Plugs/Wires kicking my butt

[4to8m8]

Okay I'll admit I'm a total newbie with limited mechanical skills but so far I've been totaly enjoying the DIY approach. Last night I began my first ignition tune up. I figured since there are only two little mechanic dudes for difficulty in the 101 book I would be okay. Wires came off plugs came out then the chaos started. Using the toolkit tool , which worked real well, I put the new plugs in. then hacked up a few rubber boots on my beautiful new Clewitt wires trying to connect them to the new plugs. Seems there is quite a bit of room in there for mis guidence. Stop, take a deep breath have a beer. Continue, okay left side wires are on the new plugs. While putting them on the new cap I realized I probably should have taken a picture before pulling all the old ones off. There is deffinately a certain way they are supposed to face to enable all of them to fit in such a tight space. Stop, relax and have a beer. There all where there supposed to be just cramped and not pretty any more. The passenger side completely kicked my butt. I think the wires are origanal because all wire harness's were intact and mounted to the engine in the most impossible to get a places. I simply could not get my hands or tools at them to remove. This is when the neighbors showed up with more beer. The wire to the most forward plug on passenger side is weaved this way and that to the point I could barely trace it much less replace it. When wires are changed do they have to be routed the same way? I replaced the rotor, cap, plugged in the old right side wires, old coil wire left the harness's hanging had another beer while looking at the mess and called it a night. I may or may not take it in to get it sorted out. O2 sensor is tonight's project. I'm pretty sure this will be a one beer low stress project.

[Wil Ferch]

Before I helped a friend change from OEM to Magancor, we took a "long" time drawing up the original routing....with notes....so that we wouldn't end up wrapped around the axle like you unfortunately did....pre-planning for all these little tasks pays off big time....

Wil

[TMH]

I too had an "adventure" replacing my wires for the first time (I also went with the Clewett's). Not really any issues with routing them, just with getting them seated onto the plugs. Took much longer than I thought it should have, but eventually it all came together.

Don't, however, underestimate the pain in the @ss that R&R'ing the O2 sensor can be. Mine seemed virtually welded into the cat. I was going to pull it out and put it into the new cat bypass pipe that I had just installed, but I ended up destroying it getting it out of the cat, and just plugged the hole on the cat bypass (it is on the track car, so it doesn't run on the street and doesn't need to be smogged).

I think that there is a special crow's foot type of socket to R&R the O2 sensor, and I would recommend getting that tool (along with plenty of penetrating oil) to do the job with the least amount of frustration.

Good luck,
Tom

[porschenut]

I'm not very knowledgeable about engines myself, but I'm pretty sure it's more than just attaching the wires to the dizzy in such a way that they fit; you have to make sure you connect the plugs to the right positions or you'll completely screw up the firing order.

[LakeCleElum]

I've found a digital camera very useful a few times, especially when working with wiring. Ya think Wayne should have posted little beer cans instead of "little mechanic dudes" in his book to describe the level of difficulity. Good luck...Bob

[motion]

LOL

[KTL]

Plug wires, while sounding like a simple job, can certainly be frustrating. Especially when they're routed a little more difficult for 84 than the later 85-89 wire arrangement. Not to mention that pesky air conditioning compressor being in the way.

Any time i'm messing the wires anymore (like replacing an alternator) I take the whole wire group out together, with all wires in the looms/clips and still attached to the cap. But that's easy for me to do without air conditioning!

That O2 sensor could be a little stubborn for sure. You can get away with using a regular wrench since the sensor is in an accessible location. I used a SAE box-end wrench on my original sensor. It didn't want to budge one bit. Ended up giving the wrench a mule kick to break it free. Hindsight says I should have gotten me a length of pipe to slip over the wrench......... heat of the battle makes you get stupid. Be sure to put a dab of high temp antiseize on the threads of the new sensor if it doesn't have some on it already. Just don't get any on the sensor tip itself.

[Zeke]

Try to let the wires relax. They will almost tell you where they want to go. The forward 2 cylinders should be obvious, albiet hard to reach. The pair nearest to you on either side can get reversed quite easily. When you get everthing sorted out, you realize that the wires wanted to go there anyway. This is the Zen part of woking on cars.

All of this is moot with new wires.

[mede8er]

Originally posted by LakeCleElum
I've found a digital camera very useful a few times, especially when working with wiring. Ya think Wayne should have posted little beer cans instead of "little mechanic dudes" in his book to describe the level of difficulity. Good luck...Bob

Actually, in the newly revised version this is the rating this job receives.......

[Kurt B]

"I figured since there are only two little mechanic dudes for difficulty in the 101 book I would be okay"

LOL!

The O2 sensor ain't bad. You can just lay down and look into the wheel well and you'll see it.

The main reason I have a K&N cone air filter and no AC is for maintenaince. I can have the air filter and AFM off in 2 minutes. I can get at any spark plug fast and easy.

I numbered the plug wires on the distributer with paint (touch up paint) with dice-like dots so I'd know right away where each was without looking for the little clip-on numbers and trying to read them (on the wires) when doing a valve adjustment.

You'll be all smiles when you have the new wires in and fire it up. It will make a difference for sure with wires that old.

[RC-Escape]

For the passenger side wires it's much easier if you remove the AC from the head (3 bolts and the belt) and just let it hang from the hoses over the side of the car out of the way. Just put a heavy towel or something to protect the car finish. I also took out the air filter housing. Those two things out of the way really help clearing the way for the wires.

[kevjandon]

I feel your pain.

I think in the next edition of the 101 book they should have a beer rating. Like after this project expect to need along with the two mechanic dudes!

Anyway, try doing it on a 964 3.6 motor with dual distributors 12 spark plugs and 12 spark plug wires. It's a real pain in the ass and was my first 101 project.

[4to8m8]

Okay so I don't feel like a total idiot and it's agreed that it's not as easy as putting air in the tire. Do I have to use the original clips and route the wires the exact same way? If I paid someone to do this would he/she have rerouted the wires the way they originally came?

[austin552]

4to8,
What wires and plugs are you going with? I am getting ready to do the same thang...
Drove up to Va Beach early Monday morning after which I am just glad to be alive.

[4to8m8]

austin552, I went with Clewitt Engineering wires. They have great reviews good looking and priced right. For plugs I used Bosch Supers. They are the recommended plugs. Where are you located in Va Bch?

[Rot 911]

Apparently the wires specifically for the '84 are shorter than the 85-89 wires and are routed differently. If you got the longer wires you can route them any way you want. Here is the somewhat stock configuration on an '86 (I backdated my heat):

[randywebb]

Work off of the firing order & determine plug # 1 from the rootor at TDC.

For future use, write the #'s down on some wooden spring type clothespins - much better than a dig pic I think.