The car's in need of a tune-up! Telltale signs or odd coincidences in a row?

Starts are getting noticbly longer than usual. (Hot starts=instant start, cold start are now at the point where, hey. is it me or does it take like 0.5 sec longer than last month to start...???)

Last emissions test yelled higher than previous HC levels.

Stalls almost rarely.. like once in a month, but the once in a month sticks out in your mind... I thought I managed to survive July without a stall event at a light, on the 30'th it didn't disappoint lol...

Wires look good, but that's only cuz I lubricate them, one of the boots on the cap doesn't fit snuggly... we all know that'll do wonders on spark transfer.... (Mr. not fits so snuggly koff_plug wire 5_ koff that bastard wire__ shocked my hand a month ago when I was checking if they fit snuggly lol)

I haven't checked plugs, no time till weekend, but I'm guessing they won't look as well as they did 5 months ago when I did a compression test on all cylinders...

Finally if that wasn't a good indication... wires, cap and rotor are 4 years old!!! AC Delco standard OEM coil...

So I'm thinking MSD coil, cap, rotor, wires?

Which coil should I get guys? Accel people, I know you love them, but that yellow/brown look just doesn't fit my car... to boot, I saw them burn on my friend's camaro so kinda made me appreciate GM's stock stuff...

 

stock wires are junk..Get the niehoff brand,Taylor,MSD if you dont like Accel.No way to tell if a wire is bad unless its got a crack or you test it for resistance..I have an Accel coil and its still good on its 5th yr..I didnt see any difference between the 8mm and 8.8mm Accel except for the extra $$$..BTW Accel sells Universal wires in blue too.I wouldve gone for some Taylors but I need a universal set..

Daz

 

Just a word of advice...I bought the MSD cap and rotor, and it's a waste of money considering you can get the Wells Gold series from Canadian Tire for much cheaper. I took my old Wells Gold off the car to put on the MSD cap and rotor...took a moment and compared the two...then realized it's a scam! They are almost 100% identical. So save your money.

 

I saw that scam before.. that's why I bought the Wells Cap and rotor at CT...

I am also a firm believer that AC/Delco R43TS plugs are the best for our engines... those Super Platinum. Quad Four, Hyper Sonic or whatever the buzz words on them don't mean squat.... a good ol' set of AC/Delco's are all my engine gets and it works fine for me! But that is just my opinion.

 

I'd have to disagree on the Niehoff suggestion. Had a set for my old Grand AM Tech 4 "Iron Duke" At night, when you revved the engine up, you can see the wires glowing and arcing

 

Well after conferring with some friends and reading your posts and basing off my father's previous experiences here's what I've come up with.

The Wells gold cap and rotor are good. I got a Borg Warner brass set for just a few bucks more though.

The wires are probably the toughest to work with. My previous set are not just any old GM ones, they are albeit pricier GM Performance set.. hence the 4 years later and I still haven't changed them. I saw some borg warner wires in CT for cheaper than that set so I'm willing to be a guinea pig and try these. 8 mm just like my set, but I have no freaking clue where to get a coil wire from. No matter where I check I see boxes with sets. All I want is a itty bitty coil wire about 5 inches MAX in length...

I'm gonna get the MSD direct replacement coil for my engine. Who would have thought GM shipped us with high energy coils stock lol??? To think I was looking at the Universal coils at 45000 V and thinking our stock ones were crap compared to that... I found out the AC Delco ones are rated 48 000 V up to 300 ma and the GM Blaster coil also has the same specs, but say theirs has better quality windings etc to provide a better spark... We'll see

As for plugs I'm trying to hunt down those AC Delco Rapidfires Irocker has... Are those just basically the stock ones from CT or are their really an improved version of plugs? I've had 2 sets of these AC Delcos standard and thought they were great.

So here's the list thus far

MSD Blaster Coil direct replacement
Borg Warner Cap/Rotor
Borg Warner 8 mm Wires
AC Delco (Rapidfires?)

 

I have the MSD coil on my car... How do you plan on installing it? Stock location?

 

From the pics I've seen it looks like a direct stock replacement, so should be an easy swap.. while I'm back there I'm gonna nail my minor fuel leak problem at the tbi... I installed a spacer a few days ago but since then I've had small hints of fuel enter the car.. very very small... like the smell you get passing across the street from a gas station... some green threader compound and I'll be good for the drive in...

 

Nathan.
You're running the 8.5 mm MSD wires with that coil, right?
I must have a problem somewhere else. ( with the car I mean....
)

 

Yeha I am... but I get a stumble once in a while too...

 

NO RAPIDFIRES! Save your money dude and just get the AC Delco stock replacements. I say no Rapidfires for several reasons:

1) They are twice the price of the regular AC Delco
2) I had zero performance gain with them
3) They have a tendancy to produce hot spots...which is why MSD highly reccommends that you do not use them with the higher energy MSD 6A box.
4) I've seen them come out of a car looking burnt to heck...I'm yet to take mine out...probably be doing that over the winter or in the early spring as they are approaching 2 years old.

So learn from my experience my friend and save your money for other things.

 

Phew... could not find the rapid fires!!! I got the regular ac delco plugs... story in other thread as to why I spent Thursday night doing an emergency tune-up on my car...