Fetcher,
I woke up this morning thinking about this.
I know people that have seriously burned there arms, hands and face. You have a couple of hazardous situations you are working with. Be very cautious, keep a fire extinguisher and damp bath towel at arms reach. Do not look into the carb while starting or running the engine and keep your hands dry of gasoline. An engine that is not running correctly can throw gasoline and flames out of the carb without warning. Also, the ignition system can throw arcs and quickly ignite any nearby gasoline spill. Not good. I don't want to be preachy but this is hazardous work.
I started an engine fire last year on my '54. Had the fuel line to the carb disconnected, forgot and cranked the engine with the ignition on. Wow! Squirting gasoline, ignition, blast-off, lots of flames. I had a damp towel nearby and quickly smothered the fire. Had some burned wiring and scared the heck out of myself. Fortunately I didn't get any burns.
I have used the can/gravity feed for gasoline to the carb before also. However if the float/needle sticks open, the contents of the can will drain into the carb and overflow into and onto the engine. It's not a good idea to have more than a few ounces in the can. Fire hazard here also.
Connect the coil wire to the battery only when you are trying to start the engine. If the points are closed and the engine is still, you will pull a lot of current through the coil, possibly damaging the coil and/or burning the points.
54
