MrDanB,
I Looked back at your previous posts....what a novel. If you have tried two coils and neither one gets you 12 volts on the - side when the points are open, then either both coils are bad (not likely) OR, you have a short to ground on that side of the coil you shouldn't have. This could be anything from the primary lead wire to a bad condenser to faulty points.
A GM HEI will not use a ballast resistor. All that would be needed would be a 12 volt source that is switched with the key.
The wiring to the coil/ignition is probably the simplest circuit on the whole truck. You are doing something wrong or don't understand the concept if you have not triumphed after so many posts on this same subject.
Do you have any meters or voltage circuit testers. Have you read the instruction on how to use them. These are the tools that will show you what is going on.
Stuart
