Are there any issues involved with cutting spark plug wires to length to make them fit and look better in the engine compartment?

I have some MSD 8.5 Super Conductor wires on my car. They are the predetermined length ones for thirdgen’s. The wires have been rerouted resulting in some being just a little too short and others way too long up by the distributor. I have used Moroso wire separators from the spark plugs up to the distributor to product a clean look for the spark plug wires. However, up the distributor there is a big bundle of extra length wire. I want to switch the long ones for the short ones and cut them all to length to produce a clean look up by the distributor.

Recently, I had to buy a MSD kit to replace the wire boots up by the distributor as the original boots were all cracked and leaking sparks. The new boots have been installed. The kit came with 9 new MSD brass distributor clips which I can use for the above mentioned project. I have inspected the clips, MSD wires and my wire cutting/crimping tool which looks like I could do this project. There is a MSD tool to cut and crimp their wires; however, I think I can get by with my cutting/crimping tool.

Does anyone have some suggestions or tips before I begin this project? Thanks.

I was not sure if this should be on the electronics, TPI or Tech/General Engine board so I placed it here.

 

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Cut away. That's how universal sets come. That's actually how all sets SHOULD come. Custom sets are always too long.

 

I just finished cutting my spark plug wires to length and thought I would update this post with the tips I learnt along the way. The wires look much better now and the car runs very good.

First of all the MSD tool part number 3503 was very help full. I could have done this project with my wire strippers/crimping tool alone; however, the MSD tool did a much better job especially with regards to crimping the distributor terminal clips onto the wires. For about $10 it was worth it.

The center core of the MSD wires is a black colored wire. I was wondering if I needed to strip the black off this core to get to the copper wire. However, I followed the directions which came with the MSD tool and just bent the black core around the wire and crimped it to the clip as the instructions indicted and it worked.

Measuring twice and cutting once is everything when doing such a project. Once you cut the wire that is it! For my project I had to remove all the wires from the car. Now is the time to inspect them for wear and rubbing.

With the wires in position I wanted them I removed each wire from the distributor cap and placed a distributor terminal clip on the distributor cap terminal. Then I brought the wire up to clip and marked the wire with a pen at the appropriate length.

To learn how to use the MSD tool I took an extra length of spark plug wire that I had cut off and crimped a clip onto it for practice before I attempted crimping the clips on the spark plug wires. This was worth wasting one clip.

Once I had all the wires cut to length with the clips and boots on them I measured each one and recorded the lengths for next time I have to make up wires. The total length of all eight wires came out to about 5.7 meters.

Now is the time to remove the distributor cap and rotor and inspect them for wear. Mine were fine so I just gave everything a really good cleaning inside and out.

I cleaned the wires and wire separators in a solution of hot water and Tide cloths soap. I dried the wires off and blew the water out of the boots at both ends of the wires. When they were dry I reinstalled them and they looked good.

Once I had all the spark plug wires on I proceeded to coil wire by determining a suitable path for it, cutting it to length, crimping a clip on it, cleaning the wire and reinstalling it. I was able to remove about half the length of the wire.

I hope this is of use to others undertaking such a project for the first time. If you go slowly the first time, measure very carefully, recheck your measurements, and invest in the MSD tool it will work for you. From start to finish, including clean up afterwards, it took 5 hours. However, the end result was worth it!