Bryan,
Your spark plug wires are resistor type, and the R in the spark plug type number also indicates 'Resistor', and they sound like RJ-8. The wires probably have one of the designations TVRS (for television and radio supression), RS (for radio supression), TVI (television interference) or just 'Radio Supression' stamped on the wire, but your description fits resistor wires. Unless your primary ignition current is low, the combination of resistor wires and resistor plugs shouldn't cause you any trouble. But you don't need both, and since non-resistor plugs are easier to find than metallic wires, I would change the plugs.
Your dwell setting is fine, and the 3° change is not excessive, although a little high for your distributor. Most manufacturers specify a 3° dwell change as allowable. Some go higher, but for not your type of distributor.
A quick check on the primary ignition system is to measure voltages with the key on, points closed; measured to the battery ground post:
Battery: 6.3 or a little higher = full charge; 6.1 or 6.2 is fine.
Coil (+): Battery voltage, less a couple of tenths, but no lower than about three tenths less than battery + voltage.
Coil (-): Maximum of 0.2 volts (maybe 0.25).
Distributor connection: less than the coil (-) voltage; around 0.1 is good, or slightly higher is alright.
Points, wire connection side: No more than 0.1 volt.
Distributor case/ground: no measurable voltage.
If you find a slight voltage at the distributor ground, clean the battery ground cable connections. It won't hurt to clean both battery cable connections anyway.
If your old spark plug wires are useable, you can use those without concern. The legality of non-resistor spark plug wires (the last I paid attention to the matter) is that Congress has to declare a national emergency, then the FCC can get involved and impound vehicles that are radiating ignition system noise. That authority goes back so far in history when noise filtering and receiver sensitivity in radioes and televisions was fairly primative, that I don't think there is much concern any longer. But the authority remains. Modern radio and television receivers hardly get any disturbance from a lightning strokes, so I hardly think there is currently any legitimate concern from metallic spark plug wires. (If you use the metallic wires, keep the hood closed when you are driving and probably no one will know what kind of wires you have. More on that if you are interested.) Although there is identifyable interference from broken spark plug wires of either type.
Harvester
