Fried Spark Plug Wires

[73Swinger18]

I finally got my car running today. Brand new everything. Right after I finished the cam break in, the engine lost two cylinders. The wires on cylinders 5 and 7 melted on the Hedman headers. I put fiberglass boots on them thinking it would be enough to protect the boot, but that isn't the case as you can see. The tube that runs by these two plugs is directly over them and I can't route the wires any other way than resting against it. These are cheap store brand wires. Are there any wires out there can can withstand the heat of resting on the header with a fiberglass boot or wires that have a 90 degree boot on them? Thanks for the help!

 

[kiss]

Magnecor and Aurora are both great options

 

[pishta]

If you cant get 90's or 45's (you can) route them up over the valve cover through looms like the 273 valve covers. Nothing will keep a hot header from melting spark plug wires if they are laying on them, short of some header wrap on the headers themselves.

 

[exoJL]

I finally got my car running today. Brand new everything. Right after I finished the cam break in, the engine lost two cylinders. The wires on cylinders 5 and 7 melted on the Hedman headers. I put fiberglass boots on them thinking it would be enough to protect the boot, but that isn't the case as you can see. The tube that runs by these two plugs is directly over them and I can't route the wires any other way than resting against it. These are cheap store brand wires. Are there any wires out there can can withstand the heat of resting on the header with a fiberglass boot or wires that have a 90 degree boot on them? Thanks for the help!
View attachment 1714986676 View attachment 1714986673

If you got a 225ci slant six this wouldn't be a problem. Get rid of the inferior V8. Otherwise, headers are naturally thinner than exhaust manifolds...which means they dissipate heat much more quickly...obviously you did not take this into your design...otherwise, I think it's funny how American "muscle" power these days do not tend to take practicality into design but think that bigger is better while missing the whole point. Good luck.

 

[Brad4406]

If you got a 225ci slant six this wouldn't be a problem. Get rid of the inferior V8. Otherwise, headers are naturally thinner than exhaust manifolds...which means they dissipate heat much more quickly...obviously you did not take this into your design...otherwise, I think it's funny how American "muscle" power these days do not tend to take practicality into design but think that bigger is better while missing the whole point. Good luck.

Your post is totally irrelevant. The OP did not properly route the spark plug wires by allowing them to sit on the headers; it has nothing to do with /6 or thin headers. And you can shove your "American muscle power these days" comment where the sun doesn't shine. If bigger wasn't better, it wouldn't sell as quickly as it does.

 

[Brad4406]

73Swinger18,

Add more looms as pishta recommended and you shouldn't have any more issues. Moroso sells generic wire loom kits; so you can use what you need and save the rest for future builds.

 

[abodyjoe]

msd and probably others sell varible angle boot wires..

or ya can go to tti headers and not worry about that crap..

 

[v8fish]

Personally I run wires with 90 degree boots on 5 and 7 and loop them up around the outside of the header tubes using wire looms to keep the wires off of the headers. Works great.

 

[Brad4406]

msd and probably others sell varible angle boot wires..

or ya can go to tti headers and not worry about that crap..

View attachment 1714986699

Good call Joe on TTIs. I always error towards low buck, even when there are things designed to make stuff easier or eliminate the issue. I guess I'm stuck in my old and cheap ways.

 

[TrailBeast]

Good call Joe on TTIs. I always error towards low buck, even when there are things designed to make stuff easier or eliminate the issue. I guess I'm stuck in my old and cheap ways.

Same here because I take about 6 inches of header wrap and fold it over a couple of time and put it between the header pipe and the wires.
Solves the problem and about as cheap a solution as you can get if you already have header wrap anyway.

 

[KnuckleDuster]

I really wish one of the wire manufacturers had an option for a set with mixed boots, straight and 90°.
As many headers as there are out there of the same design as the Hedmans it seems like they would sell plenty.
Currently I am running six Taylors and two old Accels because I burned #s 5 and 7, too.
You can change cap boots to your heart's content, but on the plug end you're stuck with what's in the box.
Guess next time I have to buy two different sets of Taylors. I'll have to get through 4 sets of wires to use up all the 90°s.

 

[RustyRatRod]

We used to pull plug wire off rolls like vacuum line comes on. It was sold in bulk and the boots were sold separately. You could pick whatever boots you need. You still can choose different boots. They are cheap but you may have to wait for them to come in.

 

[pishta]

old Blue Taylor wire came in a big roll of rough cut pieces and boots, you just pushed both ends onto the wire, cut and crimped. It was pretty easy. Sort of like Coax cable cut everything but the center core. I dont know why they even cut it for you as you always ended up with 2 feet of spare.

 

[73Swinger18]

I really wish one of the wire manufacturers had an option for a set with mixed boots, straight and 90°.
As many headers as there are out there of the same design as the Hedmans it seems like they would sell plenty.
Currently I am running six Taylors and two old Accels because I burned #s 5 and 7, too.
You can change cap boots to your heart's content, but on the plug end you're stuck with what's in the box.
Guess next time I have to buy two different sets of Taylors. I'll have to get through 4 sets of wires to use up all the 90°s.

Totally agree. I've been searching for a mixed set, no joy.

 

[TrailBeast]

I don't like most wire sets right out of the box and often mod them to fit better (usually way to long)
The guy's car I am working on right now the #3 cylinder plug wire runs out of the distributor and over by the brake booster, then down along the steering and makes a couple of wraps around the steering shaft, through brake lines, down along the frame and over to the plug.
WTF?

By the time I traced that one checking his firing order I forgot what I was doing. LOL

 

[73Swinger18]

I don't like most wire sets right out of the box and often mod them to fit better (usually way to long)
The guy's car I am working on right now the #3 cylinder plug wire runs out of the distributor and over by the brake booster, then down along the steering and makes a couple of wraps around the steering shaft, through brake lines, down along the frame and over to the plug.
WTF?

By the time I traced that one checking his firing order I forgot what I was doing. LOL

Haha. I guess I could route mine like that to keep it away from the heat. I ordered some 8mm Accel Super Stock universal wires with straight plugs. I also order some 90 deg terminals/boots to put on cylinders 5 and 7. I went and put some wire looms on the valve covers to keep everything neat and away from the pipes.

 

[DrCharles]

My 451 Dart with Hedman B-body headers uses 90 deg boots on all but #5. There is no way to come off that plug in any direction but straight, so I bought a single Accel wire with a ceramic boot. Unfortunately it's black and my other wires are blue ;)

Also, the routing for the two rear plug wires is over the valve covers, and the other six go underneath the headers. #6 is creatively routed to keep it away from the headers, too...

 

[Johnny Dart]

If you got a 225ci slant six this wouldn't be a problem. Get rid of the inferior V8. Otherwise, headers are naturally thinner than exhaust manifolds...which means they dissipate heat much more quickly...obviously you did not take this into your design...otherwise, I think it's funny how American "muscle" power these days do not tend to take practicality into design but think that bigger is better while missing the whole point. Good luck.

HaHa...You are kind of cute.
What are you, the grocery getter ?
MoveOverPeopleAreRacing!