[corvette8n]

As my dad said, you need 3 things to make a flathead run, spark compression and fuel. Take things one at a time, I save compression until last.
Be systematic in checking each system.
Here's how I do it.
Pull the fuel line off of the carb, crank and check for pressure and volume, let the fuel run into a cup. Look down the carb throat and see if fuel is getting into the motor.
Check for voltage at coil, pull a plug wire and crank get it near a ground you should have a good spark.
Check compression with a gauge, flatheads can still run with pretty low compression.
Hope this helps.