RJ, the coils on these motors are usually good. I’m not sure why your getting a bad reading on the top cylinder, but the fact that it has spark probably means that the coil is OK. Are you testing the secondary from the upper coil wire all the way to the terminal? With the cracked wires, the continuity may depend on the position of the wire, and may come and go. Try testing from the upper coil wire to the soldered button where the wire connects. This will isolate the coil, and take the wire out of the equation.
If you determine that you have a bad coil, and it doesn’t sound as if you do, please don’t spend $92.00 on new old stock coils. There are lots of good used ones around. I see you’re a member, and “T” series motors are for sale at most of the meets that I go to for cheap money.
Here’s a website that may help. http://pochefamily.org/outboard/Coils.htm
Improvise-Adapt-Overcome
