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I’ve been there and done that (read: basic errors) while tinkering with my outboards. I thought I might share them with you:
Ignition:
a) Make sure that the lead feeding the top cylinder come out of the coil sitting forward on the armature plate.
b) Test your spark with the plugs installed using a gap spark tester. Testing spark by holding the plug near the block or with a neon testers cannot let you properly evaluate the strength of the spark. The fact that you changed the points and condensers does not guarantee sufficient spark given the low quality of replacement parts these days (even on OEM).
Fuel:
a) First, make sure you use fresh fuel and very importantly that your tank fuel line has been purged of that old fuel trapped in there since last year.
b) Before your cranking joust,squeeze the fuel priming bulb continuously while carefully inspecting all lines , components and connections from the tank all the way to the carb, making sure all is tight.
c) After priming the fuel system, crank the motor (give yourself a break and use an 1/2 inch electric drill connected to the flywheel nut). If it doesn’t start, remove and inspect the plugs. The electrode area should be wet / smell of gas. If not, check the engine fuel connector for a possible blockage or a blockage/kink in the fuel lines all the way to the carb. You may also disconnect the fuel pump outgoing line and see if it spits out while squeezing the primer pump and while the motor is being cranked, if not, rebuild the fuel pump.
d) If that doesn’t resolve the problem, rebuild the carb (yes, another time) and once it’s off remove the intake and reed valve/plate assembly and make sure the reeds close tight against the plate (hold it up to a light source, none should shine through). Leaking reed valves go undetected by the compression check but will prevent a 2-stroke to fire up.
Keep up the spirits !
There are no old outboards, just machines so well built, they have outlasted their owners !