sounds like an injection problem to me, Possibly electrical failure fuse or something.

Since you were able to start it with ether, I would guess that it's a fuel problem. Many fuel system issues can cause exactly the same symptoms, especially in Detroits. Since you have already looked into the pump and filter, those can probably be ruled out. Start with the anti-drain back valve, you could be losing prime, although I would expect it to stay running once you got it going. Look over every valve, fitting, and hose carefully, a small pinhole in any component can allow enough air into the fuel system to interfere with the engine's operation. Check all valves to be sure they are not gummed up with sediment. You may also want to try and get a look inside the tank to be sure the pick-up isn't plugged. Although generally injector failure would cause a "miss" condition, that is always an avenue to investigate if other options lead to a dead end. Outside of fuel problems, timing issues could be at fault. The TRS and SRS sensors can fail and cause similar symptoms because the injectors fire out of sync with the compression stroke. Usually, they will throw a code, but I have seen them fail (or be "just" out of spec) where they did not throw a code. Good Luck.

check your fuses in batt compartment for ECM byh2o@charter.net