Old Guy needs some Plug Wire Tips!!

[RonPorter]

OK, I haven't done plug wires on a SHO in 8+ years, so I forget stuff!!

A Search didn't give me an answer.

The coupla times I did it years ago, I popped the hood off, and the intake, to clear the wires.

Don't wanna pulled the freshly-painted hood off (don't need to, I already moved stuff out of the way on the rear bank), and I don't really want to pop the intake off to clear the wires.

Marcel mentioned something on FB about pulling the clips off the coil end to get them under the intake. If that's a trick, how do you do it without destroying the clip?

Figure I would practice on the old wires first, unless someone else has another tip for me!!

 

[jelloslug]

Make sure you have some small hands.

 

[Irish Pride]

just loosen the intake enough so that you can lift it while pulling the wires thru.

 

[RonPorter]

Make sure you have some small hands.

Houston....we have a problem!!

Big hands, big feet....two out of three ain't bad!!

 

[RonPorter]

Marcel texted me back, says the clips "should" slide off, then they fit.

Just not up for messing with the intake. Already a coupla old vacuum lines I need to fix.

 

[kevinspann]

Ehh **** all that. I'd pull the intake, whether I wanted to or not. I've done it all three ways (not taking it off, loosening intake, removing intake). I'd rather remove it...

 

[RonPorter]

Maybe Marcel had some different coil-ends, but my wires appear to be original (still have the wrap on them), and the new ones are identical.

No way to get the big rubber boot that fits over the coil boss will go through the wire hole without hacking up the clip.

So...it'll be at least an intake lift tomorrow. Along with assembling the new struts/springs and drilling the spotwelds.

 

[kevinspann]

Yes, some wires have removable plastic clips that do a halfass job of holding the boot to the coil, other wires just have a big rubber boot.

 

[sperold]

Removing the intake is actually the easy way. All the other ways will take longer. There is always something else to do under the intake once you have it off and take a look at it. It is a lot easier with 2 people, as you won't be leaning on the newly painted fenders, and I would leave the hood on.
The wires are so expensive that you can't take a chance with them.
It is a good idea to loosen and re-tighten the spark plugs (even if you have no reason to change them) to prevent them from seizing in the head, as they only get changed every 100k. miles.
Just my thoughts.

 

[boat]

Agreed. You will spend more time fighting the coil ends through to clear getting them out. Just pull the intake, takes 15-20 minutes, with taking your time.

 

[rubydist]

I have done it both ways, pulling intake and not.

If you don't pull the intake, you need to slip the coil ends of the wires through the various tight spots, since the plug ends are too large. I would not try to pull the boots off the new wires, that's just asking for trouble. iirc, I had to remove some bracket by the throttle body to make stuff fit - I think it might have been the egr support bracket.

Getting the old ones off is easy, since you don't care if you cut the wires.

 

[SHO1]

just loosen the intake enough so that you can lift it while pulling the wires thru.

I ditto that! If all I was doing was wires, I'd loosen all intake bolts and lift a little bit where needed to feed wire thru.

 

[shobote]

Poppycock I say....it's a tight fit but I've changed plugs on my 89 half a dozen times and never removed anything, and also 6'6" with big hands. I've changed wires twice similarly not removing anything.

 

[kevinspann]

Yeah but scratching the shit out of my hands and wrists isn't worth it

 

[Ishodu]

If you didn't have dish pan hands they wouldn't get scratched
I have done it a few times but I had wires that I was able to remove the plastic holders on the coil end. Now I can fit the plug end though with out an issue as I have phenolic spacers under the intake.

 

[RonPorter]

Other than being 95 in the shade here, propping the manifold was the way to go, in the end, and made life easier. Yeah, Marcel, the std coil clips can't can't off without fubaring them.

Wires are originals, but looks like plugs were replaced at some point (same ones as I'm putting in). Gap was .055, so they been there awhile.

Plugs in, now times for wires after I cool off a bit!!

 

[SHOtime2511]

I've got big hands too and I have found pulling the intake is the only way.
Too much knuckle busting otherwise.