55.2-59 No spark

[popeyestruck]

Motor turns over but no spark at the plugs. HEI dist with built in coil. Before I put gas into it I ran the starter to get oil up into the motor. The cotter pin that holds the foot start linkage hit the positive lug of the starter and it was smoking. Would this have caused a coil to blow? Starter circuit is all good. Ignition circuit is good. I'm going to check for power on the pink wire tomorrow and if I need pull the coils and check it

[dsraven]

first check all fuses and fusible links if you have them
next check for power at the large pink power wire at the HEI connection
if good, pull the cap off the HEI coil and check connections there. make sure everything is plugged in all the way and ensure there is a ground wire for the coil there, some miss that if a new cap were installed before. next check the coil physically for overheating marks.
if all good, put that cover back on and pull the dist cap. check the terminals and the rotor for wear or breakage. remove the rotor and check the wires that come from the pick up coil as they commonly break. just tug them a little and see if the wire stretches, if it does that means the wire inside the insulation is broken
might as well check the advance mechanism since youre there. the mechanical advance set up gets worn or can become seized if unused for awhile
next check to ensure the distributor turns when the engine is turned/cranked
since it is apart and I assume if you got this far you haven't found a problem yet, maybe remove the ignition module and have it checked at your local parts store, a lot of places can do that, or simply replace the module with a new one or known good part

[dsraven]

forgot, check the underside of the cap to ensure there is a carbon terminal for the coil high tension power to come through. check for carbon traces inside the cap that would indicate a crack (this wouldn't cause a no spark but may cause misfire). check the rotor to ensure the contact strip in the middle isn't worn off and also the "pointer" end is in good shape