87 IROC TPI (no VATS of course)

Cranks great won't start

leading up to this event - I parked the car for 1-2 hrs, came out and it would not start. Cap and rototer were in bad shape, cleaned up the contacts and it started. On the way home I laid into the throttle and the engine stopped and would not restart. Put new distributor cap, rotor and spark plug wires in. Car started, drove within costing distance of my house and I had to try the throttle again. Same symptom, engine stopped. I fiddled with the car for a long time and it started one more time and I shut it off. It never started again after that.

-Timing light picks up no spark on #1 wire (verified timing light on different car)
-Timing light picks up no spark on coil to cap wire
-changed: iginition coil, module, cap, rotor and plug wires
-w/ ignition ON I have 12v. coming to the primary side of the ignition coil
-w/ ignition ON I have 12v on the two terminal connector to the modual on both terminals
- w/ ignition ON I have 12v between the tach terminal (disconnected per GM shop manual) and ground
- I tested the continuity of the two terminal wires from the module to the ignition coil with no problems evident.

-I have not tested or changed the pick up coil (seems likely the problem at this point)

Any ideas?
How common is a pick up coil faillure?
If you have had these sypmtoms, what have you found to be this issue?

Thanks for your help.
Gardner

 

The pick up coil is like $20. I would say its likely your problem since you are getting no spark, but I've never had a similar problem so I can't say from experience.

 

$10.99 from Autozone and it fired right up. The old one looked baked, not burnt, just high temp for a long time. The wire insulation was very brittle.
Gardner