Leaderboard

Maybe it would help to back up and do more of the basics. 1. Use your meter and set it to resistance or continuity. Place one probe on the engine block and the other on battery negative. This will confirm a good circuit from the battery through the engine block (Patcon's point above). You've already confirmed positive (power) but have not confirmed the return path, the ground. 2. Place a probe on the distributor body by the points and the other on the engine block, or even back to the battery negative. Confirm that the path is low resistance/continuous. This will confirm a good path from the distributor body back to the battery. 3. Place a probe on the negative side of the points (the side with no wire connected to it) and the other on the distributor body, the engine block, and battery negative. This will confirm an unbroken path from the points back to the battery negative. 4. With the key off and the points open, place a probe on the coil negative terminal and the other probe on the engine block or battery negative. Confirm that the circuit is open, non-continuous, very very high resistance. You might have a short to ground from the coil primary circuit. With the key off and points open the coils two posts should not have a path to ground. There will be no spark created if the coil is never de-energized (short to ground). There will be no spark if there is no current flowing (open circuit to ground). The presence of voltage does not guarantee current flow. An open ground circuit or a short to ground, on the coil circuit, will cause a no spark situation.

Just to prove that a song can be written about anything...

A wibeband o² sensor might help determine whether it's fuel related

@Zed Headwill you make my life easier when you get done here? I know how helpful you are with Zs. I needs some help with more ZZZ'S.

The G/W does not need to be connected at all if you hotwire it as I described. And about your other question... Some of the connections shown in the FSM diagram are made inside the harness. That diagram is a good functional description of how the system works, but it can be a little confusing if you are looking at the wires coming out of the harnesses. For example, the connection between the G/W and the tach is made in the harness and you don't have to tie that together manually. It's already done. When I get a chance, I'll try to whip up a sketch showing the connections in a different form. Still the same electrically, but drawn differently. In the meantime, just simplify stuff! Take all the wires off everything and hotwire the durn thing. Let's try to figure out if your distributor works!!!

There is nothing wrong in the diagram. It shows the correct wiring. So can you please put the wiring back like it was shown in this pic and hotwire the thing? One wire on one side of the resistor goes to the coil (+). One wire on the other side of the resistor goes to the battery (+). Crank the car. See what happens.

I would try pulling on the choke a little in the situation where you think you are feeling the hesitation. Give it a little more fuel and see what happens? Did you put a timing light on it and verify that both the mechanical and vacuum systems are working correctly?

I do have the idle set a little higher as the FSM calls for. Regarding the transmission swap, I do plan to change the diff at the same time. One small hurdle is finding someone to rebuild it in my area. It feels smooth in all gears and doesn't appear to have any metal in the fluid, but prior to putting it in I would like someone to go through it. Transmission work is beyond my scope of mechanical confidence.