Achdog

hey so this is my first post. i hope someone can help me with my problem. i have a nova with a 5.3 installed by PO. im having a hot start problem. cold starts everythings great it fires right up, smooth idle.

after shutting it off to run into a store or get fuel etc. it starts very hard. i hit the key, it fires once quick but doesnt start them cranks for a good 5-10 seconds then chugs to life. if i floor the gas while cranking it will start alot better/quicker, but run rough til it clears itself. and smells like gas (obviously flooding)

i have a fuel pressure guage on my rail and it shows 55-58 at all times (key on, cranking, leak test) takes a good hour or so to drop after key off. ive replaced the corvette fuel regulator as well. it doesnt seem to be a fuel pressure issue.

it seems to me like a sensor issue. the harness in my car is missing the engine coolant temp sensor (i have the sensor in the drivers side head by the manifold but no connector in my harness to plug into it. i just use a mechanical type coolant guage plumbed into a rad hose. im pretty new to FI but is it safe to say my computer is flooding the engine on hot starts because it thinks its cold? any other things i should be checking? i guess it could be a O2 or MAF or something but since its only a hot start problem im stumped. it runs great all the time except during a hot start. also i have no OBD or whatever ya call it so i cant check codes any ideas please let me know

thanks very much