1996 7.4 problem solved
 

Thanks to all that help me with these problems with my motor its was a bad pickup coil that i bought from mercruiser it had a faulty connection where it connects the white wire to the coil , so it goes to show that not all new parts are always 100 percent, i can say now i know how to use a volt meter and test lite , Much Thanks to you all I appericate it . Now going to go fishing

Catch a big one, or least catch a buzz. Glad you got it figured out finally. It really sucks swapping parts for hours on end to find out one of your new parts is bad out of the box.

I have a question i set the timing at the spec in the book 8 degrees before top dead center and the motor idles 800 rpm and their is on adjustment left on the throttle its the butterflys are all the way closed but if I set the timming at like 4 degrees before top dead center it idles right at 650 rpm and runs just as good can i leave it at the or does it need to be right at 8 degrees btdc