318 mopar Carter carb

I dont know who told you to use teflon tape on a carburetor inlet, but there’s your problem.
T-tape in the fuel inlet needle. All too common. Stupid move.
NOT a stupid anything! We do not know if the needle is open from a blockage or not. The guy is learning, we ALL made mistakes in the past. if tape is applied correctly it will not get into the fuel line.