I do have a small amount of side to side play in the distributor bushing and I can hold a tape measurer up to the rotor cap and it shows 3\16 inch of play in the gear. should I replace the distributor? Could this be the cause if the miss?

 

Yes, a wore distributor can cause a misfire as the spark will not be delivered exactly when it should.

 

I replaced the old distributor with a rebuilt one and took it out for a drive and it never missed once at any speed in any gear. I guess it was the distributor all along. Thanks everyone for all of your help.

 

Glad to help.