Difficult start? timing? or lack of fuel?

yea when my friend goes outside to start his 2.3liter lx it cranks perfectly but it'll just crank for a few seconds then he'll let go and crank it over again and it will start.

i was thinking that there could be messed up timing. or that one of those fuel injectors are bad. the fuel pump works good. right now hes in the process of fixing it up for daily driver.