[TR] Bad Gas?

[Greg Lemon]

Sorry I am being a little lazy, and haven't delved into this issue as far as I
usually do before posting for help, but perhaps a few of you, like me, are
housebound with subzero temps out in the garage and might like to participate
in a little bit of mental exercise in tracking down a problem.

As usual I put up my car (TR250, ZS carbs from a TR4A) for the winter, and
last started it sometime in November.  A couple weekends ago it warmed up a
little bit and I tried to start the car to circulate the oil, burn off any
contaminants, etc.  It started and ran for a short time, then quit.  Got it to
fire again, started for an even shorter time and then quit.  No time for
further work that day so fast forward to last weekend.

Checked gas delivery, it squirted right out when I disconnected the fuel line
right before the carb.  Tried to start it again, got barely enough of a catch
to disengage the starter gear then nothing.

Pulled the air cleaners, pistons moving up and down freely.  I squirted some
starter fluid in, it ran on the starter fluid, then quit.

So it appears I have gas getting to the carbs, I have spark and presumably
compression.

Something appears to be wrong with the gas or the carbs, have never used
sta-bil or other gas stabilizers in the past, and never had any problems, even
with much longer periods of inactivity, but I noticed they are putting ethanol
into all grades of gas around here instead of just mid-grade at some of the
stations, I try to avoid it, and it is supposed to be labeled, but who knows.
My only other thought is that the float valves are stuck shut, but I did
squirt some air through the line to the carbs, and that ended up shooting gas
out the carbs.

So here comes the question, short of draining the gas and replacing it, or
taking off the carbs and checking the float valves, any other tests or fixes
you might suggest?

Oh yeah, car was running fine when put up for the winter, and I did nothing to
any of the relevant systems, carbs fuel ignition, since parking it.  Pertronix
if it matters, but this one sure seems like a fuel issue.

Greg Lemon