327 wont start

i replaced the intake manifold and installed a new edelbrock carb with electric choke and replaced the spark plugs and hei distributer. the engine ran before I did this. now when I try to crank it over the engine stumbles and tries to start but never does and I start back firing flames through the carb. I thought I was maybe 180 off on my timing but when I turn the crank 360 degrees I feel no compression from cyl 1 and only feel it when I turn it another 360 which puts me back where I started from. should I just time it at the point anyway and see what happens? freaking driving me nuts. I noticed on the last time I tried to start it for like a good 2 minutes or so after I had little drops of fuel dripping off the jets. could the carb just be too rich right out of the box?

Welcome to CHR! I'd say you're a tooth off on the distributor, or maybe more, but before you do anything else re-check your plug wires and be sure you didn't mis-wire the distributor. If they're right, then pull the plugs, rotate the engine with a breaker bar/ratchet & big socket on the dampner bolt until you feel compression on #1, then line up your timing mark at TDC. Look at your rotor alignment and I expect you'll see it's not pointed at your #1 terminal.