Troubleshooting distributor with electronic conversion kit installed

I am working on a 78 MCM 260 Searay. It has an electronic conversion kit installed and i am getting no spark to plugs.
There is spark from ignition coil to cap. ( I got spark when i held the end of the wire coming out the center of the coil near ground and cranked the engine) The kit is an electronic ignitor attached to a baseplate placed inside the distributor. It was replaced last year and was working great the first couple of times out this year. Does anyone know how to check to see if the ignitor itself is shorted out or not working? The red wire coming from the ignitor seems to ground out when the baseplate touches the inside of the distributor. Is that normal? Is there anything else I can check that would stop the distributor from making spark. Any and all advice is greatfully received.

Re: Troubleshooting distributor with electronic conversion kit installed

There is spark from ignition coil to cap. ( I got spark when i held the end of the wire coming out the center of the coil near ground and cranked the engine)

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If you have spark coming from the coil, then you have either a bad cap or a bad rotor.

Re: Troubleshooting distributor with electronic conversion kit installed

Thank you for the quick reply. Is there any way to test the cap. Is holding the wire coming from the center of the ignition coil close to the rotor, cranking the engine and watching for spark to see if rotor is ground out a good way to test rotor. They were both replaced last year and look to be in good condition. I really do appreciate any help that gets me back out on the water.

Re: Troubleshooting distributor with electronic conversion kit installed

AL350SEARAY said:

Thank you for the quick reply. Is there any way to test the cap. Is holding the wire coming from the center of the ignition coil close to the rotor, cranking the engine and watching for spark to see if rotor is ground out a good way to test rotor. They were both replaced last year and look to be in good condition. I really do appreciate any help that gets me back out on the water.

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They're cheap enough, just replace them. If you have tracking inside the cap, or a rotor going to ground, it is IMPOSSIBLE to see, as it's all going on INSIDE the cap.... Most workshops test by replacement of that sort of thing...

Re: Troubleshooting distributor with electronic conversion kit installed

Just ordered new cap and rotor for $32.98. They won't be in until next week so i will replace and post back then. Thank you for the advice and fingers crossed.

Re: Troubleshooting distributor with electronic conversion kit installed

Replaced cap and rotor today. I did them one at a time to see which one, if either, would fix the issue. Installing the rotor did nothing, but when i replaced the cap it started right up. I looked the old cap over and over and finally noticed that the little black button in the center of the cap that is supposed to spring back when pushed was stiff and not working. Does anyone know what could cause this. I would hate to fix the symptom and not the underlining issue. Thank you for all the help.

Re: Troubleshooting distributor with electronic conversion kit installed

Usually just wear in the spring... You replaced the fault and the cause...

Re: Troubleshooting distributor with electronic conversion kit installed

Distributor caps and rotors are consumable tuneup parts. Like spark plugs, points, etc.
That button is probably worn off.