RE: starting problem
OK. The next thing: Is the automatic choke closed when you try to start it? Especially if it's cool or cold where you're doing it, it should be. You might need to even put on a pair of leather gloves and cup your hands over the carburetor barrel to create more of a choke effect. (Why leather gloves? Because again, there's the danger of it backfiring through the carburetor and burning your hands.)
Also, how shot is the engine? You said it started briefly once. Was this after repeated attempts? If so, you might want to run a compression check. Assuming that you indeed have spark and the timing isn't too far off, it could be that the rings are worn enough that you're not getting enough compression for the gas to fire.