Sigh...
why keep attacking the poor condensor when you can't even demonstrate that it is bad.
buy a NEW tire while you are at it.
you are going to complicate this problem by continually throwing new / different parts at it while not diagnosing what is actually wrong.
when you introduce a new unknown part you can be adding in more problems.
throwing a bucket of liquid on a fire is not helpfull if the liquid is flamable.. and looks like water....
lets look at the test.
1, the spotlight is a POOR test device. a test lamp is a low current device. something like a trailer marker lamp.. turn signal bulb.. something low wattage like that would be much better.
2, why hook the spotlamp to negative of the battery and then to the top of the coil?
where's power coming from? this is a 12v system with a negative ground correct?
points are 'ground' in a system. negative of a battery in your negative ground system is a ground. thus the lamp was across ground and ground... by not lighting.. it did exactly what physical law dictates.
you need to connect 1 side of a lamp to bat HOT ( power ) ( + ) and the other side to the top of the coil.. then spin the engine over.. KEY off. when the points are closed, the lamp will come on... when the points are open.. the lamp will go off. if the condensor is shorted.. the lamp will stay on.. if the points never open, the lamp will stay on... a test lamp is a 100% needed diagnostic tool if you own a machine with breaker points. you need to buy or make one. for years i had a wire with a 10dnail soldered on one end and a aligator clamp crimped on the other and a trailer lamp soldered in the middle with a gob of electrical tape on it as a test lamp. worked great....
i doubt the points like running the current needed for the 12v spotlamp.
this lamp test tells you if the coil primary has continuity as well.
once you get to where you have a blinking lamp.. you know the poor much hated and in danger of being replaced condensor is not the issue.. and you will know the primary is not open.
from there you need to make sure the coil secondary tab is touching the contact on the dizzy cap. you also need to make sure the coil is getting GOOD power from the ignition switch. many times a bad connection will let a low current voltage signal thru that a high impeadance VOM will say is good 12v.. but in practice, there won't be enough current capacity to run the breaker ignition. thus you make a voltage measurement on top of the coil with points closed and open.
points open, coil top to ground should read EXACTLY the same as reading across the battery. if not.. you have bad connections somewhere.. perhaps the bat ground to the chassis.. switch contacts.. resistor.. etc... once you have good contacts and points open top of coil reads batvoltage, then you go with a closed points measurement. it should read something a lil lower.. probably in the neighborhood of 8-10 volts.. depending on the
ballast resistor and coil resistances.. and temp of the ballast resistor. if so.. it should make spark.. if it does not.. i'd look at the secondary tab and the dizzy cap. if they look good, pull the coil and measure on ohms rx1000 from the top post to the flat tab.. look for 4k to 8k ohms. if much lower.. secondary may have shorted turns. if no (infinite) reading on a scale that could read 8kohms.. then the secondary is open.
if secondary looks good. but voltage on top of coil is lower than expected.. run a hot wire from bat + to top of coil and then recheck for spark.
occasionally the resistor module can short or open.. or be out of spec.. or have bad crimp connections at the wire around the high head substrate.
post back
Bummer. Went out there and popped the distributor on, seating it correctly, making sure to hook the wires up correctly, etc. and still no spark.
I guess tomorrow I will dig back in and replace the condenser.
Soundguy -- I don't have a test lamp. I hooked the spotlight back up to the negative of the battery and the post on top of the coil. With the key off the light was not on. With the key on the light came on and, to correct what I said earlier, would definitely not flicker. It was just dimming slightly due to the load of running the starter and shining the light at the same time.
Off to sleep. Thanks for the help guys.
EDIT: If any one wants to come and visit (1 hour north of GR) I will buy the beer, parts, ammo, etc. We are out on 20 acres (with a 4 acre open meadow) out in the middle of a national forest. Come one come all!