Hello Team,

I am replacing the sparkplugs and wires on my 79 L48, but I do not want to take the original wire route. I have seen some photos online with some really cool looking wire routing over the valve covers. Has any one of your shipmates done anything similar? If so, could you provide some photos and maybe instructions on how to get it done?

Keep them roaring!
Cat 59

 

I like the way the user Autowiz on the other forum uses what appears to be R&M style looms and covers on the wires to give a very subdued but clean look.

 

I did exactly the same thing in my 80 L48. The trick, though, in addition to the loams, is that (like in the image) I have headers. It's easy to drop the (cut to length) plug wires between the pipes, and protect them with fabric sleeves (like in the image)

I'm not sure if you can do that with rams horn manifolds, unless the loams stick out a bit.

You don't need to use the RFI shielding, and you don't have to pass wires through the engine mounts, though.

 

I fought it on my 73 but eventually went the same route as the factory. I dont blame you for not wanting to do the same. its a PITA

 

From a practical approach (heat rises & optics don't rate), most endurance racers route similar to OE but delete all chromed tin & shrouds laying against block.
Simply droop from dist down across rear shelves of block and then droop under exhaust then up to plugs. Ninety degree boots at both dist & plugs.
Fat wires achieve little if anything but routing issues. Regardless of brand, quality spiral core wires typically perform best. Chrome don't get ya home; nor does billet.

 

I want to thank you all for your comments. Last week was brutal at work, I end up working over 70 hours and did not had time to read your post until just now. That is definitely a sweet wire routing job in the photo. Piersonpie I assume by looms you are referring to what appears to be fabric or the plastic tubing I see as the wire turns 90 degrees down towards the sparkplugs? Bikespace, you have a point. I don't have headers on mine, and I will have to investigate if I can do something similar with the OEM manifolds. Do you have a picture of your setup? This is probably going to end up like Ziogeo stated, "taking the original OEM route", I hope not. I would love to have something similar as in the photo. Rebelyell, I know you are correct saying that heat rises and that is a concern I have. Do you think that routing next to the valve covers will eventually damage the wires, or even worst yet, cause misfiring issues?

Again, thanks everyone!
Keep them roaring,
CAT59

 

By looms, I mean the aluminum guides that mount next to the valve covers. Here's an example loom at Amazon (very much NOT an endorsement). The ones on my car are nicer, but I can't find a link for them. I'll try to get a photo tomorrow. Perhaps you can find a solution that lets you run over the manifold plug wires, but probably not. Your best bet is to install headers. They turn a spark plug change from an hours-long ordeal into a 15 minute exercise.

The fabric is typically called "titanium spark plug boots", or something similar. Here's an example boot set from Amazon, similar to what I have on my car. I've had no issues related to cooked spark plug wires from my setup, but I'm not road racing the car, either.

 

My only 2c is that if you go OEM routing - get the self crimping wires because I had to snake some wires into some really tight locations. I can only imagine how bad it would be if it had a 90 boot on the end.

I will probably go headers eventually solely for the purpose of wire routing and clean air pump/egr removal.

 

Hello again.

Ahrmike I have read about other guys in the Forum having a lot of issues with standard wires, so If I take the OEM route I will definitely get the self crimping wires. Not looking forward to this, everyone says is real PITA. Bikespace thanks for the photos and the info. I will eventually go headers but, for now the wife thinks the Vette is to loud as it is, if I go headers it will become louder. I am going to have to sweet talk my wife into this one 🤣. I was looking around the engine block and the space is very limited to installed the looms. As you stated I was looking at the possibility of installing the wires higher than the valve covers using something similar to this:


Maybe if I do some engineering thinking and do some bending and so on, I may be able to get something going, what do you think? I have looked for photos of wire routing without headers installed but, I have not been able to find one. If you find a photo like that, please send it my way.

Thanks all,
Keep Them Roaring!
Cat59

 

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...lug-wires.html

Post #14 has the '82 routing shown.

Just FYI - I remember having to pull the starter for something when I was changing the plugs... i THINK it was to route it properly but I forget. I did a bunch of things at once... Honestly, I can do an LS plug and wire swap in about 30 minutes, an LT1 in maybe 45 min if it still has the EGR crap. The '82 with the emissions took me 6+ hours. I took my time for sure, I could probably get it under 4 now if I rushed, but it was a huge pain. Be very observant with the shielding behind the distributor, the covers over the plug boots, and do one wire at a time if you can.

Actually, reading over the post I note someone mentioned having to pull the starter for the shield too - thinking that was what I had to do. Be sure to unplug the +12 on the battery so you dont short out the starter. Also, be sure to check the 'noid. I was lucky I pulled the starter because the noid connection was loose and wouldve probably failed on me eventually.

Honestly, it wasnt hard - it just took a long time because you have to pull a lot of things out of the way. Take your time, be observant, and dont get too frustrated. If something is in the way, work to slowly get it out of there. it DOES fit. it just takes time.

I feel like that's the MO for the C3 in general. The C5/C6 requires more specialized tools but the disassembly is usually straight forward and you dont have to take apart other things to get to it. Case in point - I recently did the ECM temp sensor on the C3 which required the removal of the air pump for clearance. the air pump pulley would get stuck on something so I had to pull the pulley off the pump which meant the belt I removed had to go back on to pin/hold the pulley so I could pull the pulley off... Very easy and straight forward but just very sequence-specific.

 

I was hoping there would be an easy over-the-rams-horns solution. Installing headers might take less time, though.

Since you'll likely need to work from under the car to get a few of the spark plugs anyway, you might want to follow the 82 routing from the thread @Ahrmike posted for now, but still use the looms you found (not zip ties), if the stock guides are missing or damaged.

When these cars were built, GM assembled the engine, with plug wires, placed it into the chassis, and then dropped the body on top. No one was fishing wires through the engine mounts inside the car.

I can't do much to help with the loudness issue. Headers, alone, would make the car louder, but you can put a quiet exhaust behind them. Even sidepipes can be made quiet-ish with certain inserts. But I live in the country, so my perception may be skewed.

 

I used cut to fit Taylor ceramic boot wires and ran them like the factory. I started at the spark plug and ran them up to the dist. where I cut them to length. It honestly wasn't that bad. I do have headers.