Distributor & ign. connector replaced, timing reset; better but not good

So.

Action taken
1) I've replaced the whole distributor with a Cardone Select 841830.

2) Also, the gray connector on the ignition coil needed replacement, since the holding clip on the old one was broken. Apparently this connector is responsible for carrying current from the ignition key (pink lead) and supplying a signal to the tachometer (white lead). I used a Standard S562 i.e. this thing...

... only to find out that the bloody connector will not stay on the ignition coil it was meant for.  The plastic clip is too loose and simply won't hold the connector in place, and the white styrofoam cushion/seal inside the connector is too thick, so it pushes the connector out of the socket. WTF? Both the connector and ignition coil are stock replacement parts from Standard Motor Products. It got a bit better after replacing the styrofoam piece with the flattened-out piece from the old connector, but it's still loose and you can detach it just by pulling. So I used electric tape to keep it in place. --> update: the coil was faulty, not the connector - see the next post.

3) I readjusted the timing to what might be the factory default. I haven't found reliable documentation on what values the timing  marks stand for, but now it's set like this:

Results
The same symptoms persist as before, but now my tachometer is dead most of the time. Apparently white lead, or the tachometer connector it attaches to, is even more unreliable now.

The symptoms are less frequent though, I was able to complete a 25 km (15,5 mile) test drive without the engine dying at all.

Also, I noticed some stutters / surges while driving at about 100 km/h (60 mph). Another halfhearted guess, is the TCC trying to engage and failing?