im waiting for my new plug wires to arrive from summit, i just put on headers, and the plug wires were hitting them, one melted, so i replaced it from one i had laying around, but my car is still sucking gay, all the paint melted off the headers except the #2 cylinder, is this a sign that its the one not firing??

------------------
Trent
---Car---
89 Firebird/305 L03 TBI A4/t-tops
Open Element Edelbrock Aircleaner w/ K&N air filter/Summit Chrome Valve Covers
Edelbrock TES headers 3" out/flowmaster American thunder 3" exaust/Catco cat
---Stero---
Pioneer DEH-P730 Premium
Infinity 2way 4652 4x6's/Pioneer 4way ts-a6985 6x9's
profile cl640 110x4

 

Word of advice, get some wire looms, I burnt up 3 wires on the headers and not too mention riding around running crappy. I even bought some heat protective sleeving, it's no fun having wires burning. As far the paint not melting I'm not sure. What you could do is start the car and take off the plug wire to see if there is any change, on second thought don't do what I did, you'll get one heck of a shock. Some one once mentioned hooking a timing light up to the wire to see if it working.

------------------
"Putting any amount of money into a RICE BURNER is like wiping your a$$ with a turd. "
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

 

If these are new headers and you havn't painted them or had them coated, i think this is normal. The paint they put on them from the factory is only a rustinhibator while they are in storage. Its nothing high temp. Are the headers glowing red? If they are, thats not normal and you should look into it. If the paint is just flaking off from use, then its ok.

 

Sounds exactly like whut happened to me. Since you dont have Heat shield or Loom on your wires you better take them all off and look carefully at them. I thought I had only 2 bad plugs, turned out I had about 4. They dont have to touch the pipe just be damn close to it. When you replaced the wire you found bad the car still ran like crap eh? I would have to say that is another bad plug. Like I said they might look good, but they arent. The pipe with all the paint, I would really check that wire and maybe pull out the plug, see if there is anything on it. To make it easier on yourself get all 90 degree boots and some Loom. I got my plugs from Summit and they are for a 78 Z28. They are alittle longer then I need but it let me run them real nice so I dont have to worry about them hitting anything. Also the loom, get that, it is expensive, but it is a life saver.

 

It is totally normal for that paint to burn off, but for it not to burn on one specific cylinder, I would check on that.

------------------
"Putting any amount of money into a RICE BURNER is like wiping your a$$ with a turd. "
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

 

yea, i sprayed all high heat p[aint on it, and it all flaked off except for that one cylinder, hopefully my new wires will be here today

------------------
Trent
---Car---
89 Firebird/305 L03 TBI A4/t-tops
Open Element Edelbrock Aircleaner w/ K&N air filter/Summit Chrome Valve Covers
Edelbrock TES headers 3" out/flowmaster American thunder 3" exaust/Catco cat
---Stero---
Pioneer DEH-P730 Premium
Infinity 2way 4652 4x6's/Pioneer 4way ts-a6985 6x9's
profile cl640 110x4

 

What was the temp rating on the paint. I used 1200* Ceramic spray paint and it took a month for it to burn off.

------------------
"Putting any amount of money into a RICE BURNER is like wiping your a$$ with a turd. "
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

 

What is heat shield or loom for wires?

 

start the car. let the headers get hot. pour some water on each tube. the water should beadoff immediately. if the water stays on the header and slowly burns off, then that cylinder is not firing.

 

I was just wondering, could pouring water on them like that when they are hot cause them to crack. I know that some metals will crack when going from such a hot temp to having cool spots from water or soforth. Not sure, just a question.

 

A little cold water on the headers won't crack them. What kind of headers do you have? If they are Edelbrock, you will probably need to route the plug wires under the headers.