Hey guys, just a quick update...

Took the distributor cap off to inspect the points, and then turned the engine over ... forgetting to put the cap back on. I cranked it for about 15 seconds and then realized what I'd done.

Long story short, if the coil wasn't dead before, then it is now. The ignition lead is strong at 12V and the small lead going to the distributor is strong at 12V, but the lead coming out of the coil to the top of the distributor is dead dead dead. It will slowly discharge a few microvolts but doesnt seem to put putting out anything substantial.

This was confirmed by my the brother of my friend, a mechanic whos is a little red, he used a screw driver and tried to get it to arch off the block...didn't seem wise to me, but nonetheless, no spark.

without the vacuum it was pointless to try and bleed the brakes - right? So we got the back to bleed and called it a night.

So - does a coil fail slowly? Could it be my root cause of the backfiring, etc? or did I burn it out by cracking without the distributor cap in place? It got hot!

Next question - anyone know what kind of coil I need for my 2.5l?

While I had the cap of, I checked the points, they were new and clean, but pitted, going to replace the as well.

Also, to time them, I understand I need to turn the crankshaft - the pulley is held on with a large (guessing 34mm) bolt - nothing I have fits it, and its recessed into the pulley so I can't get a monkey wrench on it. It does not have the groves for a hand crank. Any ideas on turning it over to time the new points?

Finally - brakes, the front two bleeders are rusty and slick with oil and feel like they are stripping - any ideas on getting them open without damaging?