ok i have a 94 ls head went and i put a used 98 ls on it it starts up if i put my foot on the gas but dies right out after and there is a knock in it but i think the timing is off by a bit and it had some old gas in it,yeah it been sitting for about a year.  

sounds like you need a fuel pump as if ur strainer is stopped up from trash or something is wrong with ur TPS...or like you said ur timing is off...checking timing is nothing,just make sure all ur all timing marks are set in position with the #1 cylinder @ TDC!!!Ur isue with the knock still sounds more like a timing problem.