After a quick trip to the hardware store I put together a contraption to troubleshoot the issue. This consisted of some brass fittings to fit the flare connections in the fuel system and a hand pump.
I started at the tank to verify to suction tube was not broken or clogged. I was able to pump from the tank outlet and discharge back into the tank. Next I went to the engine compartment and connected the output of the pump to the fuel line leading to the tank. At the tank side, I placed a fitting and hose that discharged into a bottle. I was able to push air and a little fuel in the line with ease. This told me there were no longer clogs between the engine compartment and the tank. I then re-connected the tank and reversed my pump to draw from the tank and push into the primary filter. It was drawing up fine and then when the fuel hit the primary filter it started leaking all around the filter. After removing, inspecting and reinstalling a couple of times I determined the new filter I had installed earlier was defective. After putting on a different filter it sealed up perfectly. I had introduced the filter issue while trying to solve the plugged line issue. After re-priming, the engine started right up and ran strong for 20 minutes until I shut it down.
