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C4 Tech Tip: How to Change LT1 Spark Plug Wires
03-19-2005, 07:46 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
C4 Tech Tip: How to Change LT1 Spark Plug Wires
Okay, I found the tech tip I submitted back in October 2004, which never made it to the C4 Tech Tips for some reason. I thought I remembered saving it to file, but I couldn't find the file. Turns out it was on my old IBM Deskstar 13gig drive I had removed from the PC around Xmas time because it whined so loud (was a secondary drive anyhow)
So here's my take on how to change spark plug wires on LT1's without moving power steering pump, alternator, or removing serpentine belt... ...here's how I did it twice in one week (first wiresest had a defect and had to be refunded):
Changing LT1 Spark Plug Wires
(This tip assumes a custom fit wireset spec’d by part # for LT1/LT4 Corvette)
The LT1 and LT4 are famous for being somewhat of a challenge to change spark plug wires. I decided to change my stock spark plug wires and after posting of the experience on the forum, replete with photos of the end result, it was suggested that someone should write a tech tip on changing LT1 spark plug wires, so this is my contribution. It is not the only way to do the job, but it is how I chose to do it.
Looking at the engine compartment of an LT1 or LT4 car it immediately becomes apparent that changing the wires on the driver side is the meat and potatoes of the job, with the passenger side being just a side dish. The driver side is where it takes patience and ingenuity; therefore the bulk of this tip focuses on the driver side wires.
The passenger side is a fairly straightforward process, with the optispark distributor being accessible by reaching down under the coolant hoses and power steering fluid reservior. However, although the route the wires take through the wire loom brackets appears simple and easy to replicate, I would urge anyone to take creful note of how the factory routed the wires through the brackets, i.e., take note of which position in each bracket that the wire from #2 cylinder goes through, and observe the bracket position for #4, #6, and #8 also, at each bracket. I say this because I didn’t pay attention and figuring out the routing from scratch for each new wire can get tedious, especially when dealing with the extra thickness of after market wires. I chose an 8mm after market wire and while a tight fit in the wire brackets, they did fit without having to dremel out the brackets to widen them. 8.5mm wires will require dremeling or otherwise widening the brackets or replacing them with after market brackets. What I did on the passenger side was to replace the stock wires one at a time with the new ones, i.e. remove the #2 wire, install the new #2 wire, remove #4 wire, install new #4 wire, etc. Important to note that when you remove an old wire take it and go find the closest length match for it among the new wires and use that one. You could mark it w/ cylinder number also, but since doing one for one wire change on passenger side marking is not the priority it is as when doing a ‘batch’ change for driver side. Cylinder order for the passenger side of the optispark top to bottom is 4-6-8-2, i.e. #4 cylinder is the top most terminal, then #6 is next down, with #2 being the bottom-most terminal.
When you push a wire boot onto the optispark you’re looking for two distinct clicks: second click seats the terminal fully.
On to the driver side. AGAIN, take note of how the old wires are routed through the looms. If you don’t you’ll wish you had. Prior to tackling the job I sought advice on the forum. Most tips were to remove the serpentine belt, and move one or more accessories: A/C compressor, power steering pump, belt tensioner and also remove the driver side front wheel and the debris cover for the suspension A-arm in the wheel well. I didn’t remove the serpentine belt, or move any accessories. I found it possible to get the job done without doing that and here’s what I did: Put the car front end on jackstands and removed driver front wheel, and the A-arm dust cover. Moved the ASR unit up out of the way, laid it backwards into the area near the PCM. 10mm bolts. Removed the strut support that bolts to the AC compressor bracket and bolts up to the exhaust manifold. 10mm bolt and a 9/16” nut. Went underneath the car and was able to remove each wire from the driver side of the optispark by laying on my back and reaching my left hand in to pull them off the opti. Takes some sliding around on your back to get to where its ergonomic enough for your left arm to go in there in a way such that you can bend your wrist to grab each wire and pull it off, but it can be done and my hands are pretty big. I should add that I wear a 38” sleeve in long sleeve shirts and my long Orangutan arm length likely helped in this task, but anyone wearing a 34” or better sleeve ought to be able to reach the wires. Once the wires are off at the opti, get out from under and pull each off each plug, remove from wire brackets and then pull each wire out through the tiny access area they come through between the accessories bracket (large bracket that the power steering pump, alternator, ac compressor all mount to) and power steering pump plumbing. Pretty tight clearance but the opti end boots of the plug wires WILL pull through. It is easier to push the new wire’s opti terminal end boots through than it is to pull the old ones out, so if an old one seems hung do not let that be a deal killer, just yank it out; its an old worn out wire anyhow who cares if the end comes off. NOTE: The time to LENGTH MATCH each new wire to the corresponding old wire and mark the new wire with cylinder number w/ a sharpie marker or other permanent marker is NOW. As you pull an old wire, take note which cylinder number it goes to and after removing it, select new wire that most closely matches length and then mark it with the cylinder number somewhere near plug boot end. That is: pull each old wire out ONE BY ONE, not all four at once. Pull out the number 7 wire, take it over to your new wires, length match it and mark the new one on both ends as #7, and vice versa for the remaining ones, one by one.
If your old wires have wire protectors on them where they came through the access area, you might re-use those, installing them each in the same approximate location on the new wire. The wires should have some type of wire protector covering them where they come through that tight access area—the potential for friction and rubbing from engine vibration there is high. Same goes for where the #7, #5, #6, #8 wires pass close to the exhaust manifolds—best to have wire protectors covering them in that area.
Once all the old wires are out it helps to take some dielectric gel, which you should have on hand anyhow for ignition related work, and lube up the surrounding edges of the small area you pulled the old wires through. Just barely enough to make it slick, no globs that could go up into the boot ends of the new wires as you gently nudge each through towards the opti. At this time you need to know the ordering of the cylinders on the driver side of the optispark, it is as follows: from TOP to BOTTOM on the opti it is 5-3-7-1, that is #5 cylinder is the top most plug terminal on the driver side of opti, #3 is next down, #7 is next down again, and #1 is the bottom terminal. Push the new wires through the access area you just lubed one by one in that order. Push the #5 wire through and manipulate it until the boot end drops down. Go underneath car and plug it into top most terminal on opti. It is not easy, you really have to reach and feel around for the top most terminal but its not THAT hard. Push for two clicks and it’s on. Repeat procedure for the #3 wire next, then the #7, then #1.
If you haven’t already removed all three of the wire loom brackets, you might want to do that now. Unbolt them from the block and from the ac compressor mount (forward most bracket).
It greatly eases the wire routing flow to take a pliers and put about a 30 degree forward bend on the metal tab of the forward most wire loom bracket so that the first plastic wire separator the wires go into after coming out of the access area is angled to match the angle of the wires as they come out. The straight flat stock position of the tab is too awkward for the thicker 8mm after market wires to make the sharp bend it would put them in right after coming out of the access area.
Now you should have all four new wires on the opti, and each wire marked with cylinder number to plug onto (which you wrote on it when you length matched each before pushing it through towards the opti). The rest from here is intuitive and does not bear detailed instruction. The hard part is over. It is now simply a matter of plugging the appropriate wire to each spark plug, re-installing the wire loom brackets, routing the wires through, and securing the wires in the brackets, then putting the car back together.
So here's my take on how to change spark plug wires on LT1's without moving power steering pump, alternator, or removing serpentine belt... ...here's how I did it twice in one week (first wiresest had a defect and had to be refunded):
Changing LT1 Spark Plug Wires
(This tip assumes a custom fit wireset spec’d by part # for LT1/LT4 Corvette)
The LT1 and LT4 are famous for being somewhat of a challenge to change spark plug wires. I decided to change my stock spark plug wires and after posting of the experience on the forum, replete with photos of the end result, it was suggested that someone should write a tech tip on changing LT1 spark plug wires, so this is my contribution. It is not the only way to do the job, but it is how I chose to do it.
Looking at the engine compartment of an LT1 or LT4 car it immediately becomes apparent that changing the wires on the driver side is the meat and potatoes of the job, with the passenger side being just a side dish. The driver side is where it takes patience and ingenuity; therefore the bulk of this tip focuses on the driver side wires.
The passenger side is a fairly straightforward process, with the optispark distributor being accessible by reaching down under the coolant hoses and power steering fluid reservior. However, although the route the wires take through the wire loom brackets appears simple and easy to replicate, I would urge anyone to take creful note of how the factory routed the wires through the brackets, i.e., take note of which position in each bracket that the wire from #2 cylinder goes through, and observe the bracket position for #4, #6, and #8 also, at each bracket. I say this because I didn’t pay attention and figuring out the routing from scratch for each new wire can get tedious, especially when dealing with the extra thickness of after market wires. I chose an 8mm after market wire and while a tight fit in the wire brackets, they did fit without having to dremel out the brackets to widen them. 8.5mm wires will require dremeling or otherwise widening the brackets or replacing them with after market brackets. What I did on the passenger side was to replace the stock wires one at a time with the new ones, i.e. remove the #2 wire, install the new #2 wire, remove #4 wire, install new #4 wire, etc. Important to note that when you remove an old wire take it and go find the closest length match for it among the new wires and use that one. You could mark it w/ cylinder number also, but since doing one for one wire change on passenger side marking is not the priority it is as when doing a ‘batch’ change for driver side. Cylinder order for the passenger side of the optispark top to bottom is 4-6-8-2, i.e. #4 cylinder is the top most terminal, then #6 is next down, with #2 being the bottom-most terminal.
When you push a wire boot onto the optispark you’re looking for two distinct clicks: second click seats the terminal fully.
On to the driver side. AGAIN, take note of how the old wires are routed through the looms. If you don’t you’ll wish you had. Prior to tackling the job I sought advice on the forum. Most tips were to remove the serpentine belt, and move one or more accessories: A/C compressor, power steering pump, belt tensioner and also remove the driver side front wheel and the debris cover for the suspension A-arm in the wheel well. I didn’t remove the serpentine belt, or move any accessories. I found it possible to get the job done without doing that and here’s what I did: Put the car front end on jackstands and removed driver front wheel, and the A-arm dust cover. Moved the ASR unit up out of the way, laid it backwards into the area near the PCM. 10mm bolts. Removed the strut support that bolts to the AC compressor bracket and bolts up to the exhaust manifold. 10mm bolt and a 9/16” nut. Went underneath the car and was able to remove each wire from the driver side of the optispark by laying on my back and reaching my left hand in to pull them off the opti. Takes some sliding around on your back to get to where its ergonomic enough for your left arm to go in there in a way such that you can bend your wrist to grab each wire and pull it off, but it can be done and my hands are pretty big. I should add that I wear a 38” sleeve in long sleeve shirts and my long Orangutan arm length likely helped in this task, but anyone wearing a 34” or better sleeve ought to be able to reach the wires. Once the wires are off at the opti, get out from under and pull each off each plug, remove from wire brackets and then pull each wire out through the tiny access area they come through between the accessories bracket (large bracket that the power steering pump, alternator, ac compressor all mount to) and power steering pump plumbing. Pretty tight clearance but the opti end boots of the plug wires WILL pull through. It is easier to push the new wire’s opti terminal end boots through than it is to pull the old ones out, so if an old one seems hung do not let that be a deal killer, just yank it out; its an old worn out wire anyhow who cares if the end comes off. NOTE: The time to LENGTH MATCH each new wire to the corresponding old wire and mark the new wire with cylinder number w/ a sharpie marker or other permanent marker is NOW. As you pull an old wire, take note which cylinder number it goes to and after removing it, select new wire that most closely matches length and then mark it with the cylinder number somewhere near plug boot end. That is: pull each old wire out ONE BY ONE, not all four at once. Pull out the number 7 wire, take it over to your new wires, length match it and mark the new one on both ends as #7, and vice versa for the remaining ones, one by one.
If your old wires have wire protectors on them where they came through the access area, you might re-use those, installing them each in the same approximate location on the new wire. The wires should have some type of wire protector covering them where they come through that tight access area—the potential for friction and rubbing from engine vibration there is high. Same goes for where the #7, #5, #6, #8 wires pass close to the exhaust manifolds—best to have wire protectors covering them in that area.
Once all the old wires are out it helps to take some dielectric gel, which you should have on hand anyhow for ignition related work, and lube up the surrounding edges of the small area you pulled the old wires through. Just barely enough to make it slick, no globs that could go up into the boot ends of the new wires as you gently nudge each through towards the opti. At this time you need to know the ordering of the cylinders on the driver side of the optispark, it is as follows: from TOP to BOTTOM on the opti it is 5-3-7-1, that is #5 cylinder is the top most plug terminal on the driver side of opti, #3 is next down, #7 is next down again, and #1 is the bottom terminal. Push the new wires through the access area you just lubed one by one in that order. Push the #5 wire through and manipulate it until the boot end drops down. Go underneath car and plug it into top most terminal on opti. It is not easy, you really have to reach and feel around for the top most terminal but its not THAT hard. Push for two clicks and it’s on. Repeat procedure for the #3 wire next, then the #7, then #1.
If you haven’t already removed all three of the wire loom brackets, you might want to do that now. Unbolt them from the block and from the ac compressor mount (forward most bracket).
It greatly eases the wire routing flow to take a pliers and put about a 30 degree forward bend on the metal tab of the forward most wire loom bracket so that the first plastic wire separator the wires go into after coming out of the access area is angled to match the angle of the wires as they come out. The straight flat stock position of the tab is too awkward for the thicker 8mm after market wires to make the sharp bend it would put them in right after coming out of the access area.
Now you should have all four new wires on the opti, and each wire marked with cylinder number to plug onto (which you wrote on it when you length matched each before pushing it through towards the opti). The rest from here is intuitive and does not bear detailed instruction. The hard part is over. It is now simply a matter of plugging the appropriate wire to each spark plug, re-installing the wire loom brackets, routing the wires through, and securing the wires in the brackets, then putting the car back together.
Last edited by Lone Ranger; 03-19-2005 at 07:55 PM.
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C4doug (07-06-2020)
03-19-2005, 08:09 PM
#2
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
In this reply, I am adding photos I took right after I finished. The wireset in these photos is a Taylor Spiro Pro set. I had to refund them I replaced them with Moroso Blue Max's, so my wires are blue now not red. Red looked much better though. The Taylor Wires really looked good.
The below photo illustrates that it benefits the job to put about a 30 degee bend on the wire loom bracket metal stem (as mentioned in the body of the above posted tip) to accomodate the turn of the wires as they exit the small crevice between the accessories bracket and the power steering pump plumbing, I nick named this area the "Hell Hole", note the angled bend put on the loom bracket to match the wire flow, and note wire protectors installed on wires where they scrunch through the hell hole:
Panned out shot of same:
Note wire protectors installed on #5, #7 wires where they pass close to manifold:
Driver front wheel removed, wheel well dust cover removed, ASR moved, A/C compressor brace removed, front of car on jackstands:
Passenger side:
The below photo illustrates that it benefits the job to put about a 30 degee bend on the wire loom bracket metal stem (as mentioned in the body of the above posted tip) to accomodate the turn of the wires as they exit the small crevice between the accessories bracket and the power steering pump plumbing, I nick named this area the "Hell Hole", note the angled bend put on the loom bracket to match the wire flow, and note wire protectors installed on wires where they scrunch through the hell hole:
Panned out shot of same:
Note wire protectors installed on #5, #7 wires where they pass close to manifold:
Driver front wheel removed, wheel well dust cover removed, ASR moved, A/C compressor brace removed, front of car on jackstands:
Passenger side:
Last edited by Lone Ranger; 03-19-2005 at 08:17 PM.
03-19-2005, 11:08 PM
#3
Melting Slicks
Very nice write up! 
Here's a pic you can use showing the plug wire Opti location to spark plug orientation.... I hope your article makes it to the C4 How To section..
Here's a pic you can use showing the plug wire Opti location to spark plug orientation.... I hope your article makes it to the C4 How To section..
03-19-2010, 06:01 PM
#4
Instructor
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Will my R&D Camberbrace preclude me from doing this from below?
Sounds like a good Saturday afternoon project... other then we may get freezing rain and snow in Dallas - again !!!
I have a 2hour / $150 labor quote from a local machanic to do the job. Is it worth it?
I already have the Taylor 8.2mm red cables.
Sounds like a good Saturday afternoon project... other then we may get freezing rain and snow in Dallas - again !!!
I have a 2hour / $150 labor quote from a local machanic to do the job. Is it worth it?
I already have the Taylor 8.2mm red cables.
03-19-2010, 07:25 PM
#5
Team Owner
Member Since: Mar 2001
Location: Boston, Dallas, Detroit, SoCal, back to Boston MA
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FYI
when I switch to MSD wires, they were too thick to fit all of them through the 'hell hole'
They were also too thick to go into the wire looms
when I switch to MSD wires, they were too thick to fit all of them through the 'hell hole'
They were also too thick to go into the wire looms
03-19-2010, 09:46 PM
#6
Instructor
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03-19-2010, 09:59 PM
#7
Drifting
When I installed the Taylor "409" 10.4mm wires I did unbolt the p/s pump. Ymmv. Popping off the serpentine belt and other stuff was not so bad. The 10.4 mm wires certainly wouldn't fit in the factory holders, for that I went with the Taylor wire holders meant for their 10.4mm ignition wires.
Thomas
Thomas
05-10-2010, 08:02 AM
#8
Thanks for the Ideas
I used your post to change both plugs and wires. One thing I might add is to have new spark plug supports on hand to replace the heat damage old. But the rest of what you mentioned was dead on.
Number 8 plug made me create new cuss words since I had exhausted all others, especially when getting the old out was easier than getting the new one in.
After a blood transfusion, bandaids, and several beers, the project is complete. (I told all my friends that asked about my cuts and abrasions that wife wanted to plant roses).
This was an excellent thread to use. Thanks Lone Ranger.
Number 8 plug made me create new cuss words since I had exhausted all others, especially when getting the old out was easier than getting the new one in.
After a blood transfusion, bandaids, and several beers, the project is complete. (I told all my friends that asked about my cuts and abrasions that wife wanted to plant roses).
This was an excellent thread to use. Thanks Lone Ranger.
05-10-2010, 09:09 AM
#9
Le Mans Master
Will my R&D Camberbrace preclude me from doing this from below?
Sounds like a good Saturday afternoon project... other then we may get freezing rain and snow in Dallas - again !!!
I have a 2hour / $150 labor quote from a local machanic to do the job. Is it worth it?
I already have the Taylor 8.2mm red cables.
Sounds like a good Saturday afternoon project... other then we may get freezing rain and snow in Dallas - again !!!
I have a 2hour / $150 labor quote from a local machanic to do the job. Is it worth it?
I already have the Taylor 8.2mm red cables.
05-10-2010, 09:38 PM
#11
Safety Car
Nice Writeup! Im at 80k miles with the original plugs and wires so I still have a little while before I need some new wires and plugs!!! But, I did bookmark this for future reference!
06-24-2011, 01:09 PM
#13
Burning Brakes
Root canals...I mean changing C4 Plug Wires
Thanks, Lone Ranger! You may have posted this years ago, but that's the beauty of the internet. I'm doing the project this weekend and your guidance will be much appreciated.
I'm hopeful that plugs (last weekend) and wires will help solve my misfiring problem (93 vert). Else, I'm going to spring for an Opti and a water pump.
Sure wish the misfire had manifested itself over the winter when I would have had lots of free time to work on it. Now its driving season, and I'm dealing with this!!
As an aside, I just bought a new coil, and the room it gives me (having the old coil removed) is a minor blessing. I'll put the new coil on AFTER I finish the plug wires.
Paul
I'm hopeful that plugs (last weekend) and wires will help solve my misfiring problem (93 vert). Else, I'm going to spring for an Opti and a water pump.
Sure wish the misfire had manifested itself over the winter when I would have had lots of free time to work on it. Now its driving season, and I'm dealing with this!!
As an aside, I just bought a new coil, and the room it gives me (having the old coil removed) is a minor blessing. I'll put the new coil on AFTER I finish the plug wires.
Paul
09-11-2011, 08:04 PM
#14
8th Gear
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Thank you so much Lone Ranger. Using your thread I was able to change all my wires in 3.5 hours. Only trouble I had was I bought 8.5 mm wires. So I had to make my own looms from zip ties. Again thanks for a great thread...
10-14-2011, 02:29 PM
#15
Intermediate
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Mechanic price gouging on wire replacement
Guys i am shocked at the price differences the mechanics in Miami are asking for this job. I had two garages ask 3.4 hrs labor at $85/hr and one "corvette specialist" in miami ask 7.2 hrs labor at $92/hr. I will be doing this myself and probably will write to the BBB on the "specialist".
10-14-2011, 06:07 PM
#16
Burning Brakes
Guys i am shocked at the price differences the mechanics in Miami are asking for this job. I had two garages ask 3.4 hrs labor at $85/hr and one "corvette specialist" in miami ask 7.2 hrs labor at $92/hr. I will be doing this myself and probably will write to the BBB on the "specialist".
At least you got the quote ahead of time, and not while it was disassembled.
11-27-2011, 10:54 PM
#17
Le Mans Master
So here's my take on how to change spark plug wires on LT1's without moving power steering pump, alternator, or removing serpentine belt... ...here's how I did it twice in one week (first wiresest had a defect and had to be refunded):
On to the driver side. AGAIN, take note of how the old wires are routed through the looms. If you don’t you’ll wish you had. Prior to tackling the job I sought advice on the forum. Most tips were to remove the serpentine belt, and move one or more accessories: A/C compressor, power steering pump, belt tensioner and also remove the driver side front wheel and the debris cover for the suspension A-arm in the wheel well. I didn’t remove the serpentine belt, or move any accessories. I found it possible to get the job done without doing that and here’s what I did: Put the car front end on jackstands and removed driver front wheel, and the A-arm dust cover. Moved the ASR unit up out of the way, laid it backwards into the area near the PCM. 10mm bolts. Removed the strut support that bolts to the AC compressor bracket and bolts up to the exhaust manifold. 10mm bolt and a 9/16” nut. Went underneath the car and was able to remove each wire from the driver side of the optispark by laying on my back and reaching my left hand in to pull them off the opti. Takes some sliding around on your back to get to where its ergonomic enough for your left arm to go in there in a way such that you can bend your wrist to grab each wire and pull it off, but it can be done and my hands are pretty big. I should add that I wear a 38” sleeve in long sleeve shirts and my long Orangutan arm length likely helped in this task, but anyone wearing a 34” or better sleeve ought to be able to reach the wires. Once the wires are off at the opti, get out from under and pull each off each plug, remove from wire brackets and then pull each wire out through the tiny access area they come through between the accessories bracket (large bracket that the power steering pump, alternator, ac compressor all mount to) and power steering pump plumbing. Pretty tight clearance but the opti end boots of the plug wires WILL pull through. It is easier to push the new wire’s opti terminal end boots through than it is to pull the old ones out, so if an old one seems hung do not let that be a deal killer, just yank it out; its an old worn out wire anyhow who cares if the end comes off. NOTE: The time to LENGTH MATCH each new wire to the corresponding old wire and mark the new wire with cylinder number w/ a sharpie marker or other permanent marker is NOW. As you pull an old wire, take note which cylinder number it goes to and after removing it, select new wire that most closely matches length and then mark it with the cylinder number somewhere near plug boot end. That is: pull each old wire out ONE BY ONE, not all four at once. Pull out the number 7 wire, take it over to your new wires, length match it and mark the new one on both ends as #7, and vice versa for the remaining ones, one by one.
On to the driver side. AGAIN, take note of how the old wires are routed through the looms. If you don’t you’ll wish you had. Prior to tackling the job I sought advice on the forum. Most tips were to remove the serpentine belt, and move one or more accessories: A/C compressor, power steering pump, belt tensioner and also remove the driver side front wheel and the debris cover for the suspension A-arm in the wheel well. I didn’t remove the serpentine belt, or move any accessories. I found it possible to get the job done without doing that and here’s what I did: Put the car front end on jackstands and removed driver front wheel, and the A-arm dust cover. Moved the ASR unit up out of the way, laid it backwards into the area near the PCM. 10mm bolts. Removed the strut support that bolts to the AC compressor bracket and bolts up to the exhaust manifold. 10mm bolt and a 9/16” nut. Went underneath the car and was able to remove each wire from the driver side of the optispark by laying on my back and reaching my left hand in to pull them off the opti. Takes some sliding around on your back to get to where its ergonomic enough for your left arm to go in there in a way such that you can bend your wrist to grab each wire and pull it off, but it can be done and my hands are pretty big. I should add that I wear a 38” sleeve in long sleeve shirts and my long Orangutan arm length likely helped in this task, but anyone wearing a 34” or better sleeve ought to be able to reach the wires. Once the wires are off at the opti, get out from under and pull each off each plug, remove from wire brackets and then pull each wire out through the tiny access area they come through between the accessories bracket (large bracket that the power steering pump, alternator, ac compressor all mount to) and power steering pump plumbing. Pretty tight clearance but the opti end boots of the plug wires WILL pull through. It is easier to push the new wire’s opti terminal end boots through than it is to pull the old ones out, so if an old one seems hung do not let that be a deal killer, just yank it out; its an old worn out wire anyhow who cares if the end comes off. NOTE: The time to LENGTH MATCH each new wire to the corresponding old wire and mark the new wire with cylinder number w/ a sharpie marker or other permanent marker is NOW. As you pull an old wire, take note which cylinder number it goes to and after removing it, select new wire that most closely matches length and then mark it with the cylinder number somewhere near plug boot end. That is: pull each old wire out ONE BY ONE, not all four at once. Pull out the number 7 wire, take it over to your new wires, length match it and mark the new one on both ends as #7, and vice versa for the remaining ones, one by one.
08-03-2012, 06:17 PM
#18
Burning Brakes
MSD 8mm wires thru Hell Hole
Has anyone else had success with these wires in this location? If so, what's the secret to success so that they don't cross-fire?
09-13-2012, 11:37 AM
#19
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changing the plugs was easy. I learned that my Husky spark plug socket is about 1/2" longer than the Craftsman and that made a HUGE difference in swapping them after pulling the ASR and the vacuum canister under it.
Reaching the opti on the left side is a different story though
Reaching the opti on the left side is a different story though
08-15-2014, 11:04 AM
#20
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i have the passengers side plugs and wires done.. and have the plugs and wires for the drivers side..thinking after everything i read i would just have it towed to garage to have that dreaded drivers side done. how much for four plugs and wires to be installed?? i took out the four plugs on the drivers side and they all four were carboned up pretty bad and wow does it miss thats why thinking of having it towed.
changing the plugs was easy. I learned that my Husky spark plug socket is about 1/2" longer than the Craftsman and that made a HUGE difference in swapping them after pulling the ASR and the vacuum canister under it.
Reaching the opti on the left side is a different story though
Reaching the opti on the left side is a different story though