Well if you squirt starter fluid directly into the cylinder and put everything back and it doesn't try to start then obviously you have gas because you just put it in the cylinder so the problem would point to no spark, weak spark or spark at the wrong time (timing). You said earlier you had spark, what color is the spark, red/yellow or blue/white?
You also said you don't know if gas is getting into the carb. When you try to start the ped a few times and then remove the spark plug, it should be wet. If not there is a blockage somewhere in the fuel path.
I just checked the procedure for removing the carb and it does sound like a pain. Do you have a manual?
Try this, pull the fuel line fron the tank end. Rig a hand bicycle hand pump or something like a Super Soaker water gun so you can add a little force to the fuel flow. You are going to use gas instead of water. The fuel normally flows via gravity through the petcock, through the fuel line, through the fuel path in the carb and into the carb float bowl.
What you want to determine is it getting into the float bowl.
I think your float bowl has an overflow tube. What you want to do is GENTLY apply a little pressure to see if you can force gas through the fuel line into the bowl until it overflows out the bottom through the overflow tube. Don't force it TOO hard.
If the gas won't easily go into the float bowl or backs up and overflows and won't go in, that is one of the things you are trying to find out.
If it doesn;t flow easily or not at all you have a clogged fuel path to the bowl.
Either the fuel path tube has varnish in it and won't let the Float needle valve slide up and down or the pin that holds the float in place is gunked up causing the float to stay in the UP position, thus causing the Float needle valve to block the flow of gas (this is what it is supposed to do, but not from a stuck float but a full bowl).
If gas does flow easily into the flow bowl and out the overflow tube with very little or no extra force then you have proved it's getting into the bowl in a normal fashion.
The next place the gas has to go is it is sucked up through the main jet and then into the intake manifold or pipe. If the jet is clogged gas is going to stay in the bowl but your ped is not going to start.
So if it is not getting fuel properly through any of these points, you are going to have to remove that carb again and clear the obstruction
Hope this helps, good luck