Ok let me ask this, Did it run before you tore it apart? if so the coil could be bad the coil wire might not be snapped in all the way, the coil could be just shot, the crank sensor could have gone on the fritz, or the rotor button isn't touching the coil electrode inside the cap. The cap can go on crooked and you wouldn't know it, or you put the cap on 180 degrees wrong, there is a round side to the cap and a square side. common mistake when you cant see behind plenum. Double check everything you did on the plug wires and cap

 

Yes, it ran after the initial replacements. At that time I put on a new timing chain & gears, water pump, harmonic balancer, spark plugs, wires, distributor cap & rotor.
When it ran, it idled fairly smooth. Any load on the accelerator and it would hesitate a little. That's when I first realized I messed something up. I use also use the truck to plow snow (my driveway only), so it was out a few time and ran. It ran like crap with a few misses and backfires, but it did run.
I parked it and it sat for about 3 weeks. The weather is finally a little warmer so I had the ambition to work on it again. I went out, and it fired right up and I pulled it out of the barn to clean the ice and snow from the floor. I pulled it back in, tore it down, put it back together and it fired right up, no hesitations or misses. It ran smooth for 30 seconds or so then died. It hasn't started since.

 

I would lean towards the crank sensor, 2 allen bolts on the left rear side of engine rite where the trans bolts up to the motor. sometimes its like a act of god to get to them allen bolts. the crank sensor tells the computer to tell the coil to throw spark in the correct sequence

 

Well I'm confused too, and sorry if I'm adding to it cause I thought dot to dot was the alignment for TDC cyl 6, and both dots at 12 o'clock for TDC cyl 1. Which is it? And I only bring it up cause OP says he's TDC cyl 1 but lining up dot to dot...
Put motor at tdc cyl 1, remove dist cap, tell us what cyl is rotor pointed at? I think you are 180 out on cam sprocket. Should be pointed at cyl 1 terminal but I think you may be pointed at cylinder 6 terminal.

 

I'll take a look this evening. If I am off 180° would it have fired in the first place?

 

You could have the cam timing off any amount, and the coil would still fire.

Two wires on the coil connector, one is power, from the ASD relay. The other is the ground circuit, which is controlled by the PCM. Stick your testlight across those two wires, and when you crank the engine, the light should flash. That indicates the PCM is indeed controlling the coil. If it doesn't, then likely your crank sensor too a dump.

 

The pcm needs inputs from both cam and crank sensors or you will get no spark.

 

Well I kind of feel like I may be wasting everybody's time... When I checked the spark the other day, I could not find any of my testers so I pulled the wire and held the plug end near the coil. I could not see any spark.

I could not find my test light to check the plug, but while digging again today I found my inline spark tester. I plugged in the coil and put the tester on it. I have spark. I had to turn the lights off to see the spark, but nevertheless, it's spark. I'm going to replace the coil and go from there.

What are your thoughts on the MSD Blaster Coil? http://www.msdignition.com/Products/...il,_2_Pin.aspx

 

Fairly serious coil..... is there an adapter harness required for that? Or is it plug and play?

 

Need beefier wires with the MSD coil or spark could jump to other wires or ground to the motor.