What can cause hydrolock with fuel? Bad carb, Stuck float?

Yes and yes. Also, plugged air bleeds causing fuel to keep syphoning in after shutdown. Maybe metering block gasket sealing issues.

Ok, cyl 5&7 had gas come out when I pulled the plugs, so I turned it over a few times to get any leftover gas out. I noticed the rear float bowl was completely full, other than check over the carb Anything else I should do?

I would check the oil to see how much fuel is in it.

Change the oil if it smells like fuel (even if it doesn't if it was mine). Fix the carb, float heavy, trash in the needle/seat, fuel pressure, etc.

Did it hydraulic when you tried to start it? Did it turn over? I had epoxy fall out of an intake port and fill a cylinder with water one time and didn't know it. Engine hesitated and then started before I knew what had happened. Bent a rod. Something to keep in mind.

It was idling then slowly started to die, like you turned off the key. It didn't like abruplty stop, more just died out, after I drained it it turned over freely with no binding, nice and smooth. The oil looks good but does have a slight gas smell, I will definitely change it.

Also,could it be possible that those 2 cylinders were not firing? Causing those 2 cylinders to flood?

Hydro lock would be when you are trying to compress fuel and the engine won't turn over. Sounds like a bad float and it just flooded until it shut off.

if you have power valves I have seen the gasket push out and fill the engine.

Thanks guys, I'll pull the carb and check get it all cleaned and checked out, one other thing, when I pulled the coil wire to turn it over the coil was arching from the + terminal to the coil tower, its an msd 6al and blaster 2 coil

Pull the plugs and turn it over but be prepared!

The gas shoots out with some force.

I did that part as soon as I pulled the plugs and the gas ran out, I just hope it didn't mess up the cylinder walls or something

The cylinder walls damaged? No. You didn't run it, what could have been damaged?

The fuel came from the carb. Remember that on top of the fuel in the bowl, all the fuel in the mechanical fuel pump is going to be pushed into the carb because it's the spring in the fuel pump that actually pumps the fuel.

If the engine was misfiring on those two cylinders the fuel would come in and go out with the airflow, at least most of it. It wouldn't have built up to the point of hydrolock.

R.

It might add to it but those cylinders would keep pushing
out the fuel during the non firing... you have a float,
N/S issue and possible power valve gasket issue.. with the
one bowl full it sounds like a N/S issue

PLEASE, disable the ignition if you are clearing a flooded engine by cranking it and spraying fuel around or dealing with a fuel leak, etc. Bad things can happen.

Yes! And I now kno why... No nothing caught fire thankfully, but with the cool wire in hooked when I hit the key I saw a spark from the cool + terminal to the cool tower... Then proceeded to completely unhook the ignition

Coil*

One other thing to check is fuel pressure. It may be more than your float/needle valve can handle (~7 psi for Holly, ~5 psi for Edelbrock).

All good advice,but check if the throttle plates are open too far uncovering the slots.If they are too far open they can pull fuel from all the circuts in the carb causing flooding.Be careful not to try turning the engine against a flood cylinder,you can roll the rings and damage the ring land or even bend a rod.

Well I cleaned the gunk out of the bowls, replaced the needles and seats, let the oil drain over night. Put new oil and filter in, also a new fuel filter. Fired right up and ran like a top!, that is guys!