Bad CDI = timing off?
 

Well the saga continues. I replaced the entire length of my green wire with a new 928 unit today. It fires and idles, though timing is far enough out that it shows a timing mark somewhere other than near z1. Not sure which one it is. Tried 180 on the distributor, no dice (worse). Confirmed correct pin locations in the CDI plug, even swapped for posterity, no love there either (No start at all).

Is it possible that the CDI got fried when my voltage regulator went bad, and the consequence is that it’s not able to keep timing? Not sure where to go from here, aside from throwing more money at this with an MSD.

If you get the polarity wrong in the green wire ground and trigger, it will delay the signal to the CDI.
It will make it fire when the rotor is pointing between the poles of each cylinders terminal.

Double check that you have them correct in the connector.

Already done. Double, triple, quadruple checked. Even went back and swapped them on purpose to confirm.

what Tyson said

if the polarity is swapped it WILL change the timing.

make sure your dist is not one tooth off.

start with Z1 lined up, the rotor pointing at #1 on compression stroke.

Z1 can only be so far off and it still run.

I have to agree on timing.
Green wire is SC the dist rotates CCW. You want the rotor approaching the dist.Notch when it is seated. Lockdown adjustment should be midway to fine tune. Located on the wrong cog of the distributor automatically has you off 30 degrees
Make sure your vacuum hoses aren’t crossed (80-83)
Bruce

Well, I'll close the thread with my tail between my legs, and my head down.

*Somehow* the plug wires were all sorts of mixed up on the distributor. I have zero recollection of ever taking the plug wires off, and the "memory" of the wires lead them to the wrong places once unplugged, for what that's worth. I rearranged everything, re-set the timing, and we're off.

Strangely, I think the timing was set... creatively by the P.O., because there's a paint mark on the distro at the block, and that worked previously, but now, it's not even close as verified by a timing light and test drive. I remember the first time I took the distributor off a few months back I thought it was strange that wire 1 was nowhere near the notch on the distributor, though the rotor lined up with the wire (not the notch), so I think everything was rotated a couple of places back, and the distributor was clocked appropriately for that orientation, then I messed it up when I took it apart to replace the green wire.

Oh well, thanks to everyone for the help on this. Hopefully this is the last thread from me for a while.

Dontcha love fixing the messes other people create?

Glad you got it working properly!

we have all don't it.

you can actually put the dist/rotor in any way you want. that is instead of the rotor points to the notch for #1 you can rotate it 90 degrees BUT you have to put the plug wires back on accordingly.