Distributor Spark Test

Click the diagram to enlarge.

It is relatively easy to determine the distributor of a vehicle is generating sparks by detaching the distributor center electrode and place it very close to the body of the engine and see if it sparks across the body of the engine when it is cranked.

How about testing the distributor in the shop where it is not connected to any vehicle. This can be done by following the diagram here which will give an idea as to whether the distributor is good or bad by merely looking for sparks when the distributor is turned by hand (wear gloves ) as illustrated here.