Are you sure it's the correct distributor? Like the shaft is connecting to the oil pump drive? Does the rotor turn when the engine cranks and the distributor is in it? How are you holding it, or wiring it, when you bench test it?
Yes the dist is correct for the small block dodge. Yes it is going into the pump drive and seating properly. It took a little smoothing, but went right in and turns perfectly.
The guys that have benched it. Took the dist and grounded it to a battery or metal table then ran a hot lead from the + of the battery to the lead on the dist. Pluged in a spark plug wire, and plug. Turn the roator while grounding the plug on the metal table and it lightes up ( Sparking )
Put it back in the car and do the same thing and you get maybe one spark then nothing as it turns. This is on the correct wiring or direct to the battery.
It has everyone stumped. I am about to just go back to the old dist style If I can not get this thing running in the next day or so.