VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc Engine will Idle but wont rev up

hey guys.. first time here.. please bear with me while I learn the ropes
I have a 1932 chev.. 194 cu in. recently while driving.. it started loading up and misfiring...so as ive done a hundred times before, I took a wrench and tapped on the side of the carb and freed up the float..in the past, that always clears it up then its good for another year or two! well, this time it wont come out of it.. still running ratty an an idle but will NOT rev up..
I have blue spark at the points
hot spark at the plugs
timing is right on the money.
ran a compression check,
cleaned the plugs
pulled the valve cover and checked for broken valve springs or bent pushrod..everthing is in order
brought it up to TDC or "UC" as its marked on the flywheel and the rotor is pointing to the #1 plug

last night I ran a hose into a can of gas and using a little electric pump, I connected that to the carb and all of a sudden it took off.. ran GREAT.. so I thought I had found the issue.. a bad fuel pump I thought.. well..now today, same set up and its right back to were it was.. it will idle..but will not rev up.
WHAT on earth am I missing!!? help!?

Fuel line or pick-up plugged up.

thanks for the response.. ive blown out the fuel lines back to the tank.. made sure the petcock valve is flowing freely at the tank. the tank is clean..originally i did a por 15 treatment to the tank so it is coated white so you can see any trash.. but I drained it and put in fresh clean fuel so I know it does not have water in it.. then I just ran an electric fuel pump from a can of gas to the carb. I thought maybe trash in the carb so I bought a new one.. tried 3 different carbs.. made sure the float is not sticking.. the accelerator pump is working on all of them. when I put the new carb on..it didn't change anything.. then I ran it from a gas can to the new carb and it ran great! revved up good and strong.. so I thought I had nailed it! I thought it must be the old fuel pump..but the next time I started it.. same thing.. idling rough and wont rev up. I feathered the throttle and got it to rev about 200 rpm more but running very rough.. at this point, I sprayed some starting fluid in the carb and it killed it! ive sprayed all around the carb and intake to check for vacuum leaks.. nothing.

Inconsistent performance is much more likely electrical than fuel. That is not to write that it can't be fuel related. Based on the experience related above I am leaning even stronger to something in the ignition system.

My vote would be ignition as well.

Carburetors don't generally have a "personality" (well, maybe Holleys do); but ignition systems definitely have a personality, and can be quite moody.

If the distributor has been downgraded to an electronic, I would re-install points and condenser. If points and condenser are still installed, I would try a different (new old stock if possible) condenser.

Jon

Are there any rubber fuel lines? I once had a similar problem and when the engine was under load the fuel pump could not maintain the needed pressure because air was getting sucked in. Put a timing light on it and see what it does when you rev it up, that will point you in the right direction.
I found the rubber fuel line crack by accident

thank you.. im feeling the same way..

thank you, I checked the rubber..changed it out.. ran a steel line into a bucket with a short rubber from an electric pump to the carb.. no leaks

brand new points, condenser, rotor, plugs wires

I had similar issue found I had over tightened nut on electrolock in distributor. Dave

finally found the points were intermittently grounding out under the post they pivot on.
thanks guys!