Have you ever had a motor that just didn’t want to run right? Does your motor misfire, ping, stumble, or just feel gutless, and are you not really happy with the motor’s performance? Well, maybe your ignition system is to blame? If you can hear and see the spark from your plug wire end boots then it’s time to replace your wires. More often than not coil, cap, rotor, battery, spark plugs, and wires play a major part in making the motor run smoothly. Of course, if you have other mechanical issues then those need to be addressed first.
When deciding on performance spark plug wires what do you look for?
First off, I have to look at what exhaust manifold I am running because that will play a major roll in what spark plug ends I will need. Usually if you have a very tight space then the 90-degree plug wires will work just fine, but in some cases the 180-degree (straight) or the 115-degree boots are the best choice. This is something that you will have to just look at how you want to route the wires and determine what works best for you.
The next option for the wires depends on what type distributor cap is on your distributor?
HEI or traditional style? An HEI distributor cap will look more like spark plug ends sticking up, and a traditional style distributor cap will have the connecting terminals inside the cap. When ordering a set of wires I usually like to steer more towards the universal fit, because all it takes is one wire not to fit and you’re out of luck.
What if I want my engine bay to look stock? Most stock wires are 7mm in diameter and the industry standard for performance wires are 8mm. 7mm wires will work fine in most stock to mild applications, but when you get into higher horsepower motors that need more spark energy there are things to consider. The 8mm Pertronix wires have the same core as the 7mm but offer a larger outer silicone insulator jacket. This allows better resistance to crossfire, white noise, and electrical leakage than the 7mm wires.
Speaking of spark, do you still have a points-style set ignition in your distributor? Although points still work great, Pertronix Performance Products has something to cure your points adjusting frustration. A simple screw-in electronic module can be installed easily in a few minutes, and for you guys that love that stock look Pertronix makes an application for just about any distributor. And if they don’t have it they can make it in their machine shop.
I used the 90-degree Pertronix...
I used the 90-degree Pertronix Flame Thrower wire set (PN 80820) because I like to make my wires look as clean as possible in the engine bay. This wire set comes with traditional and HEI style ends.
On the left are the HEI style...
On the left are the HEI style ends and on the right are the traditional ends. Your distributor style will determine what spark plug boot ends you will need. For my motor I will be using the HEI style.
On the left is the traditional...
On the left is the traditional style distributor connectors and right HEI style. For my motor I will be using the HEI style on the right.
I ordered these Made 4 You...
I ordered these Made 4 You wire holders from Summit Racing. They help keep the spark plug wires from hitting the exhaust manifolds and clean up the look of the wires.
At the same time I ordered...
At the same time I ordered a spark plug wire terminal crimping tool from Summit Racing.
Using either four- or three-holed...
Using either four- or three-holed Made 4 You spark plug wire holders depends on what exhaust manifolds you have. If you have stock style manifolds then most likely the four-holed will work towards the rear. The good thing about the product is that they are interchangeable so you can switch the amount of holes simply by unscrewing them. I swapped out the four-holed holder for the three and ran #7 and #8 alone with no wire holder.
Here is a diagram on how the...
Here is a diagram on how the firing order goes on my small-block Chevy. If you are not sure how your firing order goes then I suggest you pick up the owner’s manual or do a search on the Internet.
Separating all the wires by...
Separating all the wires by length is a good idea. Next, I chose the longest wires and ran those to #1 and #2 spark plugs.
I then pushed the premade...
I then pushed the premade boot on the spark plug and ran the open ends through the wire holders to the distributor cap. Following the 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 spark plug firing order.