I installed a 292 in my 87 Chevy truck. It ran and has about 25 miles on it. It used to be a V8 TBI set up but I removed it and it did run. It will NOT start no matter what I try. It gets plenty of gas. There is no spark or its a very weak one unless I mess around with the points with a screwdriver, then it will spark alot but not by just opening and closing the points. It seems that the main distributor shaft gets magnetized. Maybe that has nothing to do with it. I have tried 4 coils including a new MSD one, new MSD wires which ran on the other engine, 4 condensers, two caps and 2 rotors and STILL no spark! I added an extra ground wire from the chassis to the engine which had one from the battery so the starter would crank. No problem there. I even hooked the coils directly to the battery and STILL no spark. I have a new balast resistor also. It meters fine though I did by pass it and still no start. I checked the wire that goes to the negative side of the coil just incase it was rubbing inside the distributor but that didn't help either. I removed the ECM just incase as there was a short in the wire to it. But it ran without it anyway. I have been at this over 40 years and this one has stumped me. Its my personal truck. I have spent a bunch of money on it as still it won't start. I do get 12 volts on the + side of the coil and about the same on the - side of it when the key is on. With everything new it should be running!!!!! Any ideas????? I can't think what would be grounding out the spark or why its so weak unless I tap the points where they close then they spark like crazy. But just opening and closing them with a screwdriver does nothing. Of course I properly gapped them. Sometimes it will get a one time spark then nothing. I don't have the $$$ for HEI yet though it probably would not work either. I used the MSD system and it won't fire up either. NOTHING!!!! Please help if you can.
