Distributor Pickup test
i also think the thing still works if the pole and reluctor tip collide. i have in my collection a dizzy with a reluctor that has worn away due to the pole and pickup/magnet not being rivited properly to the base.... it still worked. not very well, timing was a mess, but the car started and ran. i have taken to punching the rivet and making sure i use a decent screw with good head to mount and adjust.
i guess in this day and age you could pull one apart and use a magent designed for a BLDC hub motor if you had an application that needed a bigger voltage to trigger. modern magnet some kind of super alloy with stronger magnetic field. AliExpress if full of em in all shapes and sizes.