thank you, hopefully get more info tonight, going to check that stuff out when i get home. we will see. thanks very much as usual.
micheal

 

ok, still problems, but.... got the fusible link put back in, battery full charge, so thought we would see what we had, 7.8 Vdc to coil in run! darn it. unhooked radio suppressor cap volt to coil + 8.3 vdc crank it it drops to 2 to 3 vdc. not good, no fire. so what the heck, jumper wire from ignition switch under dash coil wire Red w/ tracer thru door up to coil + he hits it, starts right up even though its 5 deg out! this is good, so, gotta be a short in the harness right???? everything except coil + works as it should, headlights, dash lights radio, interior light, all seems to be normal. looking under hood, harness from motor, where coil wire goes into, runs over to Left fender well and terminates in like 5 grey 6 or 8 pin connectors, so pulled the one apart with the red w/ tracer wire in it and there is actually 2 on this connector, one i think is for suppressor cap and other is coil +. with coil primary still connected i have continuity to ground, at like .7 ohms, that might be normal condition though, probably should have pulled coil primary connector and checked to ground i suppose. what are your thoughts?? on the right track with a short in that short piece of harness?
thanks very much!
micheal

 

found the issue, well pretty close anyway. my boy opened the wire loom all the way from the connectors on Left fender well to the coil and distributor and the truck started. turns out coil wire must have a break in it. none of the wires show any sign of bad insulation or anything. no nicks no broken insulation. so we loomed everything back up and taped them. truck cut out on him again at work today and he opened the tap right over the intake where the dizzy wires cut out of the main loom and the coil wires cut out of the main loom. looks to be something right there, but the wires all look fine. i am guessing must be a break internal on the wire. when it warms up we are going to cut a chunk out of the coil wire right at that bend area and solder in a new piece, that has to be a break internal in there.
thansk for all your help everyone.
micheal