1988 Ford Mustang GT Won't Start - Ignition System

Question: this is for dale if he is there... if not i will start from scratch just in case... 88 mustang gt... exiting freeway at 60mph, shifted to neutral (automatic) to get a/c to blow colder air as i rolled down the ramp and coasted down the service road... shifted back to drive and car died, no noises, just died. hasnt started since. dale told me to test for spark with a spark tester... pulled boot off a plug and connected it to the spark tester, cranked and no spark, there is a plug wire coming from a box by the solenoid that plugs into the top of the distributor cap, unplugged it from the top of the distributor and plugged it into the tester and cranked, still no spark, there is a wiring harness that plugs into the left side of the distributor, and the screws to remove it are recessed and the thermostat housing and tensioner pully and upper radiator hose are in the way, and i dont know how to remove and replace a distributor... but i think this box on the side of the distributor is the "ignition module"... i was told this may be bad... i was also told the coil could be bad... fuel pump makes it's little noise when i turn the key, so i think it's fine, and there's plenty of gas. battery is dying due to all the attempted starts though... what is the next step... i am lost beyond all reason...

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Technican: The little box with one wire going to the center of the distributor cap is the coil. The module on the side of the distributor often goes bad. A good guess would be to change it. (or replace the entire distributor to be sure) Your computer is functioning because the fuel pump runs. The module requires a special tool to remove (about $10). If you remove the distributor, you will need to reset the timing with a timing light ($50+)

Owner: o'reilly has 2 different modules... house brand for $20 and name brand for $70.... is the name brand worth it?... and is the coil easy to replace?

Technican: Even the brand name modules fail. The white box units seem to be even worse. I recommend the best you can find, I use Motorcraft only. The coil is not hard to change.

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