they have a deal going on, 8 mm spiral core wires for 24 bux at advanced... i have wires like 5 months old, no name brand though, should i blow my money on these? reasons: red wires, to match my other red stuff... , better combustions/ spark?

 

I just put some in last week, they will do nothing for your car on their own, you need plugs, cap and rotor, and a good coil before they will do anything. Before you do this they will just supress engine missing by supressing heat. What is the point of having new thick wires on a stock ignition or coil? Get a new coil, platnum plugs, cap/rotor, then get the wires from summit, they are 24 bucks year round.

 

oh ok,, i have good plugs, ac delco rapid fires, new cap and rotor, but not hi performance, and looking to get an msd coil...

 

I've had bad experience with Accel wires......I'd rather go with AC delco or MSD....I do however have an Accel coil and it works pretty good. I noticed a lil difference after putting it in.

 

No offense, but I will not buy accell wires again. I have ripped the end out of 3 wires. I have had 3 sets of taylors on 3 different rides, NEVER had that problem. And yes I grab buy the boot, not the wire itself.

 

I've been using Accel on my rides (all 5 of them) for over 20 years.
Great stuff at a fair price.
Recently started using Borg Warner brand copper tipped cap & rotor as it's about $5-8 less than Accel cap & rotor.
I always recommend Accel stuff.
Whenever it wears out I return it to manufacture for replacement (Lifetime warranty)

 

Dale....The Taylors don't rip open for ya? GOOD! I've got Taylor SpiroPro's on right now and I'm so afraid to mess with them because they're $60 wires...and the only other wires I've run are: whatever it came with, champions, and belden's. Never messed with the stockers....but the champions, I ripped 2 of the boots off...I didnt do a great job booting them myself but still. And the pre-booted Belden's...the boots on those got brittle and cracked and split open after about 6 months, and pulling them off, I pulled the wire w/ end connector out of the boot on two of them, and one of the boots practically fell apart on me, and another two of the tires came apart at the CAP END!!! Talk about JUNK! I paid too much ($60) for my Taylors to do the same **** to me!

BTW..this post DOES have some value I suppose.....DO NOT BUY CHAMPION BOOT EM YOURSELF WIRES OR BELDEN'S...whereever the hell Belden's are sold anyways.....

 

DAMN !!!! $24 BUCKS!!!!!! ....Thats just the kinda wires I use . I dont need any right now , but for almost half price , it will save me down the road !!!!

 

The ends that come apart on me are the already made ends that goe to the plugs. Never had a end come apart that goes to the cap or coil. Just the sp end.

Only probs I have had with taylors is that my s10 came with them, not long after I got the truck one wiggled loose. I was like Looked in the boot and a small section of the metal had melted. I think I must not have got it snapped on right and melted that clip in it.

I like accel coils, ICM, cap/rotor, so I figured wires would be good. Sorry, wont buy them again.

 

I couldn't agree any better. Accels stuff is very good- I use it in my truck ( coil, billet distrib.,cap & rotor) but I would not use their wires.

 

I am surprised to hear some here have so many problems with a simple spark plug wire set up.
I have Accels from the beginning & never have a problem at all.
I only use wire separators and proper plug wire routing. AWAY FROM HEAT SOURCES AND I MAKE SURE THEY STAY THAT WAY,TOO!

My Accel plug wires hold up forever.

When they fail (age, usage), I send them back to manufacture they send me new set for FREE.
Even the ones in my Corvette, I created from a Frod set and wrapped the plug ends in asbestos (available from welding supply store) then wrap in stainsteel wire, AND THEY LIVE NEXT TO HEADERS, not a problem at all.

Hasn't anyone else ever figured out the way to remove a PLUG WIRE FROM THE SPARK PLUG IS TO ROTATE THE PLUG WIRE END, to separate the rubber from ceramic plug head, then firmly grasp THE METAL UNDER THE BOOT (ya can feel that part) & remove the plug wire?

I only wish I could invent somethng to make that removal part easier, but, this method seems very effective.

I kinda wish I had that "plug wire tool" but...

 

I'd have no problem pulling the spark plug wires normally..but it's a jungle under that hood. Mostly it's the EGR stuff on the passenger side that makes it so I can't get a hand on the boot at all...MAYBE 2 fingers..sometimes not even a finger and a thumb. Try pulling a plugwire off the plug using your pointer and middle fingers!

 

BTW, Slow2.8.....I have to congratulate you for making THE CORNIEST thread title I have ever read.

 

Do you guys put silicone on the inside of the spark plug boots before you put new wires on? You should...

 

According to the "Glove size" I have a large hand.
I've been there beneath the EGR & etc.s, too.
Try these tricks on a small block chevy in a Corvette engine bay with headers.
Try this trick on a S-10 Blazer with A.I.R. TUBES going to the exhaust manifolds, not much easier.
AND ME, STUPID ME, LOVES to INDEX spark plugs to gain what extra HorsePower I can.
Meaning, I take the time to mix locations of plugs till all electrodes (that angled metal) are NOT exposed to the flame created by cylinder combustion process. (IF someone knows the true tech term, inform me, please)
Old hot rodders trick, and work or not, it can't hurt. And stupid me, does this, to all my rides (except the Corvete as that mill has to many miles for that effectiveness anymore).

Incidentially, know how my Dad's original 1974 Corvtte had the plugs changed at dealership?
Put car on lift, access plugs from below.

We have it easy!

 

This makes it a hell of alot easier , you still need to pull gently and do the twist method Karl described above , but the silicone (dye electric greese ) makes it so much easier to remove the wires !!! I thought everyone did the twist method to get them off ! Are Karl and I the only ones that do that ?!?!?!?

 

Alright, I'll bite...
HOW MUCH Dielectric grease should I apply?
A FILM to the white top of the plug?
Or inside the plug boot before I "click into place"?
I've never used the grease & plug wire method, before. Twisting worked 98% of time.
BUT NOW WHEN EVER I OPEN MY HOOD, I check the plug wires for any "too close" problems.

 

Nope, I always do it too. Karl, I apply the dielectric to both spots, inside the boot with a cotton swap, AND on the white ceramic insulator of the plug.

My first MSD set somehow melted to the plugs, even tho I used the silicone. 5 out of 6 of the boots tore- and I had a hell of a misfire. (Without the boot ends, the wires were loose on the plugs.) MSD fixed 'em for me, for free. I just sent 'em in, cost was around $10 for postage and insurance, and MSD took care of 'em for me. I love that company!! But after that, I glop a TON of the stuff on the plugs.

And know why I was taking the wires off? I had nothing better to do, just wanted to read the plugs to see how the engine was running. That'll teach me about "don't fix it if it ain't broke"!

 

I use the grease..but I fear I don't use enough. I saw the old grease that was on the old wires and it had turned into gunk with corroded crap suspended in it..I didn't want to use too much with the new plug wires and plugs to avoid any buildup and gunkifying, therefore reducing spark transfer.

 

Recall my problem with the INGNITION CONTROL MODULE (right? Tom!), failing THREE TIMES?
I used that white goop with the supplied module.

After I purchaed this latest one (actually reused an older one, that tested good) it was suggested to use
PERMATEX DIELECTRIC CLEAR GREASE.
I laid it on QUITE THICK.
SO FAR no problems.

I will use this tech thread advice as I plug wire my S-10 Blazer for stating soon.
I'm using a set, I determined good by the new Hi-Tech Digimeter Wayne suggested I purchase (for $20 so cheap!).
After I dial in all the "Blazer new swap engine job details", new plug wires (budget streches only so far)!
And Yes, it will be a set of Accel wires. I have 20 years of excellent results with that product.

And as ya said, Tom, my other wires, they are fine, so I am leaving them alone!
BUT I keep checking the boots to be sure of no touching to any too hot surface.
I am using Accel 8.8 plug wires in the 3.4 Firebird with wire separators all around.

On the `95 3.4 I have in my Fireird, the factory manifolds have an aluminum shield over the exhaust manifolds.
Nice feature.

 

I have had 2 different Accel plug wires fail on the #3 plug at the boot. Not from pulling them off, but just from heat exposure. Both of them new wires that failed within 4-6 months. I'm talking about the Accel 8.8 silicone plus graphite wires with the fancy angle adjustable red sparkplug boot. Its not the wire that is the problem, its the boot that cracks from heat and archs.

Edit: need I say I always silicone my wires every time I do a plug change.

 

Question about the dielectric grease provided with wires: If it turns to GUNK....not gel, GUNK...does it still provide a good medium for transfer or does it begin to obstruct? What about if it has CRAP in it? Just wanna know so I'll know how much of this stuff to cake on.. Did a very light job last time.....

 

Heres an old coil wire from the set. The coilwire was not bendable like the plug wires were.

Here's a tube of Karls magical grease I always have tubes of this in stock.

 

Blurry photo but man that boot looks nasty....

 

Just use a Q-tip and apply silicone on the end of the swab and just moisten the entire inside of the boot, not just the metal contact point

The wire above have been in a box of junk for probably 5 years, That where all the grease and dirt on it came from.

sorry about the crappy photo- its my fancy webcam. I have to buy a digital cam some day.

 

I assume any of the cotton from the swab that gets carried into the grease will just burn off with a few sparks.....

 

AFGT,
You confirming that the Permatex brand Dielectric grease is one of the better OTC brands out there?
GOOD!
I really don't want to worry of the Firebird dying while my Wife is driving around with my 2 year old.
I can handle my car dying while I'm going 75 MPH. Wife on other hand, I just want her to arrive safely.
Besides it really is bogus that the module item come with that flake out $hitty white grease that becomes useless after it's applied.
It isn't my favorite way to exercise walking to a friends house that has a tow truck!

 

Yeah , I had the same exact problem and ordered some Taylor heat seeves from Summit . I dont have that problem anymore . but I also have this problem with wires that were not accel .

afreakingoodtime , do you have this problem with the boots on your taylor wires ? ...just curius ! I still like my accel , but im wondering if there is any company out there that makes boots that wont burn on that #3 plug ! Im thinking the heat coming off that EGR pipe is just scrorching them .....This march it will be a year sence the boots have been changed because those Taylor heat sleeves !

 

Never had a problem with Taylor's. Here's a pic of the setups I run. Top one is current 10.4 with fire sleeves, bottom one is my last set of 8mm- never ran heat sleeves with them 4 years no problems.
Note: each wire in pic are extras- I always buy V8 kits so I have spares.

 

Simple solutions

GM makes & USES a spark plug BOOT, that slips over the plug rubber boot or "problem" area fitments.
It's metal, one piece.

One can also wrap the plug boot in an aluminum can shield, using any soda can material. Hold in place using STAINLESS STEEL paperclips. Thanks HOT ROD magazine!

Other is going to a welding supply store asking for some asbestos wrap about 3+ inches wide, any length ya want. This idea, again I'm using on my 1974 Corvette with headers and not a problem after MANY YEARS. I thank Smokey Yunick for this tip (I saw it on Vic Edelbrocks 1968 Trans Am Camaro that was built by Smokey. Yes, AFGT, I saw this at the Tustin shows. And Cammee SURE CAN DRIVE WELL!, too!) Wrap asbestos over the boot, hold by using stainless steel paperclips. I hold mine using stainless steel wire. Moroso sells real pretty looking "same idea" ones for much much more. Like price of the expensive plug wire sets. See above pic for this item. My Corvette asbestos wrapped plug ends isn't that pretty looking but works perfect.

Other solution is using 3.4 FACTORY ISSUED EXHAUST MANIFOLDS. They come with an ALUMINUM SHIELD over the cast iron manifold, that seems to protects plug wires, too. One can score this part (actually four pieces, manifold is sandwiched in between) at a yard. Seems to act as an exhaust manifold gasket material, too.

My #3 plug wire does "kinda rest" on this shield.
After aleast 10K miles (from the 3.4 swap), so far, never a problem. My #3 plug wire is not wrapped in any covering, as I am using the 3.4 manifolds that came on my 1995 Camaro engine (HINT-3.4 swappers NEVER REMOVE THOSE MANIFOLDS-save yourself gaskets & wasted time, your current car exhaust bolts right back up, effortlessly!). I'm using the Accel 8.8 plug wires in the 3.4 powered Firebird. Yes, I keep it "away" as best as possible. That's what plug wire separators are for!

Find a spool of stainless steel wire. That stuff is VERY HANDY for lots of "things".

Or everyday STAINLESS STEEL PAPERCLIPS. It will say "Stainless Steel" on the outside of the box. Outta box in desk draw, these are the very shiny ones. They come in various thicknesses & sizes. About 100 to a box for less than $1! Such a bargin! I always have a few in my Firebird for roadside emergencies (works perfect for downloading those ECM codes! & testing spark strength outta plug wires).

 

as per the topic question at hand.
"would you accelerate any faster with an accel coil?" Basically no. At least unless you want to count nano seconds.

 

well thanks guys, but for 24 bux i think imma get em, dress up my engine compartment, and get a great buy...

 

I use an Accel 300+ Ignition Box, coil, distributor cap, rotor, and ignition module, but crane cams 8mm wires. A lot of people have had problems with the Accel wires so I stay away from them. Accel's other products work well.

 

...the 3.4 exhaust manifolds bolt up to our engine....and hey will also link with the crappy Y pipe? Hmm...food for thought...but are they any improvement over our manifolds? Every little bit helps, and being short on cash here, I can't afford those $400 headers for sale on the board.... I can get an engine for that much!

 

The 3.4 F BODY manifolds ARE EXACTLY like the same ones on my 1985 S-10 Blazer! And the Firebird, too.
NO FLOW DIFF AT ALL.
They only have fancy aluminum shielding.
Does look purty!
PLEASE UNDERSTAND, no flow upgrade diff.
YET yes
Your current cars pipes go right on them.

That's part of the beauty of a 3.4 used mill upgrade, lots of great stuff for your ride, all at one cost.

And your current wearing out 2.8/3.1 supplies the missing stuff ya need to use to complete the swap, under your hood.
That's why I enjoy spreading the word about the 2.8->3.4 swap boogie!
It's a good deal!
For fair price & lots of simple detailed effort.

 

Nobody seemed to answer these, so I will! Nixon, I think you've gotten the wrong idea about the dielectric grease. It's not meant to be applied to the spark plug's terminal. It doesn't go on the terminal inside the spark plug boot, either. What it does is it keeps the spark plug boot from melting onto the spark plug's porcelain insulator. Spark doesn't travel thru the dielectric grease. (It can, but that's not it's purpose). I wouldn't go filling a spark plug boot completely with the silicone, and then shoving it onto a plug. Swab some dielectric on the porcelain insulator of the spark plug. Then swab some on the inside of the spark plug boot, where the boot will touch the insulator.

And if you're worried about spark transfer, just try your best not to get any silicone on the spark plug terminal or the spark plug wire terminal (inside the boot). But a little smear on the spark plug terminal won't matter much. Hope that clears things up!

 

They really should have a manual for this! I assumed the di-electric grease...seeing as it has the word electric in it..is used to facilitate better spark transfer between the plug and terminal, as WELL as keep it from sticking. GREAT, f--ing great..I put the stuff all on the terminal AND on the end of the plug too. Least I didn't use a whole buttload like I planned on............. Well now that my terminals are covered in di-electric grease...how badly will this affect spark transfer? And is there a chemical that will dissolve this crap without damaging the metal, the boot, etc.??

 

It does help against corrosion (which promotes better electrical transfer); I think it's used sometimes in weatherpack connectors. You could probably just use some spray brake cleaner on a rag on the plug terminal end; and I have no idea about the spark plug boot end...?

 

Yeah..that's a tricky one.. Maybe I can just spray some of the brake stuff in and cotton swab it out? As I said earlier I figure any leftover cotton would burn up after a couple sparks through there...shouldn't hurt anything I would think...

 

Leave it on there, you're O.K. . I always rub it on the metal terminals, you are suppose to to help prevent corrosion like TomP stated.

 

I have sent my AGED set of Accel plug wires along with this thread to Accel Warranty Division.
I'm asking for my lifetime replacement set for using on my 3.4 powered S-10 Blazer.
What I'm really hoping for is the "temporary set I "made" will make the truck ignition strong enough to pass CA smog.
The Old Accel Coil is gonna come thru one more time.
Been using the same Accel coil since 1990 and over 100,000 miles. My 1985 S-10 Blazer, so far, has 211,500 miles. Replacement rear axle is next.

 

I have not had too many problems with Accel that I think of it. Except was I was replacing my plugs with Delco Platinums I found my #3 plug boot that was normally red turned white and cracked on the underside. I don't understand cause the boot is not touching the header and is about 0.5" away. I turned the white side up in the mean time till I can get another set of wires.

Does everyone buy the universal kits or the custom? I cut mine to route them as far from heat as I could with the universal set. I was just curious if anyone who bought custom sets from any manufacturer found that they fit well.

 

i bought the universal, question on it. i get a misfire, because sparks are coming out of the boots, what should i do to fix it???

 

Sounds like either the boot isn't pushed all the way onto the plug end (terminal not clipped to plug). Or the plug gaps are too big.

RBob.

 

ttt for krazycracker

 

I have sent my AGED set of Accel plug wires along with this thread to Accel Warranty Division.
I'm asking for my lifetime replacement set for using on my 3.4 powered S-10 Blazer.

Glad this thread came back.

I RECENTLY RECEIVED A BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT SET OF 8.8 PLUG WIRES FROM ACCEL!
ACCELS' FREE LIFETIME REPLACEMENT WARRANTY POLICY IS A WONDERFUL THING!

THANK YOU, AGAIN, ACCEL!!

What I also discovered also was.....
Accel included several packages of the DIELECTRIC GREASE with this plug set.
I took a toothpick and smeared the inside the stuff in each plug boot and EASILY SLIPPED the boot over the plug end.
Due to SoCal recent rain (which anyone east of us... you've dug out of the snow by now.....MAYBE) and correlating obtained cold..... Blazer to be started shortly.

ACCEL STUFF IS GREAT!!
Any problems with your Accel plug wires, send them back to Accel for your FREE LIFETIME WARRANTY REPLACEMENT.
For only the cost of shipping.....
I GOT A BRAND NEW V-6 SET OF THE HIGH QUALITY 8.8s FOR FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I recently saw that new 8.8 plug wire purchase price as $60 or more! I just paid about $4!!!!!