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Have checked every thing I can think of. Engine turns over and try's to start for a few seconds (very rough) but dies. New coil, distributor rebuilt and checked out on distributor machine, new plug wires and plugs. Carb rebuilt and floats set properly. Auto choke and idle jets set to specification. Fuel pump good. Timing set at 2-4 degrees BTDC on compression stroke. Tried starting fluid, no luck. Plugs are clean and dry but lots of gas in bottom of intake manifold as confirmed by removing drain plug. Heat riser valve is free. Any thoughts would be great.
Thanks,
Bill

you might check your rotor, i had a similar problem with my 48 custom. a 6 cyl. rotor was in the 8 cyl. box. take a business card tear to fit between the contacts in the cap-fold in half to check the rotor. good luck dell

Yep rotor, and look in the top of your distributor cap, make sure the carbon button is in proper position, should be able to push in and then it springs back out. Also noticed on my 40 every several hundred miles the points tend to work in closer together, the one screw that locks the points, tends to come a bit loose, or may be partially stripped.

I would look real close at the distributor. As already pointed out the cap and rotor would be the first things to check. Next I would make sure none of the wires inside the distributor are grounding, the points have the correct gap, and that the insulator for the stud that fastens the distributor lead is not cracked or broken. If a physical inspection does not reveal anything wrong then look to see that the distributor was not installed 180 deg. off. Check to make sure the spark plug wires are in the correct order If all this checks out okay, then go to basic trouble shooting. It will run.

(o{}o)

Had one at one time with a hair line crack in the rotor

All those things mentioned above are possible but with your comment that there was "lots of gas in the bottom of the intake manifold" I wouldn't discount that the engine was simply flooded. Assuming that to be the case, holding the throttle wide open should partially "unload" the choke valve but I'd go a step further and prop it fully open and try restarting.

While I was getting my car running, it flooded badly several times. I tried everything I could think of to get it going, but after getting the fuel pump rebuilt, new ignition parts, etc, and it still wouldn't run, I replaced the spark plugs. She fired right up and ran like a top. It was the first time I had ever seen fuel fouling of spark plugs on a four stroke motor, but it did the trick for mine. I see you have new plugs, but if you have done much troubleshooting since replacing them, they could be the problem. I am sure you have already tried this, but if not, you can verify spark by pulling a plug and setting in on the exhaust manifold or head while cranking the motor.

Also, make sure your starter cables are big enough- if not, the engine will crank over much more slowly than in needs to. I put a 2 (00? - it is about 1/2" in diamater) gauge ground wire on my car, and it started much more easily.

Best of luck, and let us know what you find.

JW mentioned it, but the distributor could be 180 degrees off.
I think we had the oil pump out and the distributor and when they were reinstalled, the distributor slipped into place, but was 180 degrees off.

Also make sure your distributor wires are in the correct sequence counter clockwise. I think the wiring diagram shows them clockwise.

Thanks for all the ideas, will check out each of the suggestions and advise. Did rebuild oil pump and turned engine when the pump was still out. Did re-aline pump-distributor drive close to original position. To be sure not out 180 on exhaust stroke put finger over spark plug hole and cranked engine until blast of air came out, this I assume, is the compression stroke (not the exhaust stroke) and when the rotor should be on #1 terminal not #5. If I move spark plug wires even one position will not be able to aline rotor with #! terminal. Confirmed this by comparing TDC on vibration damper with rotor alinement to #1 terminal. Does this sound correct?

Even though your timing appears to be OK, try again with it either advanced a little more or retarded a tad.Play around a bit with it and maybe disconnect the vacuum advance to see if it will run.