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I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out your test results, because of something I'm not sure you're aware of. It's that the spark occurs when the points OPEN, not when they close. So, let's see, if the points are opening and closing as the engine turns over, what's supposed to be happening is that the points are alternatively supplying a ground to one side of the coil, then not. The other side of the coil is getting "hot" juice from the ignition switch through the resistor. It's when the ground is removed that the spark occurs, and its intensity is greatly magnified by the condenser. If I read your post correctly, your engine is not turning, and the points are closed. You use a screwdriver or something to short the points arm to the distributor case, and as you remove it or jiggle it you get a spark. But, if you do the same thing to the fixed side of the points, you get no spark. If that's a correct reading, the problem is that the points are not making contact with each other. Possibly dirty, possibly misaligned, possibly set so tight that they never really close when the cam is at its low point (my favorite of the three). My reasoning is this: If the points never realy close, you never get a ground to the coil, unless you jiggle that screwdriver from the arm to the case. Doing the same thing to the stationary points does nothing, as the points are electrically, if not physically, open so there is no continuity. If the points were truly closed, or more correctly if they were electrically making contact, they'd be supplying a constant ground to the coil, and no amount of screwdriver jiggling would prodce a spark, because you'd be temporarily groundng something that's already grounded. Try adjusting the points a bit looser. Then stick the corner of a dollar bill between them, and with the points "closed" on it, pull it out. If there's no resistance, the points aren't closed. If there is, that action might just dislodge the dirt that's insulating the points from each other. Finally, if not, use your wife's emery board the same way, to "burnish" the points clean. I hope this helps!
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