I stored my 72 cutlass over the winter and between busy work schedule and crummy weather, I haven’t had my car out and started in 6 months🤣

When I went out to start it today, I squirted a little amount of starter fluid in the carb but to no success. I was careful not to flood the engine pumping the pedal but instead, I had a fuel leak appear under the car after only a few pumps of the pedal

Could something be stuck? It acted like the throttle never pulled fuel in but instead leaked out and under the engine. Now I’m concerned something could ignite if not careful. What could be going on?

 

Remove the air breather/cleaner, examine the fuel ports, grab the throttle linkage, pull the throttle back several times. Do you see fuel delivered via the two fuel jets in the carburetor? Sounds like it isn't going to start, so manually continue pumping the throttle cable at the carburetor and examine where the fuel is leaking, just follow the trail - fuel filter housing assembly, fuel pump>carburetor line, fuel pump housing, metal fuel line where it first meets the rubber fuel line - which on my 71 CS is just outboard of the fuel pump (passenger side) tucked behind the upper control arm as I recall. There's a chance the fuel filter has gunk in it and maybe needs replaced and re tightened?