willowbilly3
Absolutely agree, diagnose it first.
Disagree, don't buy a $5 test light, it only tells you continuity
Buy a basic digital volt meter $30 anywhere.
Read and totally agree with your post, "use a meter".
Maybe a better idea than explaining "ohms" and voltage drop etc.?
A series of trouble shooting and performance tips with a meter.
Ex: OHMs = think of, "constipated/regular/or trots", how hard do I have to push (amps) to get an electron thru the wire
Just how good are those "super duper" $$ plug wires?
Take one of your plug wires off, set the volt meter to 5k ohms scale. Make a contact to both terminals.
"Roughly":
more than 3200, wires are shot
2000-3000, typical carbon/graphite?,
1000-2000, typical good spiral wound, my choice for street
<1000, you need it to burn nitro
TAKE YOUR VOLT METER WITH YOU to the store, test a wire before you waste your money.
EX:Voltage drop: your house would be all DC and safer BUT the power station would have to be in your back yard. The longer the wire and/or the more connections and splices in the wire, the lower the voltage at the far end. Loose volts, you lost (watts) power.
Want some "free HP", motor off/ ignition on, meter on 20VDC scale, touch the leads to the batt + and -, gona read 11.8 or so.
Now touch the meter + to the coil + and meter - to an engine ground.
#'s match, perfect
one half volt drop, kinda normal stock wiring
more than one volt, your starving the coil for electrons (volts), your 40k coil is putting out more like 30k (?) spark voltage.
Look for splices, worn ign switch, corroded wires, etc.