Spark Plug Wire Help
 

Is there a worse job on a 964? The top six are okay, the bottom six are bit of a *****.

I assume I have to remove the engine tin to get the wires through?

Any suggestions? I'm dreading this job....

This job is much easier with the engine out, ha ha.

If the 964 is like the 993 there is one rubber gasket (about 2 inches by 3/4 inch) on each side of the engine which the wires go thru. But, you don't have to remove it. (you can if you want with a screwdriver but they are a little difficult to get back in -tight fit).

Here's the trick - unscrew one end of the wire (either at the distributer or at the spark plug) This is made a lot easier by injecting (or squirting) a little Armor All on the wire and work it in a little. Then do the Armor All thing where the wires go into and out of the rubber gasket in the engine tin (you might just have to spray it all around the gasket). Work the wire from both ends and you will fine that it slides pretty easily.

Do the same with the new wire (Armor ALL) when putting it back in.

Good luck!

But the side covers have to come off to get the boots off the spark plugs, don't they?

Not sure what the side covers are (you are not talking about the valve covers, right?). On my car (993) you can just pull the spark plug boots directly off the spark plug. Maybe it's different for 964?

The best approach for the Driver's side is to remove the Cat and its associated heat shield, then you can unbolt the (silver coated) heat shield. Then the plug cap will have room to be pulled completely off.

You CAN pull the rubber boot off of the tin and then thread each of the 3 wires thru the tin. However ,the previous post is a good approach since you will still need to unthread the wires from the plug ends to get them off and on the rubber gasket.

It is much easier to remove the engine tins (and much easier when you have a magnetic spark plug socket)

Also a good time to clean and paint the tins..Actually the bottoms are easier and it isnt all that much to remove the tins

My wire set came with new gaskets etc so the bad part was routing the wires over the alternator and through the manifold

I pulled the cat (driver side) and the 'muffler' on the passenger side today.

That's the answer. Now I have access.