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HELP. I recently installed MSD plug wires on my '02 coupe. I did not re-install the factory installed heat shields. Since MSD wires claim to resist high heat, can I leave the shields off or do I have to go through the hassle on removing the plug wires and adding the shields. Thanks in advance for your comments and/or advice. Save the wave. :confused:
I disagree. I run Magnecor's too, and when installed without the aluminum heat shields, but with Coolsox covers, I burned two of them badly. This is with TPIS headers. Maybe you can get away without them with the stock manifolds, but I learned my lesson. I had to buy a new set of wires, and re-installed them with the heat shiels AND the Coolsox. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
I have had Magnacore and now MSD Wires with TPIS longtubes. I am also using the Coolsocks to keep the temps down around the wires. For the price, they are one of the cheapest mods to run with the longtubes available for our cars. :yesnod:
So the consensus is you can use either MSD or Magnecor WITHOUT heat shields on stock manifold, right?
How about performance? Would the spark be degraded (thus power) due to the excess heat, even if wires are not damaged? Just curious.
If you dont have the cool socks even on a stock manifold... I would use the heat shield. What I forgot to say was that my cool socks extend over the boot of the spark plug are itself. That is how I am able to keep the MDS's from burning with the Longtubes...
When I installed my MSD wires I did so w/o the shields just to see how the wires went on. I have yet to re-install the shields (over 2500 miles ago) and have had no RFI or heat related issues.
I had MSD wires with no shields without issues. I now have the 10.4 mm Taylors with no shields without issues. I did add the "Firesleeves" from Thunderracing for extra protection :D
Why woudln't you use the heat shields? It can only help and putting them back on isn't that hard.
I just removed mine this afternoon. After installing the Magnecor wires and new plugs, I noticed an improvement in idle quality. After a few weeks I noted a slight miss. Today after giving the car a wash, the misfire was quite bad. After driving into the garage, I popped the hood and could see arcs from the bottom of the heat shields to the bottom of the plug wire boot on several plugs. I pulled the shields and no more sparks. I'm guessing that the spark was traveling down the boot on a thin layer of dielectric grease, as I couldn't find any cracks or splits anywhere (they are new wires). Anyway, I'll leave off the shields for a while and just monitor the situation. I don't see how any hot surface is close enough to the wires to cause a problem (stock manifolds).
Just came from a 5,300 mile trip into temps up to 118 running hard 78 hrs. total, 10-11 hours runs. The first thing when I arrived home was replace the plugs, wires and coils (replaced both belts at Nevada - AC belt, making little noise). No way the wires would had survived the heat from engine, asphalt, air temp. without the aluminum heat shields. These engines are designed with alot of safety features and heat shields is one of them. Bowling Green KY - National Corvette Museum
I've had THE SAME MSD wires on my car since 2004. 19 years old. Car doesn't miss, and still rips!! Yesterday after driving the car for awhile, I got home and let it sit for 2 hours with the hood open. After the 2 hours, I got the garden hose out, removed the coil covers, and directed a small stream of water over the entire engine for about 25 minutes, to speed cooling it off. I did this so I could pull it into the garage without overwhelming a small window A/C unit I had running. I started the car and there were no misses, zilch. I also run the Kool Sox, no shields.......
wow, this is a 20 year old thread getting bumped by new people
you absolutely don't NEED the heat shields. As a matter of fact, once they're heat soaked they probably transfer heat directly into the boot
I've been here going on 20 years, so I'm not "new." Not much in plug wires and heat shielding has changed in the interim, so info is still pertinent....
I just replaced the original plugs in my car a couple months ago. The boots were stuck to the plugs and the wires were brittle. I lost about 3 plug wires trying to pull them off carefully. It was ok as I was putting on new wires anyways. I just wanted to keep the factory ones.
I put on the 8 MM Summit LS wires and put the boots back on.
I learned from my Fiero the Boots do help in preservation of the boots. The V6 in that car has stainless manifolds and being mid engine any head abatement helps. My factory wires lasted 37 years and they are still pretty good. I just upgraded due to age. The old one still test out well.
The boots in the back of the engine are the ones that I notices took the most abuse on the LS. I think, they just see less air flow there.
Note too I see customers destroy the best wires due to poor heat protection especially with moved to headers.
SPARK PLUG HEAT SHIELDS
