Technical banger ignition help

I feel like i have exhausted every possible issue but im still not getting spark to the plugs. i have 6v to the points arm, solid discharge from the coil when you open the points. All gaps set correctly. i have the little nu-rex open distributor cap so i can see that the coil is discharging to the rotor but no spark to the contacts in the distributor body. With out the body off i placed the plug wire near the end of the rotor, it sparked from the coil through the rotor to the plug wire and caused the engine to backfire, the most action ive gotten out of this thing recently. That led me down the road that maybe there was some non visible issue with the distributor body so i replaced it. new body same issue. im (obviously) no mechanic but the whole system seems pretty simple, any ideas on what it is im missing?thanks

 

Is the cable screwed in too far into the housing?

 

it is not.

 

Does the brass tag on the top of the rotor arm reach the carbon contact on the top of the cap. There is no spring so the fit is critical.

Also is the rotor arm pointing to number one at TDC on the firing stroke

 

it is not touching the carbon button on the bottom of the cap. should it? it wasnt and i assumed it should have an air gap.

 

It must touch. It's carbon and acts as a wear surface, a bit like the brushes in an electric motor.

 

its definitely not touching, ill try when i get back to the house this afternoon. Its definitely timed correctly.

 

If you have spark coming from the coil to the distributor rotor, but not going any further (to the cap contacts/plug wires) to me that says it's leaking thru the rotor to the center distributor steel shaft..
When the spark did get thru, it was possibly the fact the spark took the line of least resistance (due to you holding the wire on the end of the rotor), and no air gap resistance and fired the plug
You state that you tried another distributor body, did it have its own rotor, or did you use the old/original rotor ?
If it was the same rotor from the first dist, I would try a different rotor..

 

I @29 gizmo just solved your problem

 

i now have solid contact from the top of the rotor to the carbon button. that did not get it. i had the thought of it leaking through the rotor but its new, seems pretty solid and unlikely that its leaking through. unfortunately i dont have another on hand to test.

 

Could be just dirty points, are they new?

 

When I had trouble starting mine it was almost always either grounding out behind the dash panel, or the cable was screwed two far into the distributor. (Talking two threads out of 7 or 8 total, and seemed and odd amount not screwed in.)

Good luck,
Gordy