Hey Jay,
OK I just got off the phone again with FAST EFI tech support. Here is what this person said.....
First, the fuel pressure regulator does need a vacuum port reference (even though its not supercharged). He said that since its a free flowing return system, it uses the vacuum to bring the fuel pressure down.... not increase it.
second, I asked him about the 12 V signal wire being shared.... he said no big deal (in his experience hasn't caused an issue)
3rd, we went over fuel pressure again. Interestingly enough, the tech yesterday said I should bump it up to 50 PSI with the 8 injectors (instead of the 43 PSI the instructions say). This guy laughed and could not believe someone from their company would have said that. He said this...... With 482 cubes and 8 injectors, assuming 600-650 horsepower, you want to set the fuel pressure regulator to 32 PSI (with the car off). When you do initial setup on the handheld computer, you want to leave the 42 PSI (the default PSI the computer has input). He said, "I bet you were drowning the engine the first few times you cranked it", at which point I explained that the 1 time I got it running, I touched the throttle and it immediately died. Then when I pulled all the spark plugs, some of them were BLACK and wet.
He had picked up during our talk that I was using the MSD 6A box, at which point he asked how I had it wired. I explained that the instructions for the MSD ignition box are the same as the EFI computer as far as the red(+) power wire goes to the (+) terminal on the battery, and the Black (-) ground wire goes to the (-) terminal on the battery...... That was his Ah-Ha moment! He said So you have the FAST box wired to the battery (like the instructions say) and the MSD Box (like the instructions say)? I say..... why yes! He said , the biggest problem they find with people calling in is "noise" on the ground side of things. He told me to take the (-) black wire off the battery for the MSD box and ground that to Chassis. He would almost guarantee that was one of my biggest issues.
So I was flooding the engine with the 43 PSI (when it really should be 32PSI) and there is supposedly a ton of "Noise" from the MSD box being grounded to the battery (infact the wire looks that go to the MSD box and the FAST efi are literally stacked on top of one another and tightened town on the (-) side of the battery.
LOL I may try and somehow replace the starter by myself when it arrives on Thursday and with these changes, give it another shot.