Yes, you can go straight from the battery to the BAT terminal on the distributor. There's a 3-wire connector from the distributor housing to the cap. Be sure that one's plugged in. The TACH terminal can be left disconnected unless you need an engine speed reference like for a tuneup tester, etc., or you have an electronic tacheomter installed. For now, just run straight 12 volts from a known good source to the dizzy, crank the engine, and see if it sparks.
Jerry
