He pried loose the distributor cap, and rubbed a finger along the breaker-point assembly surfaces. And keep cranking until I say stop. With the starter motor spinning the engine, Gus waited about 30 seconds, until the oil pressure had built up. Then he stared into the distributor. A steady stream of oil droplets had begun to spin off the distributor shaft.
Engine oil is a good electrical insulator.
The seals on the distributor's drive shaft are bad. Some of the oil droplets that are spun off hit the breaker points, coating them with a thin, insulating oil film. Gus chuckled for a good part of the drive back to the Model Garage. My chief mechanic Pete Thompson has too much pride to admit he can't solve an auto problem all by himself. I don't dare suggest he ask you for help, since he might up and quit.