85 GSL, idle has gone rough, sputtering while coasting and power loss. To test for spark I removed a plug for the block, placed it back in the wire socket, rested it on the strut tower and turned the engine over looking for a spark. I see a spark for the 2 higher plugs(trailing) but don't see anything for the 2 lower plugs(leading). Is this test only supposed to work for the trailing plugs or have I found my problem?

 

sounds like an ignitor or coil(probably ignitor!)

 

I have changed the ignitor and the coil. When I was at the wreckers getting the parts I noticed inside the dizzy, where the ignitor connects there is a spindle that contacts some contact points. I'm going to clean them up and then I'm lost. From what I understand, following the path backwards from spark is:

Plug
plug wire
dizzy cap
dizzy rotor
coil wire
coil
ignitor
internal contacts
??? I'm not sure what else.

 

Victory is mine!!! I decided to get into the wires that connect the ignitors to the magnetic contacts to make sure they weren't broken or corroded. Didn't find anything. While I was that far in I swapped the leading and trailing ignitors(just for the hell of it). Put it all back together and it works!! So I didn't do anything really and I won't be suprised when the problem comes back but for now it's good to go.

 

good news man!

 

How was it originally connected? Which wire went to the center of the distributor cap? Mine is whichever ignitor is on the right, I don't know if this is right though, I just want to check.