Ignition System Upgrade - Classic Trucks Magazine

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 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.

I used the 90-degree Pertronix Flame Thrower wire set (PN 80820) because I like to make my
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 are the HEI style ends and on the right are the traditional ends. Your distrib
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.

On the left is the traditional style distributor connectors and right HEI style. For my mo

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.

I ordered these Made 4 You wire holders from Summit Racing. They help keep the spark plug
At the same time I ordered a spark plug wire terminal crimping tool from Summit Racing.
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.

Using either four- or three-holed Made 4 You spark plug wire holders depends on what exhau

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.

Here is a diagram on how the firing order goes on my small-block Chevy. If you are not sur
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.

Separating all the wires by length is a good idea. Next, I chose the longest wires and ran
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.

I then pushed the premade boot on the spark plug and ran the open ends through the wire ho

OK, now that you have determined the proper firing order you might have something looking like this at the distributor. Don’t worry, this part is not as bad as one would think.

OK, now that you have determined the proper firing order you might have something looking
Simply move all the wires out of the way and start with the #1 spark plug wire and work your way around the firing order by tracing down each wire. Or you can start with the number #1 wire and move to the #3 wire, but remember the #3 is not the next one over on the cap.

Simply move all the wires out of the way and start with the #1 spark plug wire and work yo
Since I have an HEI style distributor I’ll need to use this style connector. Notice the connector on the left is open wider than the one on the right. This is because I like to slightly close the gap on the connector to help with a proper connection when crimping.

Since I have an HEI style distributor I’ll need to use this style connector. Notice the co

Determine the length on the spark plug wire and cut it with the spark plug wire crimpers. If you look closely, the center of the tool will have a small hole in it; that’s the cutter. This cuts the spark plug wire insulation and not the core. I have seen people use a razor blade, but I highly discourage this method.

Determine the length on the spark plug wire and cut it with the spark plug wire crimpers.
The core needs to be bent back towards the insulation as you slip the connector over the wire. This allows the best possible contact between the core and the connector.

The core needs to be bent back towards the insulation as you slip the connector over the w
Although this may be the limit on how much that the connector should twist inside the crimping tool, it is almost impossible to get the connector perfectly straight in the tool. Notice the open end of the connector is towards the top end of the crimpers. The open end of the connector is folded by the heart-shaped part of the tool and makes a tight connection. Crimp all the way down until the tool stops and check to see if it made a tight connection.

Although this may be the limit on how much that the connector should twist inside the crim

This is what you should end up with. Make sure that you also don’t have the core hanging out the backside of the connection. Otherwise it could arc on the block or exhaust. I applied a small amount of dielectric grease on the terminals and slid the HEI boots on the ends.

This is what you should end up with. Make sure that you also don’t have the core hanging o
Cool. All done and I shouldn’t have any problems with crossfire, electrical white noise, electrical leakage, or burnt wires.

Cool. All done and I shouldn’t have any problems with crossfire, electrical white noise, e
Because my motor’s stock distributor was worn out, I replaced it with the Pertronix plug-and-play billet distributor that has the Ignitor III built into it. The Ignitor III has five times more spark energy than points and will multi-spark thru the entire rpm range. To make sure the distributor is able to feed enough energy Pertronix recommended that I use their Flame Thrower HC coil (PN 60103) that produces a maximum 60,000 volts. Pertronix also offers the original Ignitor along with the newer style Ignitor II and III modules that will bolt into most stock applications including Delco, Motorcraft, Mallory, Prestolite, and Autolite distributors.

Because my motor’s stock distributor was worn out, I replaced it with the Pertronix plug-a

SOURCE
Summit Racing 800-230-3030 http://www.summitracing.com	PerTronix Performance Products 440 East Arrow Highway San Dimas CA 91773 909-599-5955 http://www.pertronix.com/

Ignition System Upgrade - Ignition Tips For Superior Spark

Upgrade Your Weak Ignition System