Re: 1976 marquis 16ft boat locked up
SInce you still seem interested in trying stuff before you hack it up....
You will hurt the multimeter if you try to use it for spark test, too much voltage, plus it is a spike that would not be visible for long. There are spark tester devices that can handle the voltage. Most workers just use a screwdriver or similar in the end of the coil wire and hold it close to ground to view spark. Yellow is weak, need more blue-ish arc.
Have you changed out the points and set dwell and timing yet? The amount of spark generated by the coil secondary winding is controlled by the points opening and closing events, duration of that is called dwell. If the points are in bad condition and/or not gapped correctly (controls dwell) then spark is diminished.
