Dry Fuel Filter - no fuel to carb (86 C10)

[ninety6]

Hey guys... finally got back to working on my C10 after a summer break (building a deck).

When i got it earlier this year i got it running, but, if quit on me after a few runs up and down the driveway. i figured the old fuel clogged up the carb (oops), as after that no fuel was getting into the Carb, but it would run find on starter fluid for a few seconds.

So, I've drained the tank, put in 5 Gallons of fresh gas, and cleaned/rebuilt the carb. Truck will run fine if i pour gas into the throat for a few seconds until that gas it out....

However, the fuel filter is dry. So, no gas is getting into the fuel filter and therefore into the carb. I removed the check-valve in the fuel filter as i thought that looked strange, but that didn't help (i'll put it back in once i get this working).

With the fuel line disconnected, the pump shoots fuel out. I didn't measure it, but it poured all over the floor when i first cranked it after putting the carb back on (and no reconnecting the fuel line, oops!).

So i need some tips on what to check next? Is it possible the pump is too weak to push even the air out of the filter/carb to start taking fuel, but when not connected to the carb still shoots out a lot of fuel? Or is something in the carb somehow still clogged and not letting the fuel push its way in to the carb?

thoughts? Thanks!