Help - installing new spark plug wires - running POORLY after - Page 3

DW SD · 03-26-2005, 03:55 PM

Guys,
All of your input is great! Someone suggested using a timing light and moving it to each spark plug wire. The light only fires when current runs through the wire. Just because it lights, doesn't guarantee that the spark made it to the spark plug, but it is another way to avoid shocking the crap out of yourself (when you pull the plug wires). I decided to buy a set of magnecors. They'll arrive in a week and I should be good to go - we'll see.

Doug

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

I used Jacobs wires and they snap onto the plugs and don't come off.

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

Rick is looking into these issues. One imporant point, is that you must use the proper dielectric grease when installing these wires. Rick mentioned that this is probably the problem with the wires in the original post. As for the boots, he's looking into clearance problems with certain types of spark plugs...

-Wayne

Doug Steinel · Doug Steinel's Garage

If spark makes it to the cylinder at the right time, and the cylinder fails to fire... I am thinking improper mixture or insufficient compression. Hope it is not the latter.

boomvang · boomvang's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts
Rick is looking into these issues. One imporant point, is that you must use the proper dielectric grease when installing these wires. Rick mentioned that this is probably the problem with the wires in the original post. As for the boots, he's looking into clearance problems with certain types of spark plugs...

-Wayne

While I can't speak for anyone else with similar issues, I was careful to use the supplied grease in all the plug boots. My problem was that I never could get the number 4 plug boot to seat. I wonder if Rick would supply just that one wire, as I really don't feel like removing all the wires to install new ones.

DW SD · 03-29-2005, 11:25 AM

Having spoken to Rick himself, he has two types of boot ends. One set are silicon rubber and the other is a harder plastic. The latter, which is what I had requires no di-electric grease, at least according to Rick.

If the boot end are soft and supple (Silicon rubber) they need grease. If they are solid, hard plastic, they don't need grease. Someone else could verify, but that's what I learned from Rick. I don't believe the grommets at the top (at valve cover) are adjustable, with the style I purchased.

Doug

tfranko29 · 05-01-2005, 10:17 AM

Doug,

Did you every fix your problem? I'm having the same trouble on my '72 911T.

tfranko29 · 05-01-2005, 12:18 PM

Doug,

I e-mailed you an hour ago about my 911 not running good, I finally got it. Get you car started, rough idle and all, and pull out the plug connectors one at a time and then reconnect them, move on to the next one. See if it kills or if it makes no difference at all, 4 of mine made no difference, two of them did. I held each connector against some metal in the engine compartment and I was getting spark from each one, so I guess timing was my issue. Pistons 1 and 4 were the only ones that were timed correctly and they were idling the engine. I played around with the boots on the dist. cap and I finally got it. Factory firing order is 1-6-2-4-3-5, don't ask my why, but my is 1-5-3-4-2-6, it has never run better.

ausgezeichnet · ausgezeichnet's Garage

Doug,

I just spend 4 months diagnosing nearly everything on my car and it turned out to be plug wires not seated properly. I could have swore they were seated properly. I used Wanye's suggestion and quickly touched the exhaust headers right above the heat exchangers to determine which cylinders were firing. Just kept working at it until all cylinders were firing. I found one technique that seemed to help was to reach in a finger in to feel the tip of the plug. I also felt around the tip of the plug to try and get a feel for the angle and location of the plug. Then I immediately inserted the plug wire in the same area. Good luck.

geof33 · 05-01-2005, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tfranko29
Doug,
Factory firing order is 1-6-2-4-3-5, don't ask my why, but my is 1-5-3-4-2-6, it has never run better.

Uh, not sure that's a good thing... Sounds like your dizzy is off or something... I would think that would cause problems, or... you are miscounting!!

2.7RACER · 05-01-2005, 09:57 PM

For Frank in Naples, this one is easy. Your firing order is the same as everybody else, 1-6-2-4-3-5. The only problem is you are counting backwards from number one. If you check you will find your distributor is rotating opposite from what you think.

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

If anyone is still having problems with the Clewett wires, Rick has redesigned the tips to make them easier to install. You can contact him at his website:

http://www.clewett.com

-Wayne

tfranko29 · 05-02-2005, 04:54 AM

Thanks a lot 2.7 Racer,

911FL · 06-16-2005, 08:20 AM

Any updates on the Clewett plug wires quality issues? I'm ready to buy but past posts have indicated the Clewetts to have problems with seating and proper connector lengths. The price is right, but not if quality is missing. Thanks to anyone with recent experience with these wires.

boomvang · boomvang's Garage

Rick re-did the ends on my Clewetts, no problem with the new ends. Car is running like a champ. Threads like this are why I love this board. Thanks, Wayne and Rick.

ausgezeichnet · ausgezeichnet's Garage

I ended up installing Clewetts and got them to seat the first time with no problem. The car is running a LOT better now.