"TSC" wrote in message
...
It is not a matter of not paying attention. There are two objectives here.

The parts that I am removing and replacing are not a complete waste of
time or money. We are talking about 20 year old ignition components that,
even if they work, I am much more comfortable replacing for the price that
they cost.

So, despite how it appears, this is not a "replace everything and hope it
works" approach. As I checked each of replaced parts I saw things that I
did not like. Such as lots of carbon on the contacts inside the
distributor cap, cracks in the plug wires, etc etc. These are parts that
have the potential to leave you stranded out on the water and warranted
replacement. It is not so much that I really expected any individual part
to miraculously solve my problem.

When I read back through this thread, I can completely understand why you
guys are frustrated that I have not checked for 12 volts yet. Trust me, on
the way tonight I will buy a GOOD multimeter instead of the piece of junk
I use for pinball machine repair and I will follow your advice to the
letter.

I really do appreciate the advice.

Thanks
Tim







"Jim" wrote in message
link.net...
You really need to check that you have 12 volts at the coil while
cranking, 9-10 volts in the "run" position.

You will get no spark ever if you don't get this 12 volts cranking
first, and have the points set to open to the specified gap twice every
engine revolution.

Rob

The fellow really needs to pay attention to your statements and begin
systematic troubleshooting of the problem.
Jim.



Get an automotive multimeter that includes a dwell meter. Mercruisers use a
resistive wire instead of a ballast resistor. If it is bad,you will find out
in the course of troubleshooting. There is no need to rip your wire loom
apart to find it.
Jim