So when the truck is at idle i get a drip of diesel every second or 2, not a diesel guy, but ill try to explain, there looks to be 4 hard fuel lines coming down from each side of the block, I'm assuming that they are routed to the injectors, the drip seems to be coming from flare nut that holds them there, there are also some rubber lines, i think that they are the return lines, i guess they mite be coming from one of those. This has gotten worse since I ran it out of diesel.
The starting problem that i am about to mention never happened until the truck ran out of fuel.
The other thing that is going on, it starts great when cold, but when its warm it is a pain in the *** to start, last time i killed the batteries and had jumpers on it for 45min, when it finally started it blew a abnormal amount of black smoke out.
Most of the time hard starting hot is because your injection pump is worn and after you shut it off the heat thins the fuel and causes the pump not to pressurize the injectors. You should make sure there is fuel getting to your injection pump. If there is you can try to blead the injector lines. If you can not get fuel out of them make sure the pump is getting power. If it is you probley need to have the pump rebuilt. If you run it on low sulpher fuel this could have caused a problem with it. Post a picture of your fuel leak. It more that likely is not why it will not start with only a few drips.
You should make sure there is fuel getting to your injection pump. If there is you can try to blead the injector lines. If you can not get fuel out of them make sure the pump is getting power. If it is you probley need to have the pump rebuilt. .
I am agree... you may have plugged your lift pump and or filter when you ran the truck out of fuel... that is when all the crap in the tank will work its way to the engine. also with no fuel in the lift pump that is when it is prone to fail. al it take s is a pin hole internally and you will have issues