It is a 1978 dodge sportman

[calvin cockrell]

It is a 1978 dodge sportman

[Russell E Johnson]

Sorry, I meant #8 not #2, #8 is the next in the firing order.

[Russell E Johnson]

I am trying to remember back 40 years so If I miss something forgive me.  That resistor cut the voltage down going to the distributor.  Check for a full 12 volts on one side of the resistor and something less on the other, sorry I don't remember how much the drop is.  You will need someone cranking the engine over as there will be no drop in voltage without current flowing.  Trace the wire into the distributor and check for voltage where the connection is made, it may be a broken wire or, as Lakota said, corrosion on the contacts.  Worst case scenario is that the distributor is fried and therefore no spark is getting to the spark plugs.  It doesn't happen often, but it will occur.  

If that is OK, then it is time to go back to basics.  Using a breaker bar and socket move the camshaft timing mark to TDC.  Check that the #1 cylinder is at its full height by pulling out the spark plug.  Next pull the distributor cap and make sure that the rotor is aimed at the #1 contact.  As long as it is close you are fine, but if it is at #2 or worse, someone has either messed with the distributor and re-installed it incorrectly or the gear on the distributor is worn out and jumped teeth.  The engine may not run correctly, but it will start at TDC.  After it is started then you can adjust the timing to the correct setting for the engine in your Dodge.

[calvin cockrell]

The resistance was 47.7 on old one and 47.8 on new one that isnt it what else could it be

[calvin cockrell]

Will check it tomarrow dark now.

[Lakota Wolf]

The porclean resistor sounds like the culprit,,,usually mounted up on the firewall drivers side,, looks like a long square block with a spring thru the middle to connections on each side.  More then likely coroded connections there or the * spring (resistor) is burnt.