my friend has a 70 camaro with a 350 in it. he tried to start it today but it wouldnt start. it would crank but would turn over. we thought the fuel pump was dead but gas is flowing then we thought it wasnt getting to the carb. then we poured a little bit of gas into the carb and still nothing. do you think he might need a new carb?

 

Check for spark.

 

Ya if you poured gas down the carb and held the throttle wide open and cranked it and it still didn't start then it is definetly NOT the carb. Hold a spark plug wire while your buddy cranks it and see if it shocks you..lol just kidding. May just have fouled spark plugs or something wrong with the distribuer or coil.

good luck
james

 

well the engine needs 3 things, fuel, spark, and air. last i checked air is still around us, so if you dumped fuel into the carb, then that leaves spark, or lack thereof.

 

Most common reason for a new engine not starting is timing being 180 degrees off. To make sure engine is properly times: disconnect juice to distributor, pull #1 spark plug, put thumb over spark plug hole and have buddy bump the starter. As engine comes up to TDC firing it will blow compression out the hole. Stop when timing mark on balancer is close to timing tab. Check to make sure rotor is pointing at #1 wire on distributor cap. If it's off, you can shuffle the plug wires or pull up the distributor a little and move rotor to point where it needs to be.

If it isn't a new engine, spark as noted above, or engine could be flooded by trash in the needles of carb. But you probably would have smelled it.

Outside possibility: I noticed you are in Mass. If it's cold up there, and car has been put up for winter, and gas is a few months old, it may not start. Summer gas is formulated with fewer volatiles to prevent vapor lock. Winter gas gets more volatiles for easier light off in the cold.

 

The "what's needed" responses are obviously simplistic, but just to add to that: Compression is also needed. Fuel and air must be within a certain ratio in order to light off. And, these events must occur at the right time in the right order.

I'd guess you've got an ignition problem.

 

IM thinking its definately a spark problem. Im in mass too. I filled the car up in November and it sat since about thanksgiving. I went out last week and sprayed a bit of startign fluic in there in it fired right up. SO i dont think its a gas problem. I would definatley investigate the igntition coil and other things associated with spark.