Weak spark

[minuit]

After some shameful neglect, I'm starting in on the bondovan this late spring but my spark is weak and causing VERY hard starts if starts at all. Turns over fine and even tried combo charged battery and cabled to running car. The distributor is a 25D and as far as I know it's a 998. I need some best course advice:
1. remove/install a straight replacement
2. Remove/replace with something better and what
OR
3. Be cheap and replace internals of existing distributor
Thank you and happy Father's Day!

[BIGSHOT]

Before you start tossing stuff, Alain, make sure the individual components are in good shape. Check the plugs, the plug wires, the distributor cap, the points and the coil. Are all making a good, clean contact? Maybe a file and a multimeter will work as well as a new distributor.

There's nothing inherently wrong with the 25D, as long as the various pieces in the system are doing their jobs.

Good luck.

Dan

[minuit]

Thanks for the tips. It has new plugs, wires "look" fine and contact points are all fairly decent. I'll get my meter out and start checking juice but one internal wire has its sheathing all off - I'll take a pic later - and maybe that's not helping. I have some gift certificate pounds to spend so that's why I thought I might as well freshen it up or get advice on something every day reliable. Maybe that's a good 25D but I don't know which shows my mini ignorance.

[Dixminion]

What Dan said! Plug wires are difficult to check visually. A new set is cheap, NAPA has a listing for the Austin America. There is a bare wire in the distributor, it's a ground for the breaker plate that lets it rotate a bit. Stay in touch!

Don