since i have done everything to the car (carb rebuild, new water pump, alternator, march serpentine swap, flexalite fan), i have had it started it once (using carb cleaner to get it to fire). it cranks fine, and i can see my fuel going into the fuel filter, and Fuel Pressure gauge slowly creeping up, but it still wont fire. i am pumping the gas like crazy but wont smell gas in the carb...

one other thing is that after i stop cranking, the fuel filter is dry within 30 secs.

i am baffled, especially considering that it ran fine for like a half hour after i used the carb cleaner as starter fluid.

 

it sounds like a clog in the fuel line to me. my car did that the other week. running fine and then all the sudden would start then chug and die and the fuel just rushed back down out of the filter and be dry in about 20 seconds. it hadn't done this before. I did adjust the choke a little b/c it was opening too quick and getting to much air. turns out our mechanic who built our engine didn't put a fuel filter in when he said he did. I took carb apart and found some debris I cleaned out, took the filter we put on off. we cranked the car over a little with a bottle at the end of the fuel line to get some junk out. it kind of had a big gush and that did it. The cars fine and the filter stays partially full when off now. may try that. Easy to do and can't hurt. Hope you get it going. Good luck

 

solved it: the accelerator pump cam (on the carb) was out of line. starts fine now.

 

that's great. always nice when it's an easy fix.