318 no spark??

put a continuity tester on the negative distributor lead and the distributor body. Do you have continuity? turn the shaft slowly and your continuity should disappear. When the points open (you can open them manually with your fingers) you should get no cont. If you do, there is an internal short in the distributor, probably where the points attach to the plate. Lay coil on motor and put a screwdriver in the tower and lay it very close to the motor ground, tap the negative post to ground and look for a spark, no spark means your coil is shot. condensor, try this:

Condensors last a long time, but a defective condenser makes a huge difference in the spark voltage.Here's a good snippet from an Aussie manual for testing the capacitor -

Remove distributor cap.
First, make sure the condensor is connected to the points properly.
Turn crankshaft until the points are fully open (any cylinder).
Disconnect the LT (green) wire from the coil.
Connect a test lamp wire to the ignition coil terminal and the other lead to the distributor wire.
Switch on the ignition. If the lamp lights, the condensor is grounded internally and must be replaced.
Now reconnect the distributor wire to the coil.
Pull the main high tension wire from the coil, and with the ignition on, turn the engine over. The spark should jump a 1/4 inch gap to earth. If it won't jump this distance, replace the condensor.