ignition wires & getting the header clearance

Good spark plug wire usually has less than about 400-500ohms ohms resistance per ft.
Your correct that less resistance tends to allow more SPARK energy a crossed the plug gap, which in most cases is best set in the .040-.045 range in my experience, for HEI ignitions and .030 plug gap for a VERTEX MAG .spark plug wire designs vary a great deal between manufacturers and use different materials.
finding headers that fit your car and provide both easy access and the maximum clearance between the header tubes and ignition wire will generally require some research, BEFORE you purchase the headers!
Avoiding the problem by purchasing a quality header design goes a long way toward preventing issues with ignition wire and plug boots being damaged due to close contact with hot headers.
Most header manufacturers design headers they market to fit the maximum number of applications, to reduce the number of designs and part numbers needed in inventory, as a result most header designs are a compromise to allow fast and rather in expensive costs during their construction, and generally they get designed to fit the engines production cylinder head for the year and model of the car listed, and very few designs with work correctly with many after market cylinder heads, many of which were designed well after that car was produced.
the less expensive brands of header manufacturers also tend to use a bit smaller diameter, shorter primary tube and collector lengths and and thinner gauge tubing and flanges, and as a result many after marker extended sump oil pans, starters, and long oil filters cause clearance issues so do the required research before YOU spend your hard earned cash, and remember a low initial price may not be a bargain!

you might want to watch these video,s on swapping to low resistance ignition wire


http://www.summitracing.com/parts/msd-3508

Q. What should the Ohms per foot be on my wires?
A. ThunderVolt 50 = 40 Ohms
ThunderVolt 8.2 = 40 Ohms
StreeThunder = 500 Ohms
409 Pro Race = 350 Ohms
8mm Spiro Pro = 350 Ohms
8mm Pro Wire Resistor Core = 3,500 Ohms
Full Metal Jacket = 350 Ohms
Extreme Service = 350 Ohms
SST = 500 Ohms
8mm High Energy = 5,000 Ohms
good plug wires usually read less than 500 ohms per foot, less than about 2000 ohms is still decent for some wire designs but if the wire reads something like 36 k ohms plus your usually dealing with less than ideal wires
ID also mention that the older solid copper core ignition wire from the muscle car era, won,t work correctly on the more modern computer controlled cars as its electrical interference tends to cause the more current computer control systems to run poorly, if you can hear the ignition run in the radio static its a sure bet its having some effect on the control computer ability to read and send data from the sensors, and more than likely can eventually damage the computer, so select the type of ignition wire with significant sheilding
routing the wires so they don,t contact headers is critical to long term lifespan, and yes the thicker insulation and higher quality wires do tend to be less likely to arc to each other, or burn as easily.
some applications require the carbon core wires with the metallic outer core design to reduce EMF interference.
THE MOST COMMON SCREW-UP I SEE IS GUYS HAVING IGNITION WIRE THAT GETS MELTED ON HEADERS, ITS THE HEADER DESIGN MORE THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER FACTOR THAT CAUSES THIS, SO BEFORE BUYING HEADERS TRY TO FIND A SIMILAR SET THATS BEEN INSTALLED AND CHECK THE PLUG & WIRE CLEARANCE/ACCESS, doing that, so you can avoid badly designed headers, can save you years of grief

TAYLOR,MSD,MOROSO all make decent wire and you don,t need to go crazy on the price or diam.
, most of the spiral core 8mm-10.4 mm work fine,any of the above listed brands, I prefer the TAYLOR wires personally

do yourself a favor & read the linked info

http://www.thermotec.com/products/14200 ... hield.html
Spark Plug Wire Heat Shield
The Spark Plug Wire Heat Shield offers the ultimate protection for spark plug wires and boots from conductive and radiant heat, which is a problem.

The dual-purpose sleeve has a surface that reflects over 90% of radiant heat up to 2000º, while the inside silica-based fabric prevents conductive heat from penetrating.
Part Numbers
Part Number Description
14200 2 pc. 6" X 2-1/2"
http://cableorganizer.com/insultherm-spark/







http://www.magnecor.com/magnecor1/truth.htm

http://www.taylorvertex.com/Products/index.cgi/main3


getting the timing to retarded or f/a mix too lean and exhaust temps climb, usually resulting in burnt ignition wires or plug boots
It really looks like those headers ,in the picture you posted that, your using were designed for use with the angle plug heads,
and use of the strait plug heads causes the spark plug to header tube,
and related ignition wire clearance issues.
this is, unfortunately a very common miss match of components.


look at the heads and the exhaust header tube routing and the difference in clearance,
that the designed angle plug heads use would make on spark plug to header tube clearance.
one of the least understood yet common problems is that the header manufacturers seldom bother to tell you what cylinder heads were used during the header design phase of production of the headers and damn few people purchasing headers bother to do the research or ask detailed questions until they run into problems caused by the design miss match, and yes its very common to find headers designed for strait plug heads can cause similar issues if used with angle plug heads , but thats slightly less common



RELATED THREADS
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/installing-hard-to-access-plugs.962/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/building-custom-headers.961/#post-56850

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/straight-vs-angle-plug-sbc-heads.2712/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/why-use-anti-seize-paste.9424/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ition-wires-getting-the-header-clearance.840/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/straight-vs-angle-plug-sbc-heads.2712/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-guys-that-just-slap-on-factory-headers.3155/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-99610/


while wrapping the plug boot like above appears to be a splendid idea for reflecting heat and might work perfectly I suspect theres at least some potential the metallic heat reflective tape could potentially provide an electrically conductive short circuit path for ignition voltage

the ceramic boots at least in theory , when combined with heat reflective / insulating socks, like pictured below might produce a less likely electrical ground path



Id at least suggest increasing the potential distance an electrical arc might potentially jump and use of an over the boot surface non-electrically conductive sock to be used under the heat reflective layer some what similar to these pictured below







these work on BBC combos with an HEI distributor, and headers


BE AWARE, that theres a significant variation in spark plug location between different cylinder head designs,made by different manufacturers ,and theres both strait and angle plug heads and even the angle plug heads vary a good deal between designs, and many headers won,t work with a few cylinder heads in some applications so its almost mandatory that you call and talk too the tech support guys from both the cylinder head and headers manufacturers, to ask if any specific combo has a history of clearance issues BEFORE purchasing your headers or cylinder heads or both.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-84606/

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-91002/

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-79667/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/installing-hard-to-access-plugs.962/

ITS extremely important that you ask questions and get accurate answers , BEFORE purchasing headers about what style cylinder heads the headers are designed to fit, below is pictured a set of headers obviously designed for factory strait plug heads but bolted to a set of angle plug heads making spark plug access and wiring a clearance and heat , destroying ignition wire nightmare

angle plug

Accel Extreme 9000 Ceramic Wire Sets


ACCEL now offers the cure for burnt spark plug wire boots with Extreme 9000 Ceramic Wire kits. The 8mm Ferro-Spiral core wire now has ceramic boots on the spark plug end of the wires that will withstand up to 2,000° F. If you are running headers with close tolerances, an engine bay with little room, or an RV with boots that melt because of heat, these wire kits are the answer. and yeah! youll still need the heat resistant plug boots to prevent the wires from melting past the ceramic plug boot
FOR PLUGS...

this is an all to common issue because header manufacturers rarely check spark plug clearance with anything other than factory original cylinder heads for a listed application and even with factory original cylinder heads for a listed application, I occasionally see headers with what can only be described as PISS POOR CLEARANCE, for plugs , ignition wire and plug boots.

Report this image

the typical woven or aluminum foil reflective boot covers for protecting plug boots help but depending on the application they may not be adequate protection, it helps but over time heat still can burn thru the ignition wire insulation, the ceramic plug boots plus the shorter plugs and the heat resistant flex wire shields may be required on some headers to provide the required heat protection, and clearance, to the ignition wire

Report this image

use of shorter plugs helps in some applications,cutting a standard spark plug socket to a significantly shorter length and use of an open end of flex wrench eases access

BTW, its not really all that rare to find that the headers you have present a spark plug wire clearance issue,

SPACING THE HEADER FLANGE A BIT FURTHER AWAY FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD WITH A SPACER PLATE CAN AT TIMES BE HELPFUL

that makes installing the spark plug boots in such a way that they don,t contact the hot metal surfaces almost impossible , this can sometimes be helped a great deal by the addition of a header flange, or SPACER PLATE, that MATCHES YOUR PARTICULAR ENGINES CYLINDER HEAD EXHAUST PORT AND HEADERS,

thats significantly thicker being welded to the existing header flange , to space it out further away from the cylinder heads, obviously you don,t want to do this without testing all the clearances so installing the extra header flange with an exhaust gasket on both the cylinder head surface and between the header flange spacer and the existing headers as a test is strongly suggested as a test.
THIS IS ALSO USEFUL AT TIMES TO ADAPT THE ENGINE TO A DIFFERENT BOLT PATTERN OR SPACING
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/30790/10002/-1?parentProductId=977236




heres where you get spacer header flange plates



http://www.jegs.com/p/JEGS-Performance-Products/JEGS-Header-Exhaust-Flanges/1127498/10002/-1

http://www.summitracing.com/search/Part-Type/Header-Flanges/

http://www.hedmanhusler.com/Hedder-Flanges-without-Stubs

http://rehermorrison.com/product/adapter-plates/
bosch, AC delco, NGK all work

set the gap at .043-.045 and don,t forget to use anti-seize on the plug threads

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=LCT-37616&N=700+115&autoview=sku

I prefer TAYLOR wires

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-80617/

a V.O.M meter and this tool can come in handy

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=97577

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/installing-hard-to-access-plugs.962/

viewtopic.php?f=80&t=10730&p=46843#p46843

Re: ignition wires

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-79651/

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-79228/

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-79628/

the taylor 10.4mm sets are superior in my opinion and WELL WORTH the some times slight extra cost, ITS WHAT IVE RUN FOR YEARS

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-1-dig ... 98674.html

adding thermal spark plug shields for the ignition wires near the headers helps protect the ignition efficiency and reduce problems
http://cableorganizer.com/insultherm-spark/


btw this is a rather cool custom touch, (VIDEO LINK BELOW ) you can swap to an HEI cap with wire routing that doesn,t look like crap

http://www.accel-ignition.com/Products/ ... edCap.aspx

Re: ignition wires

HEY GRUMPYVETTE< Stock for me. If they were good enough on the car when new, then they are good enough for replacement>"



thanks!!!
I needed the laugh

the OEM uses the CHEAPEST supplier that can provide ACCEPTABLE MINIMUM quality parts for the application in MANY CASES, and theres a HUGE DIFFERANCE in quality between the 10.4mm taylor ignition wire and the stock, ignition wire, get out a V.O.M. , any wire with over about 400 ohms per foot in resisatance is resisting spark energy, look closely at the insulation after you cut thru both sets triming them to length or if youve got an old set to play with,and youll see what I mean

"Bigger, better wire.
409 Pro Wire sets start with Taylor's 8mm wires (available in spiral-wound or solid core) with a silicone inner insulator, fiberglass braid, and a 100 percent pure silicone jacket. Then they add a heat-treated fiberglass mesh skin and a third layer of pure silicone to get a full 10.4mm diameter. Taylor even bonds pure silicone boots directly to the wires. The results are wires that have a 100,000+ volt dielectric strength rating that gets more spark to your plugs.

http://www.taylorvertex.com/Products/index.cgi/main3

theres also the .409 dia wire

Taylor Thundervolt Ignition Wires
The Taylor Thundervolt ignition wires are the Taylor brand that can be considered as the best ignition wire set under the 10.4mm category. It is the biggest in terms of individual wire diameter; its diameter measures 0.409 inches.

This diameter is ideal for high-voltage because it offers very little resistance to electrical current. Low resistance to electrical current means high conductivity and less heat generation. This product was technically designed as the ultimate ignition wire for car racing applications. It can withstand the most demanding race conditions such as extreme temperature and vibrations.

Its double-spring locking terminal is securely attached to the sparkplug, enabling it to deliver high-voltage electricity at sustained rate without loss of energy even at the most extreme situations. Moreover, it features a three-layer 100 percent pure Zimplex silicone, a ferrite spiral-wound coated core. Its core is a blend of copper/nickel alloy and bonded together by a conductive acrylic latex cover. This ignition wire maintains a core electrical resistance of about 50 ohms, plus or minus 20 percent per foot regardless of the temperature generated by the electrical current. As the name suggests, the Taylor Thundervolt ignition wires can carry large amount of electrical current of up to 102,000 volts and can withstand a temperature of up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. By virtue of these, this product can truly be considered as the ultimate ignition wire for car racing applications. Although this ignition wire was originally designed for racing applications, it can also be used in street car applications. Its cover perfectly insulates it from radio frequency interference which could damage the on-board electronic systems of the modern automobile. If you are looking for the perfect ignition wires, you have just visited the perfect site. You simply have to browse our online catalog to search for the product of your specifications.

Re: ignition wires

grumpyvette said:

HEY GRUMPYVETTE< Stock for me. If they were good enough on the car when new, then they are good enough for replacement>"

Click to expand...

That is very funny. I remember years ago when our IROC was only a few months old I replaced the stock wires with a nice set of Jacob's wires. Back then my wife drove the car to work everyday. I changed the wires, routed them and secured them and didn't give it a second thought. Well wife the next morning started the car and freaked. Came in and told me it revved really high when she started it. There wasn't anything wrong with the car, it just ran so much better with the good wires the improvement was easily noticeable. Made a real believer out of me.

Re: ignition wires

I changed my ignition wires from those really crappy carbon fiber string resistance wires that came on the car when I bought it (USED) and installed the 10.4MM taylors, the color of the spark at the plugs went from weak blue to a strong bright blue, BTW
HERES A QUICK IGNITION TEST
you can easily test your spark by simply useing insullated gloves and before starting your engine pull an easily accessable plug wire off a sparkplug and insert a #2 phillips screw driver into the end of the wire,then hold the insullated screw driver handle so the shank of the screw driver is about 1/4" from a grounded part of an engine bracket or valve cover while a buddy starts the car, youll quickly see the ignition spark jump to the grounded area if the ignitions functioning correctly, spark should be bright blue and you should hear a noticable snappy sound, if its weak, red, yellow and makes darn little noise you need to investigate further, replace the plug wire onto the spark plug and resume testing after shutting off the engine first of course.
A... Voltage .Ohm . meter and timing light will come in HANDY

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=875

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=270&p=1289&hilit=meter#p1289

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=785&p=1337&hilit=meter#p1337

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=270

V.O.M meter and this tool can come in handy

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=97577

Bad plug wires?
Is there any way to check each wire other than to swap the whole set?"


thats what one of things the OHMS setting on your v.o.m. meter, can be used for, good plug wire will read between 45-100 ohms per foot ,the ohms readings vary a great deal between manufacturers and different types of ignition wire so get a new section of similar wire about 2.5 feet long and use that to gauge a reasonable resistance reading on your meter, if your over 500 ohms you've usually got a defective plug wire and don,t forget to visually check for loose connections and burn marks,and to check the coil and its connections and its wire to the distributor.
one old trick is to open your cars hood on a dark night or in a closed garage with low light conditions, and briefly start the engine while you, look for arcing while moving the ignition wires slightly.



viewtopic.php?f=50&t=785&p=1337&hilit=+meter#p1337

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=270&p=1289&hilit=+meter#p1289

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=766&p=1179&hilit=+meter#p1179

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=325&p=397&hilit=+meter#p397

Re: ignition wires & header clearance issues
theres several dozen vendors selling multiple, designs

keep in mid if the plug boots in direct physical contact with the header tubes the heat WILL eventually burn through any of the woven type protective sleeves.
the reflective metal covers will absorb radiant heat as well as reflect some, but they will also eventually allow heat to degrade the plug boots they slip over and in theory protect.
yes they both work to reduce heat damage but neither is a fool proof cure , increased distance helps reduce the rate of heat transfer so shopping carefully for headers with maximum header to plug boot clearance rather than fighting the problem AFTER you buy them is a far smarter idea.




http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-99610/








Taylor Extreme Service Ignition Wires

Taylor Extreme Service ignition wires can withstand sustained optimal performance even up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit and 102,000 volts of dielectric surge. Indeed, this is living up to the "extreme" adjective attached to the brand name. This high-heat ignition wire set is ideal for RVs, dually, tow and service vehicles that require lots of mechanical power. The greater horsepower and torque that these powerful vehicles produce require the ignition system to work double time to supply the electrical energy needed in sustained combustion.

Ordinary ignitions wires will easily melt when subjected to sustained extreme current. Overheating will always interfere with the conductivity of the wires which could lead to loss in electrical energy. However, these obstacles are completely overcome by the Taylor ignition wires. As an aftermarket automotive product, the Taylor Extreme Service ignition wires have undergone rigorous product testing both in the laboratory and on the road to earn product approval based on OEM quality standards.

To some degree, this product even exceeds the expectations and criteria in terms of quality and durability standards of most automobile manufacturers. Such product features 0.409-inch, 10.44 mm silicone wire protection for high heat, extreme service, and high-performance ignition tasks. It has a ferrite spiral-wound coated core that blends copper and nickel alloy bonded by a conductive acrylic latex cover. It also has a 3-layer 100 percent pure silicone blue outer jacket as protection against heat and radio frequency interference. It also features an 8-inch long burn proof silver heat socks that is pre-installed for added wire protection. The silicone boots, on the other hand, features vibration-proof double-spring lock plug terminals that will not easily detach from the sparkplugs even during extreme conditions. To search for the automotive product of certain specification, simply browse our online catalog and click the appropriate links. We guarantee the best value for your money.

http://store.prestoliteperformance.com/ ... -7587.html

keep in mind that different brands of plugs will have different lengths that can be critical with ignition wire to header clearances

yes heat shield jackets do help

I bought a universal ignition wire kit like this one I listed above with the 10.4 mm wires and it came with several different end connectors and instructions on how to assemble and cut the wires to length. I don,t see it listed on summit but its probably available, (ITS BEEN about 7 years) the ignition wires still in great condition and it fit fine on both a stock HEI and a HOLLEY small base HEI replacement the

http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLine/A ... 0-160.html

ID bet the pre-made wires listed are easy to work with and if they had been available at the time ID have bought those above, the coil wire in my ket was about 25" long but IM not sure whats in the kit because I was forced to buy a self assemble kit of universal ignition wires to get the heat resistant header guards at that time


theres a dozen ways you can go with headers and ignition wire, but Ive used these on several cars with good results and its what my race vette runs

http://www.msdpromag.com/p22.htm


http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-99610/

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-99605/

big block (above)

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-2566/

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TAY-79651/

SMALL BLOCK(above)

Re: ignition wires


Accel Extreme 9000 Ceramic Wire Sets


ACCEL now offers the cure for burnt spark plug wire boots with Extreme 9000 Ceramic Wire kits. The 8mm Ferro-Spiral core wire now has ceramic boots on the spark plug end of the wires that will withstand up to 2,000° F. If you are running headers with close tolerances, an engine bay with little room, or an RV with boots that melt because of heat, these wire kits are the answer.


keep in mind sbc use 90 degree boots and BBC uses 180 degree boots on the plugs in most applications

Accel Extreme 9000 Ceramic Wire Sets

The ACCEL Extreme 9000 Ceramic wire sets have an ultra high temperature double silicone construction wire rated at 600° F. Rated at 500-ohms per foot of resistance,(thats high but a good ignition will easily compensate) the Ferro-Spiral core is developed & designed for performance use. It provides excellent energy delivery to the spark plugs, while providing the highest level of RFI/EMI suppression. These universal kits are available with either Straight Boots, 90° Boots or even 115° Ford style boots. The ceramic boots are pre-installed from the factory at the spark plug end.

• Ceramic spark plug boots cannot be burned – even if the headers glow red 

• Spiral wound wire core is safe for electronic ignitions 

• Improves engine performance, quicker throttle response and reduced emissions 

• Perfect for extreme use vehicles like hot rods, race cars, trucks

always use a bit of anti-seize paste on spark plugs, threads, being used in aluminum cylinder heads even if not required and its best to remove & install them when the engines not very hot, be very careful to start threading them into the heads by hand, and don,t over tighten them as its all too easy to strip soft aluminum plug threads in aluminum cylinder heads, if you have access to a 3/8" drive inch/la torque wrench 12-13 ft lbs is about correct torque

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/installing-hard-to-access-plugs.962/

heres a good example of extremely limited access,
caused by either, badly designed headers,
or use of headers designed for a different style plug angle cylinder head,
and in this case it results high heat on plug wires,
and a ridiculous clearance issue with these heads being used.

READ this thread if your not familiar with angle vs strait plug heads
viewtopic.php?f=52&t=2712&p=7032&hilit=angle+plug+heads#p7032




THE MOST COMMON SCREW-UP Ii SEE IS GUYS HAVING IGNITION WIRE THAT GETS MELTED ON HEADERS, ITS THE HEADER DESIGN MORE THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER FACTOR THAT CAUSES THIS, SO BEFORE BUYING HEADERS TRY TO FIND A SIMILAR SET THATS BEEN INSTALLED AND CHECK THE PLUG & WIRE CLEARANCE/ACCESS, doing that, so you can avoid badly designed headers, can save you years of grief, obviously the picture above shows badly designed headers and the picture below much better plug access


IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS THAT THE HEADERS USED NEED TO MATCH THE SPARK PLUG ANGLE FOR EASY ACCESS
Contact Information:
Accel
Phone: 216-688-8300
Site: http://www.accel-ignition.com

http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch ... 3&D=302903

Re: ignition wires & plug clearance

if you've got a clearance issue with your headers and plug access you may have headers designed for a different cylinder head or just badly designed headers, keep in mind that if you discuss with BOTH THE HEADER MANUFACTURERS AND THE CYLINDER HEAD MANUFACTURERS the compatibility of BOTH products they will have very quickly had complaints from previous purchasers if theres clearance issues, when the two products are used together and should advise you of those potential problems
you may also want to keep in mind READING the WARNINGS that state things like (NOT COMPATIBLE WITH ANGLE PLUG HEADS) should help you avoid problems.
http://www.jegs.com/i/Hedman/500/68308/10002/-1

Ive used those headers linked above, before and had zero issues, but be aware that theres strait and angle plug heads and its smart to check with the manufacturer as to what style heads the headers are designed too fit correctly or you could have major clearance issues.

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=2712&p=7032&hilit=angle+plug#p7032


ignition plug boots usually come in 90 degree,(right angle) 180 degree (strait) and (135 degree designs)

read this thread

viewtopic.php?f=56&t=961&p=1654&hilit=lego#p1654

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=2712&p=7032&hilit=angle+plug+heads#p7032

http://www.fme-cat.com/Docs/1502.pdf

Accel makes special "header" spark plugs. as do a few other sources

http://go.mrgasket.com/pdf/sparkplugs/U ... _Specs.pdf

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/sp ... index.html

http://www.jcwhitney.com/shorty-silver- ... ?TID=100DF

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Accel-U-G ... gs,44.html

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/tech/ ... index.html

http://www.dragzine.com/project-cars/pr ... th-lemons/

now in a few cases , where youve got the required clearances in the frame but your dealing with tight clearances on the spark plug to head clearance,you can add an additional header flange plate and gasket , between the heads and the header that will increase the header to head distance 3/8"-1/2" additional

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Small-Blo ... ,7294.html

http://www.wundercarparts.com/shopforac ... GoogleBase

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PTE-H7864/?rtype=10



BTW you can ANGLE MILL THE HEADER FLANGE PLATES YOUR USING TO SPACE OUT THE HEADERS ,FROM THE HEADS TO GAIN MORE SPARK-PLUG CLEARANCE IN SOME CASES


THERE ARE ALSO ADAPTERS TO ALLOW YOU TO USE THE 10MM STYLE RACE PLUGS IN YOUR CURRENT 14MM THREADS

http://www.sdshobby.net/rcexl-14mm-to-1 ... p1862.html




http://www.globaldenso.com/en/products/ ... ineup.html

In the process of researching wires, I came across this:



http://www.magnecor.com/magnecor1/main.htm

"LOW-RESISTANCE" SPIRAL WIRES

By far the most popular conductor used in ignition wires destined for race and performance street engines are spiral conductors (a.k.a. mag, pro, super, spiral, monel, heli, energy, ferro, twin core etc.). Spiral conductors are constructed by winding fine wire around a core. Almost all manufacturers use constructions which reduce production costs in an endeavor to offer ignition component marketers and mass-merchandisers cheaper prices than those of their competitors.

In the USA in particular, most marketers of performance parts selling their products through mass-merchandisers and speed shops include a variety of very effective high-output ignition systems together with a branded not-so-effective ignition wire line using a spiral conductor. Most perpetually try to out-do their competitors by offering spiral conductor ignition wires with the lowest electrical resistance. Some publish results which show their wires are superior to a competitor's wires which use identical cable (on which another brand name is printed). The published "low" resistance (per foot) is measured with a test ohmmeter's 1 volt direct current (DC) passing through the entire length of the fine wire used for the spiral conductor.

"Low-resistance" conductors are an easy sell, as most people associate all ignition wire conductors with original equipment and replacement ignition wire carbon conductors (which progressively fail as a result of microscopic carbon granules burning away and thus reducing the spark energy to the spark plugs) and with solid wire zero-resistance conductors that were used by racers with no need for suppression. Consumers are easily led into believing that if a spiral conductor's resistance is almost zero, its performance must be similar to that of a solid metal conductor all race cars once used. HOWEVER, NOTHING IS FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!

What is not generally understood (or is ignored) is that as a result of the laws of electricity, the potential 45,000 plus volts (with alternating current characteristics) from the ignition coil (a pulse type transformer) does not flow through the entire the length of fine wire used for a spiral conductor like the 1 volt DC voltage from a test ohmmeter, but flows in a magnetic field surrounding the outermost surface of the spiral windings (skin effect). The same skin effect applies equally to the same pulsating flow of current passing through carbon and solid metal conductors.

A spiral conductor with a low electrical resistance measured by an ohmmeter indicates, in reality, nothing other than less of the expensive fine wire is used for the conductor windings — a construction which cannot achieve a clean and efficient current flow through the magnetic field surrounding the windings, resulting in poor suppression for RFI and EMI.

Of course, ignition wire manufacturers save a considerable amount in manufacturing costs by using less fine wire, less exotic winding machinery and less expertise to make low-resistance spiral conductors. As an incentive, they find a lucrative market amongst performance parts marketers who advertise their branded ignition wires as having "low-resistance" conductors, despite the fact that such "low-resistance" contributes nothing to make spiral ignition wires perform better, and RFI and EMI suppression is compromised.

In recent years, most ignition wire manufacturers, to temporarily improve their spiral conductor's suppression, have resorted to coating excessively spaced spiral windings, most of which are crudely wound around strands of fiberglass or Kevlar, with a heavy layer of high-resistance carbon impregnated conductive latex or silicone compound. This type of construction hides the conductive coating's high resistance when the overall conductor is measured with a test ohmmeter, which only measures the lower resistance of the sparse spirally wound wire (the path of least resistance) under the conductive coating and ignores the high resistance of the outermost conductive coating in which the spark energy actually travels. The conductive coating is rarely shown or mentioned in advertisement illustrations.

The suppression achieved by this practice of coating the windings is only temporary, as the spark current is forced to travel through the outermost high-resistance conductive coating in the same manner the spark current travels through the outermost high-resistance conductive coating of a carbon conductor used in most original equipment and stock replacement wires.

In effect, (when new) a coated "low-resistance" spiral conductor's true performance is identical to that of a high-resistance carbon conductor.

Unfortunately, and particularly with the use of high-output ignitions, the outermost high-resistance conductive coating over spiral windings acting as the conductor will fail from burn out in the same manner as carbon conductors, and although in most cases, the spiral conductor will not cease to conduct like a high-resistance carbon conductor, any RFI or EMI suppression will be lost as a consequence of the coating burning out. The worst interference will come from the so-called "super conductors" that are wound with copper (alloy) wire.

However, despite the shortcomings of "low-resistance" spiral conductor ignition wires, these wires work satisfactorily on older production vehicles and race vehicles that do not rely on electronic engine management systems, or use on-board electronics effected by EMI — although with the lowest-resistance conductor wires, don't expect much RFI suppression on the AM band in poor reception areas.

Some European and Japanese original equipment and replacement ignition wires including Bougicord and NGK do have spiral conductors that provide good suppression — usually none of these wires are promoted as having low- resistance conductors — however, none are ideal for competition use, as their conductors and pin-type terminations are fragile and are known to rarely last as long as good carbon conductor ignition wires.

To be effective in carrying the full output from the ignition system and suppressing RFI and EMI in particular, spiral conductors need windings that are microscopically close to one another and precisely spaced and free from conductive coatings. To be more effective, the windings need to be wound over a core of magnetic material — a method too costly for wires sold through mass-merchandisers and most speed shops who purchase only the cheapest (to them) and most heavily promoted products.

Claims of Horsepower Gain

Every brand of spiral conductor ignition wires will perform the function of conducting coil output to the spark plugs, but NONE, despite the claims made in advertisements and other promotional literature, will increase horsepower. Independent tests, including a test performed by Circle Track Magazine (see May, 1996 issue) in the USA, show that NO "low-resistance" ignition wires for which a horsepower increase is claimed do in fact increase horsepower - the test also included comparisons with solid metal and carbon conductor ignition wires.

THE TRUTH ABOUT IGNITION WIRE CONDUCTORS

You can also download this document
http://www.magnecor.com/magnecor1/main.htm

CARBON (SUPPRESSION) CONDUCTORS

Carbon conductors are used in original equipment ignition wires by most vehicle manufacturers, and in the majority of stock replacement wires. This style of ignition wire is cheap to manufacture and generally provides good suppression for both RFI (radio frequency interference) and EMI (electromagnetic interference). Conductor usually consists of a substrate of fiberglass and/or Kevlar over which high-resistance conductive latex or silicone is coated, and functions by reducing spark current (by resistance) to provide suppression — a job it does well while the conductor lasts. Vehicle manufacturers treat ignition wires as service items to be replaced regularly, and limited life is never an issue. This type of conductor quickly fails (burns out) if a high-powered aftermarket ignition system is used.

EMI (electromagnetic interference)

EMI from spark plug wires can cause erroneous signals to be sent to engine management systems and other on-board electronic devices used on both racing and production vehicles in the same manner as RFI (radio frequency interference) can cause unwanted signals to be heard on a radio receiver. Engine running problems ranging from intermittent misses to a dramatic loss of power can result when engine management computers receive signals from sensors that have been altered by EMI emitted from spark plug wires. This problem is most noticeable on modern production vehicles used for commuting where virtually every function of the vehicle's drive train is managed by a computer. For many reasons, the effect of EMI on engine management computers is never predicable, and problems do become worse on production vehicles as sensors, connectors and wiring deteriorate and corrosion occurs. The problem is often exacerbated by replacing the original ignition system with a high-output system.
SOLID CORE CONDUCTOR WIRES

Solid metal (copper, tin-plated copper and/or stainless steel) conductor wires are still used in racing on carbureted engines, but can cause all sorts of running problems if used on vehicles with electronic ignition, fuel injection and engine management systems, particularly if vehicle is driven on the street — and damage to some original equipment and modern aftermarket electronic ignition and engine management systems can occur. Solid metal conductor wires cannot be suppressed to overcome EMI or RFI without the addition of current-reducing resistors at both ends of wires.
"LOW-RESISTANCE" SPIRAL WIRES

By far the most popular conductor used in ignition wires destined for race and performance street engines are spiral conductors (a.k.a. mag, pro, super, spiral, monel, heli, energy, ferro, twin core etc.). Spiral conductors are constructed by winding fine wire around a core. Almost all manufacturers use constructions which reduce production costs in an endeavor to offer ignition component marketers and mass-merchandisers cheaper prices than those of their competitors.

In the USA in particular, most marketers of performance parts selling their products through mass-merchandisers and speed shops include a variety of very effective high-output ignition systems together with a branded not-so-effective ignition wire line using a spiral conductor. Most perpetually try to out-do their competitors by offering spiral conductor ignition wires with the lowest electrical resistance. Some publish results which show their wires are superior to a competitor's wires which use identical cable (on which another brand name is printed). The published "low" resistance (per foot) is measured with a test ohmmeter's 1 volt direct current (DC) passing through the entire length of the fine wire used for the spiral conductor.

"Low-resistance" conductors are an easy sell, as most people associate all ignition wire conductors with original equipment and replacement ignition wire carbon conductors (which progressively fail as a result of microscopic carbon granules burning away and thus reducing the spark energy to the spark plugs) and with solid wire zero-resistance conductors that were used by racers with no need for suppression. Consumers are easily led into believing that if a spiral conductor's resistance is almost zero, its performance must be similar to that of a solid metal conductor all race cars once used. HOWEVER, NOTHING IS FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!

What is not generally understood (or is ignored) is that as a result of the laws of electricity, the potential 45,000 plus volts (with alternating current characteristics) from the ignition coil (a pulse type transformer) does not flow through the entire length of fine wire used for a spiral conductor like the 1 volt DC voltage from a test ohmmeter, but flows in a magnetic field surrounding the outermost surface of the spiral windings (skin effect). The same skin effect applies equally to the same pulsating flow of current passing through carbon and solid metal conductors.

A spiral conductor with a low electrical resistance measured by an ohmmeter indicates, in reality, nothing other than less of the expensive fine wire is used for the conductor windings — a construction which cannot achieve a clean and efficient current flow through the magnetic field surrounding the windings, resulting in poor suppression for RFI and EMI.

Of course, ignition wire manufacturers save a considerable amount in manufacturing costs by using less fine wire, less exotic winding machinery and less expertise to make low-resistance spiral conductors. As an incentive, they find a lucrative market amongst performance parts marketers who advertise their branded ignition wires as having "low-resistance" conductors, despite the fact that such "low-resistance" contributes nothing to make spiral ignition wires perform better, and RFI and EMI suppression is compromised.

In recent years, most ignition wire manufacturers, to temporarily improve their spiral conductor's suppression, have resorted to coating excessively spaced spiral windings, most of which are crudely wound around strands of fiberglass or Kevlar, with a heavy layer of high-resistance carbon impregnated conductive latex or silicone compound. This type of construction hides the conductive coating's high resistance when the overall conductor is measured with a test ohmmeter, which only measures the lower resistance of the sparse spirally wound wire (the path of least resistance) under the conductive coating and ignores the high resistance of the outermost conductive coating in which the spark energy actually travels. The conductive coating is rarely shown or mentioned in advertisement illustrations.

The suppression achieved by this practice of coating the windings is only temporary, as the spark current is forced to travel through the outermost high-resistance conductive coating in the same manner the spark current travels through the outermost high-resistance conductive coating of a carbon conductor used in most original equipment and stock replacement wires.

In effect, (when new) a coated "low-resistance" spiral conductor's true performance is identical to that of a high-resistance carbon conductor.

Unfortunately, and particularly with the use of high-output ignitions, the outermost high-resistance conductive coating over spiral windings acting as the conductor will fail from burn out in the same manner as carbon conductors, and although in most cases, the spiral conductor will not cease to conduct like a high-resistance carbon conductor, any RFI or EMI suppression will be lost as a consequence of the coating burning out. The worst interference will come from the so-called "super conductors" that are wound with copper (alloy) wire.

However, despite the shortcomings of "low-resistance" spiral conductor ignition wires, these wires work satisfactorily on older production vehicles and race vehicles that do not rely on electronic engine management systems, or use on-board electronics effected by EMI — although with the lowest-resistance conductor wires, don't expect much RFI suppression on the AM band in poor reception areas.

Some Japanese and European original equipment and replacement ignition wires do have spiral conductors that provide good suppression, and usually none of these wires are promoted as having low-resistance conductors. However, some have proven unsuitable for competition use when used with high-output ignition systems, as their conductors and pin-type terminations can be fragile and may not last as long as conventional conductor fold-over terminations.

To be effective in carrying the full output from the ignition system and suppressing RFI and EMI in particular, spiral conductors need windings that are microscopically close to one another and precisely spaced and free from conductive coatings. To be more effective, the windings need to be wound over a core of magnetic material — a method too costly for wires sold through mass-merchandisers and most speed shops who purchase only the cheapest (to them) and most heavily promoted products.

Claims of Horsepower Gain

Every brand of spiral conductor ignition wires will perform the function of conducting coil output to the spark plugs, but NONE, despite the claims made in advertisements and other promotional literature, will increase horsepower. Independent tests, including a test performed by Circle Track Magazine (see May, 1996 issue) in the USA, show that NO "low-resistance" ignition wires for which a horsepower increase is claimed do in fact increase horsepower - the test also included comparisons with solid metal and carbon conductor ignition wires.
TWIN-CONDUCTOR WIRES

Despite the hype, nothing will be gained from wires which feature a twin conductor (SplitFire Twin Core wires) — although this is an excellent way to make a cheaply constructed low-resistance spiral conductor wire emit twice the EMI. The claim by SplitFire the additional core delivers "TWICE the ignition power of what used to be called 'high performance' wires!" (and more miles per gallon for consumers outside of the USA) is of no more use to consumers than the need for SplitFire's "safety of a second wire set — built in!" Any single spiral conductor (except those with pin-type terminations) will conduct all the coil current from any stock and most racing ignition systems reliably, and since the vast majority of any type conductor wires fail and/or burn away at the terminations, nothing will be gained by terminating "twin" conductors in the same terminal.
"CAPACITOR" EFFECT WIRES with grounded metal braiding over jacket

The most notable of exaggerated claims for ignition wires are made by Nology, a manufacturer of ignition wires promoted as "the only spark plug wires with built-in capacitor." Nology's "HotWires" (called "Plasma Leads" in the UK) consist of unsuppressed solid metal or spiral conductor ignition wires over which braided metal sleeves are partially fitted. The braided metal sleeves are grounded via straps formed from part of the braiding. Insulating covers are fitted over the braided metal sleeves. These wires are well constructed. For whatever reason, Nology specifies that non-resistor spark plugs need to be used with their "HotWires." In a demonstration, the use of resistor plugs with "HotWires" will nullify the visual effect of the brighter spark.

Ignition wires with grounded braided metal sleeves over the cable have come and gone all over the world for (at least) the last 30 years, and similar wires were used over 20 years ago by a few car makers to solve cross-firing problems on early fuel injected engines and RFI problems on fiberglass bodied cars — only to find other problems were created. The recent Circle Track Magazine (USA, May, 1996 issue) test showed Nology "HotWires" produced no additional horsepower (the test actually showed a 10 horsepower decrease when compared to stock carbon conductor wires).

The perceived effect a brighter spark, conducted by an ignition wire, encased or partially encased in a braided metal sleeve (shield) grounded to the engine, jumping across a huge free-air gap (which bears no relationship to the spark needed to fire the variable air/fuel mixture under pressure in a combustion chamber) is continually being re-discovered and cleverly demonstrated by marketers who convince themselves there's monetary value in such a bright spark, and all sorts of wild, completely un-provable claims are made for this phenomena.

Like many in the past, Nology cleverly demonstrates a brighter free-air spark containing useless flash-over created by the crude "capacitor" (effect) of this style of wire. In reality, the bright spark has no more useful energy to fire a variable compressed air/fuel mixture than the clean spark you would see in a similar demonstration using any good carbon conductor wire. What is happening in such a demonstration is the coil output is being unnecessarily boosted to additionally supply spark energy that is induced (and wasted) into the grounded braided metal sleeve around the ignition wire's jacket. To test the validity of this statement, ask the Nology demonstrator to disconnect the ground strap and observe just how much energy is sparking to ground.

Claims by Nology of their "HotWires" creating sparks that are "300 times more powerful," reaching temperatures of "100,000 to 150,000 degrees F" (more than enough to melt spark plug electrodes), spark durations of "4 billionths of a second" (spark duration is controlled by the ignition system itself) and currents of "1,000 amperes" magically evolving in "capacitors" allegedly "built-in" to the ignition wires are as ridiculous as the data and the depiction of sparks in photographs used in advertising material and the price asked for these wires! Most stock ignition primaries are regulated to 6 amperes and the most powerful race ignition to no more than 40 amperes at 12,000 RPM.

It is common knowledge amongst automotive electrical engineers that it is unwise to use ignition wires fitted with grounded braided metal sleeves fitted over ignition cable jackets on an automobile engine. This type of ignition wires forces its cable jackets to become an unsuitable dielectric for a crude capacitor (effect) between the conductor and the braided metal sleeves. While the wires function normally when first fitted, the cable jackets soon break down as a dielectric, and progressively more spark energy is induced from the conductors (though the cable jackets) into the grounded metal sleeves, causing the ignition coil to unnecessarily output more energy to fire both the spark plug gaps and the additional energy lost via the braided metal sleeves. Often this situation leads to ignition coil and control unit overload failures. It should be noted that it is dangerous to use this style of wires if not grounded to the engine with grounding straps, as the outside of the braided cables will be alive with thousands of volts wanting to ground-out to anything (or anybody) nearby.

Unless you are prepared to accept poorly suppressed ignition wires that fail sooner than any other type of ignition wires and stretch your ignition system to the limit, and have an engine with no electronic management system and/or exhaust emission controls, it's best not to be influenced by the exaggerated claims, and some vested-interest journalists', resellers' and installers' perception an engine has more power after Nology wires are fitted. Often, after replacing deteriorated wires, any new ignition wires make an engine run better.
OTHER DEVICES CLAIMING TO INCREASE SPARKS:

Never be fooled by any device that is fitted between the ignition coil and the distributor, and/or distributor and the spark plugs (sometimes in place of ignition wires) for which claims of increased power, multiple sparks, and better fuel economy are made. These devices have come and gone over the last 50 years, and usually consists of a sealed container in which the spark is forced to jump an additional gap or is partially induced to ground on its way to the spark plug gap. These devices can also be cleverly demonstrated to produce sparks the human eye perceives as being "more powerful." The only "increase" a gullible consumer can expect from these devices is an undesirable increase in load on their vehicle's ignition system.
SUMMING UP

All internal combustion engines rely on an ignition system — and an engine that is required to produce more horsepower and needs to operate at higher-than-production-engine RPM needs a more powerful ignition system to achieve the extra horsepower and higher RPM.

Original (stock) equipment inductive ignition systems with distributors, and direct ignition systems that eliminate the distributor by controlling the ignition system with a computer, are designed to output spark energy moderately in excess of what is needed to fire spark plug gaps under normal operating conditions, and to control timing and spark duration to improve the engine's ability to control exhaust emissions, as well as ensuring the engine is not overstressed during the vehicle's warranty period.

Capacitor discharge ignitions (CDI) such as those from Accel, Crane, Holley, Jacobs, Mallory, MSD and others create sparks that are compressed (and intensified) into shorter duration and are designed to additionally produce the extra spark energy needed by race and modified street engines that will reach higher RPM than stock engines and use fuels more difficult to fire than pump gasoline (petrol). Most CDI ignitions incorporate multi-spark circuits to enable the engine to run smoother under 3,000 RPM.

A High-output inductive ignition system is probably more appropriate than a CDI ignition system for most late model production engines (modified or not) because this type of ignition provides the longer duration spark needed by these engines. Basic high-output inductive ignition systems are currently available in the aftermarket from at least Accel, Crane, Holley, MSD, and a menu driven direct ignition system is a available from Electromotive.

Often, on production vehicles used on the street, replacing a tired ignition coil with a higher-output ignition coil from Accel, Crane, Jacobs, Mallory, Moroso, MSD, Nology, etc, can improve ignition performance, particularly under load and at higher RPM.

Electrical devices, including SPARK PLUGS, use only the electrical energy necessary to perform the function for which such devices are designed. IGNITION WIRES are nothing other than conductors, and whereas an ignition wire's inefficient or failing conductor or insulating jacket (particularly a jacket inside grounded metal shielding) can reduce the flow of electricity to the spark plug, an ignition wire that allegedly generates an "increase" in spark energy will have no effect on the spark jumping across the spark plug gap, as the energy consumed at the spark plug gap won't be any more than what is needed to jump the gap (e.g. a 25 watt light bulb won't use any more energy or produce any more light if it's screwed into a socket wired to supply current to a 100,000 watt light bulb).

Although most new ignition wires will perform the function of conducting coil output to the spark plug, what is important to sophisticated race engine preparers and owners of production vehicles with exhaust emission controls is EMI suppression. All electronic devices can be effected by EMI emitted from ignition wires, and the problem is often exacerbated by installing a high-output ignition system. As production vehicles age, engine management sensors and wiring deteriorate and become more susceptible to EMI radiating from improperly suppressed ignition wires. To be truly effective, ignition wires need to be EMI suppressed for a reasonable time, while having the ability to maintain good conductance without overloading other ignition system components.

Engine tuners should also take into account that most stock engines and some hi-tech aftermarket engine management systems use resistance in ignition wires to sense additional information needed by the computer.
MAGNECOR RACE WIRES PROVIDE EFFECTIVE
AND PERMANENT EMI SUPPRESSION

Since 1987, Magnecor has recognized that ignition wires capable of conducting the extreme energy output from ignitions available from Accel, Crane, Electromotive, Jacobs, Mallory, MSD and others, all of which are used on engines controlled by electronic engine management systems, need effective and permanent EMI suppression to avoid interference to vehicle electronics.

Magnecor Race Wires completely eliminate the need to resort to short-lived carbon conductor ignition wires to overcome the problems caused by EMI on race and performance vehicle electronics from improperly suppressed "low-resistance" spiral conductor ignition wires (with or without conductive coatings over conductor windings). Magnecor Race Wires are also extensively used on both stock and modified production vehicles which need to maintain exhaust emissions within the legal limit.

Unlike its competitors, some of whom have chosen to market "low-resistance" imitations of Magnecor Race Wires, Magnecor does not make any claim that their current KV85 Competition (8.5mm) and R-100 Racing (10mm) Race Wires have "low-resistance" conductors, nor do the conductors need "low-resistance" for any practical reason. Magnecor does not claim its Race Wires increase horsepower, and any horsepower gained by the use of Magnecor Race Wires results entirely from the ability of the wires to maintain full conductance and suppress EMI that previously robbed the engine of horsepower.

Magnecor Race Wires' 2.5mm Metallic Inductive Suppressed Conductors are designed to carry the full output from all race ignitions, and are exclusively manufactured in Magnecor's specialized facilities with precision machinery and equipment, and include microscopically close spiral windings wound over ferrimagnetic cores. No conductive coatings are used over the spiral windings. Magnecor Race Wires' conductors are jacketed entirely with the highest temperature aerospace grade silicone rubber to resist the extreme temperatures generated by race engines.

Since first introduced, progressive versions of Magnecor Race Wires have been consistently used by leading contenders all over the world, including those competing in SCCA, NASCAR, IMSA, NHRA and club events in the USA. To date, Magnecor USA has not sponsored any particular racer to promote the use of its ignition wires in competition events. All racers using Magnecor Race Wires do so to ensure their engines perform efficiently and without the risk of EMI from ignition wires ruining the enormous effort and expense necessary to prepare and tune engines for competition.

For over 22 years, Magnecor has also offered progressive versions of its 7mm and 8mm ELECTROSPORT ignition cables for carburetor, mechanical and early electronic fuel injected engines. These wires provide RFI suppression similar to the very best offered by Magnecor's competitors in the performance aftermarket, feature a far superior heat resistant jacket, and prices comparable to products sold through speed shops and mass-merchandisers.

This above document has been prepared by Magnecor to answer questions asked every day by both resellers and consumers. The information contained is also based, in part, on what has been conveyed to Magnecor's staff by racing and street engine tuners and vehicle owners in respect of their experiences with the majority of brand name ignition wires before and after they used Magnecor Race Wires.

I recently did a tune -up on a early corvette that required several parts upgrades. It required going to a total of 5 different auto parts stores to get the required parts, and it was a HUGE P.I.T.A. getting the ignition wires assembled because the boots rubber that fit over the distributor end of the ignition wires were an extremely snug fit.Has anyone else notice the newer plug boots and distributor cap connection parts in the make your own custom ignition wire sets are a total P.I.T.A. to install?

the problem seems to be that the newer slide on rubber or synthetic boots just don,t slide even if greased on the current ignition wires
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=8858&p=31505&hilit=doomed#p31505

HE HAS A CONVERTED DUAL POINT DISTRIBUTOR with a cap like the one pictured above, NOT LIKE THE ONE BELOW
viewtopic.php?f=70&t=6778&p=21751&hilit=dual+point+corvette#p21751
(this might be interesting)


the distributor cap was mildly corroded, the ignition wires were burnt in several locations where they had been routed too close to headers, because the previous set of spark plug wires used 90 degree plug boots on a big block chevy where in most applications strait boots are preferred, I got him to purchase some heat shields for the ignition wires


http://www.jegs.com/p/Taylor/Taylor-Spiro-Pro-104MM-Spark-Plug-Wires/1252809/10002/-1

http://www.jegs.com/p/Moroso/Moroso-Blue-Max-Solid-Core-Plug-Wire/748797/10002/-1

http://www.jegs.com/p/MSD-Ignition/MSD-Heli-Core-Spark-Plug-Wires/747771/10002/-1

https://www.summitracing.com/search...cm_mmc=ppc-google-_-search-_-brands-_-keyword

http://www.jegs.com/v/Taylor/895






he purchased cut to fit ignition wire similar to these

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/msd-3508

we needed to cut and assemble the metallic ends to the ignition wire, the only problem we had was the ignition wire rubber boots were extremely difficult to slide on the wires, I tried WD40 as a lubricant,on the wire to allow the rubber boots to slide on, it was a total failure, I then tried Vaseline which while slightly better than nothing was not ideal.
IF YOU KNOW WHAT WORKS AS A LUBE ON IGNITION WIRE, THAT ALLOWS THOSE BOOTS TO SLIDE EASILY, PLEASE POST

As you can see the engine runs rich at idle and only leans out slightly as the rpms increase so Ill need to adjust timing and the fuel air ratio.
when you see plugs like this chances are very good you'll want to,
increase the ignition advance a couple degrees at idle
and verify the total advance curve, verify the fuel pressure at the carburetor inlet port,
and probably lean out the carburetors jetting


USEFUL RELATED THREADS

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=8858&p=31479&hilit=ignition+wire#p31479

viewtopic.php?f=55&t=109

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=8540&p=29972&hilit=just+running+right#p29972

Grumpy, what I use to assemble ignition wires and rubber
Spark plug boot ends is a thin coat of NAPA brand SLY GLIDE all purpose lubricant.
Similar in consistency to vasoline but 10 times more slippery stuff.
Its sold in a small plastic tube like tooth paste.
I like assembling my own ignition wires too.
You can custom fit exact for ignition wiring routing preference.
Proffesional fit and looks.
Try the SLY GLIDE lubricant. Thin coat on the ignition wire end is all required.
The tight fitting rubber boot ends will slide right over with little effort.
Works great on fuel injector O rings too.
Excess wipes easy with a shop cloth.

Brian R.

It also might be spelled as SLIDE GLIDE LUBRICANT.
I have been told its old school mechanic stuff.
I like everything old, much better than today.

I tuned up a VERTEX MAGNETO FOR AN OLDSMOBILE V8 today.
My own. For my 1965 Olds V8. Ebay find. Rare. Spent 10 years searching.
Finaly have it Grumpy. Brown cap about 1966 vintage.
She fires HOT.

I learn from Grumpy too Rick.
Hes been around longer than you and me.
Experience does count.

Brian

No, I am 43 Rick.
Had a great teacher.
Bill passed on.
From Grumpys generation.

Sorry to here about Bill !

How did you come to know him ?

Indycars said:

Sorry to here about Bill !

How did you come to know him ?

Click to expand...

I was 17 when we met.
Bill knew who I was. He went to the same grade schools and highschool my father did.
I was a hotrod smart mouth punk kid.
Bill chose me to teach.
Only person in the group to listen to him.
Best buds for many years.

Only other I have known to have knowledge the same is Grumpy, Paul.

Brian R.

I've just got my Cobra running and have been driving it for three weeks and I'm sorting out any problems before I dismantle the car and do the body work and paint. Car is FANTASTIC and I'm LOVING it.

But I do have a problem with the number 2 and number 7 spark plug rubber boots melting as these are too close to the headers. Headers are original Butler. I actually think all the plugs are too close and would benefit from a shorter plug to create more air space.

I have a 350 Chevy Small block with 202-160 iron heads, 62/64cc combustion chambers, straight plugs. These similar to Z28 and Corvette of the 1970-tees era. Camel hump? I think.

I'm using Champion RJ12YC spark plugs with crush washers and thought I had a great solution with the NKG 2057 BPM8Y plugs which are 3/4" shorter than the Champion. Only problem is when these are finger tightened into the head, the hex of the plug is recessed into the counter bore of the plug hole and there is no room for a socket wrench to fit to tighten it. So back to square one.

Has anyone had this problem with headers too close to the spark plugs. And did you find a suitable plug/solution.

I had read somewhere in the past that it is possible to use the 5/8" hex peanut plugs with tapered seats in these heads. What design criteria in the head tapped hole makes it possible. My heads have a nice 45 degree chamfer around the tapped plug hole that looks like a perfect mating surface for the taper seat. How do I confirm this.

OR does anyone know of a 5/8" hex plug that is crush washer style plug.

BTW. Headers are wrapped with header wrap and the insulation is touching the spark plug boot.

Thanks, Arthur

If you'd like to see my build photos click on the link. I hope you enjoy it. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=0d9c5c8c6d

this is an all to common issue because header manufacturers rarely check spark plug clearance with anything other than factory original cylinder heads for a listed application and even with factory original cylinder heads for a listed application, I occasionally see headers with what can only be described as PISS POOR CLEARANCE, for plugs , ignition wire and plug boots.

the typical woven or aluminum foil reflective boot covers for protecting plug boots help but depending on the application they may not be adequate protection, it helps but over time heat still can burn thru the ignition wire insulation, the ceramic plug boots plus the shorter plugs and the heat resistant flex wire shields may be required on some headers to provide the required heat protection, and clearance, to the ignition wire

use of shorter plugs helps in some applications,cutting a standard spark plug socket to a significantly shorter length and use of an open end of flex wrench eases access

Plug wire routing

How do you guys typically route your plug wires on your 383 builds with headers? I was looking at the Moroso 72195 under header wire loom setup. Any pros or cons with this setup?

garage.grumpysperformance.com

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-long-reach-hose-grip-pliers-37909.html

get a set of these long reach pliers they are very well worth the cost as they help you remove hot spark plug boots next to hot headers with significantly less burned fingers and wrists

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=962

Accel Extreme 9000 Ceramic Wire Sets
ACCEL now offers the cure for burnt spark plug wire boots with Extreme 9000 Ceramic Wire kits. The 8mm Ferro-Spiral core wire now has ceramic boots on the spark plug end of the wires that will withstand up to 2,000° F. If you are running headers with close tolerances, an engine bay with little room, or an RV with boots that melt because of heat, these wire kits are the answer.

Taylor Cable 75051 Taylor Extreme Series Spiro-Pro Spark Plug Wire Sets | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Taylor Extreme Series Spiro-Pro Spark Plug Wire Sets with qualifying orders of $99. Shop Spark Plug Wire Sets at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

http://www.jegs.com/p/Accel/Accel-Extre ... 5/10002/-1
what type of ignition wire are you currently running?
in some cases steel or copper ignition wire can cause static, and electro magnetic interference.

For copper core wires, the resistance will be 1 to 6500 ohms, inductive wires the resistance will be 2200 to 8000 ohms per 1 meter or 650 to 2500 ohms per foot and carbon wires, the resistance is 10000 to 23000 ohms per 1 meter or 3000 to 7000 ohms per foot.

Click to expand...