Changing plug wires on 1980
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,593
Likes: 631
From: Brighton
Changing plug wires on 1980
OH MY GOD, what a pain in the butt. My car was running a little rough and since it had the original (25 years) plug wires I decided to change them out. My fingers are so sore that I am having trouble typing this.
With ignition shiedling, and routing under the motor mounts, it took me about seven hours to do. Now I remember why I got out of mechanical work and started making parts instead. The worst part...? It still runs rough. I think it need a new carb or a rebuild but I'll let my hands heal up before I go in again.
With ignition shiedling, and routing under the motor mounts, it took me about seven hours to do. Now I remember why I got out of mechanical work and started making parts instead. The worst part...? It still runs rough. I think it need a new carb or a rebuild but I'll let my hands heal up before I go in again.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,664
Likes: 1
From: Nashville TN
I feel your pain, thats why I always call over my gear head cousin and start off with a case of beer and in the middle tell him how I cant do this or that to my car and he says "I can" AND proceeds to do the job just to show me he can do it. lol
Im screwed when he finds out my trick.
Im screwed when he finds out my trick.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 223
Likes: 14
From: South Florida
Originally Posted by Tom DeWitt
OH MY GOD, what a pain in the butt. My car was running a little rough and since it had the original (25 years) plug wires I decided to change them out. My fingers are so sore that I am having trouble typing this.
With ignition shiedling, and routing under the motor mounts, it took me about seven hours to do. Now I remember why I got out of mechanical work and started making parts instead. The worst part...? It still runs rough. I think it need a new carb or a rebuild but I'll let my hands heal up before I go in again.
With ignition shiedling, and routing under the motor mounts, it took me about seven hours to do. Now I remember why I got out of mechanical work and started making parts instead. The worst part...? It still runs rough. I think it need a new carb or a rebuild but I'll let my hands heal up before I go in again.
Ugh...I just did this on my '79. Took me at least 2.5 hours of messing around. The front wires were the worst going through the motor mounts. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,812
Likes: 2,029
From: eastern NC
Originally Posted by Tom DeWitt
OH MY GOD, what a pain in the butt. My car was running a little rough and since it had the original (25 years) plug wires I decided to change them out. My fingers are so sore that I am having trouble typing this....
I wanted to use later model 8mm HEI wires (like yours') on my stock '73 ignition system, so I bought the universal HEI set from GM to get all the lengths correct. These come with the correct spark plug boot installed, but nothing on the other end. Not only do they feed through all of the nooks & crannies fairly easily, but I can cut them to the perfect length and then install the distributor boots and terminals. I do them one at a time and the hardest part is removing all of the stock shielding to get access, but after that it's not too difficult a job.
While this won't make your fingers feel any better, it might help the next time. Few jobs within these engine compartments are easy, but this is one that sure looks good when it's all done and the shielding is back in place…
GUSTO
