problems since .
Evidently I had gotten air in the system and the Detroit fuel pump didn't have enough suction to draw fuel through 40 ft of hoses , etc. The pump is actually a transfer pump ,
the high fuel pressure is developed by the injectors themselves . 
BTW : I also tried pressurizing the fuel tanks to no avail . 
Chris

Richard Entrekin gave me a hail Mary red neck plumbing idea of using a hand pump weed sprayer to the inlet of the primary filter . Same idea as yours just a little different bill of materials ! Tomorrow i will try it. i now know to be prepaired when I replace those obsolete fuel/ water separators. Thanks for responding. This group is amazing