General Tech I Need a Set of Plug Wires! Help!

[jeep937]

So the story goes I needed a tune up. I got a cap and everything but the wires. I tried to make some sprial core chevy wires work and they didn't work, I busted through the cap when tightening the wires in. I ordered another cap and wire set from moss and it worked for about 3 seconds then two of the wire termanals broke off on the plugs the second time I pulled them. Cheap as ****. So I was ohming out my old Lucas wires to see if I could temporally replace the two cheap moss wires. I tightened them in and broke through the top of the cap. I'm at a loss now being that I'm needing a 3rd set but don't want to buy from Moss again? Where can I get a set of decent wires? Can I get something local and make it work? I just need some 8mm soild core wires right? I'm getting pretty much at the end of my rope here. It's been 3 weeks messing with this bs.

 

[ShawnC_at_Moss]

If you would like to let me know what you need I can send you a replacement at no charge. I just need a name and invoice number.
Feel free to email me directly at shawn@mossmotors.com.

If I have an alternative to what you purchased I will let you know.

Sincerely,

Shawn

 

[BigGreen]

 

[Geo Hahn]

I can't imagine what you described as I have never had anything like it. Those screws in the cap just need to penetrate the wires -- don't need to be tightened to the point where they 'bust through the cap' (but I am unfamiliar with Chevy Spiral Core so perhaps they are the problem).

I use a generic set of 8-cylinder wires I got from CARQUEST -- p/n is 3802 (universal 7mm metallic). Enough in the 8-cylinder set to make about a half dozen TR4 sets.

Really (not doubting you but...) I've never heard of such a thing.

 

[jeep937]

If you screw the screws too far they will poke and crack the spot on the cap where they bust through with no change in torque. Seems they need to be at least half way to the core part of the wire to catch the spark correctly. I mean this is gonna be like the 4th time I've done this in the last two weeks. I've tried 20 different ways to make it happen. I've been working on jeeps, motorcycles and hot rods for 20 years also. This is not some 20 year old kid just putting the hammer down here. The 2 terminals on the wires broke off and I think I smashed one of the 3 caps I have I was so ******. I'll go out there and take pics. of what I have left.

Shawn C. Thank you for the reply. I have been happy with most of what you guys have sold me but I tell yeah after doing this same thing several times and having a car that ran perfect before and now won't run for crap I have to say I'm at the end of my rope. I didn't call Moss because I don't want the same wires and cap. I'd like a quality piece. The first terminal broke the very first second it was carefully put on. The second one seemed to have broke when the car was running or when it was put on as I didn't notice it until a couple days later when I went to try and get the car to run again. It's just simply mind blowing to me that I'm having these massive day ending problems with such simple parts. I'll go out there and document everything and post back. I'll dig up the invoice from the 30 invoices I've got all over the shop and house from the past 3 weeks of crazy parts buying..

 

[ShawnC_at_Moss]

Or email me a name and I can bring it up pretty quick.

Shawn

 

[Geo Hahn]

Both my TRs have distributor caps that are many years old - possibly decades old. I do that mostly because I prefer the correct look (LUCAS molded in large letters) but I also note that they have brass fittings inside rather than the aluminum found on some current caps.

A quick check shows one such cap on eBay right now: https://www.ebay.com/itm/281351916152?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Not cheap but not a budget-breaker in the grand scheme of things.

As perhaps you now realize, gently tightening those piercing screws is enough, just until they make contact. Easy to confirm that with your ohmmeter -- then you're done.

 

[jeep937]

Here's what happened. Pardon the inconsistency of my story above. I've been getting beat down on about 5 full builds and the mass of parts I've ordered in the last few weeks has run together. I organized all my invoices and laid all the parts out. Rebuild 175CD carbs and got all new coil, points and condenser and fuel pump. Okay here is the first cap that was on the car with the dirty Lucas wires. Cap rotor terminal was a little dirty and wires were beat looking. Two of them when connected at the cap would not ohm out. Buy cap #2 from TRF and for some reason don't order wires. Think I can make the thing work with parts store wires and spend an hour with that idiot and come home with these 8mm chevy wires made in usa. Put them on. Ohm them all out, great! Good to go. Oops, car doesn't run well then I notice I broke through the cap on two wires. Dist blows up taking out brand new Lucas gold coil. No problem, pick up another 25d dist from friend, rebuild it with new parts and buy new cap, wires and coil from Moss. Install new fuel pump since old one was clogged with cork material from the inside of it. Car runs great in the drive way and down the road save for the miss from the broken terminal. Take it home to replace broken wire and find another broken wire. Try and make two "good" old Lucas wires work. None will ohm out. Smashed the volt meter not one of the caps like stated above. Dead in water again. Here I am today. In between this I have static timed the car probably 20 times. Had the local English car shop owner come out and go over everything with me. I've adjusted all the valves and leaned and fattened up the carbs and synced them a bunch. I have been all over this car for the past 3 weeks and I'm pretty sure the only thing holding me up is these two broken wire terminals. The original miss was probably just the clogged fuel filter/pump and now I just wish I would have started there and left everything else alone.

 

[TR3driver]

If you screw the screws too far they will poke and crack the spot on the cap where they bust through with no change in torque.

Then either the cap or the screws are wrong. With the original cap, the screw head bottoms against the insert in the cap, with the point of the screw only about 2/3 through the hole for the wire. (I checked) I always torque them until they are distinctly firm and there isn't even a dimple on the far side of the wire.

I could be mistaken, but ISTR that the original wires were 1/4". 7mm would probably work, but I don't think 8mm will.
PS, I see in your photo where the insulation on the coil wire is damaged.

The cap I got from TRF in 2008 fit and worked perfectly. Don't recall if it said "Lucas" or not, probably not. The wires from them seemed good too, but I cut off the plug terminals and installed some suppression caps made by NGK (for motorcycles). I don't like the 90 degree caps, so I'm trying 135 degree ones this time. (Still not crazy about them, I'll probably go back to straight terminals if I ever replace them again.)

 

[Andrew Mace]

+1 on Randall's comments, especially about the 7mm wire.

 

[dklawson]

+1 more that 7mm wires fit. I cannot imagine squeezing 8mm wire into the cap holes.

At one time NAPA sold bulk Belden 7mm plug along with generic right-angle caps for the plug ends. I don't know if they still sell the cable as it has been several years since I made my own cables.

 

[PeterK]

I bought a set of Accel plug wire solid core for an 8 cylinder, they are universal, high-performance type wire (no supression resistor) and have a silicone straight boot already attached. They are quality wires but very inexpensive. Use 1/2 set, keep the other 4 wires for spares.

Agree 8mm are the wrong sized wires, also carbon core is not recommended for piercing screw attachment.

You can use an MGB cap with top terminals if that makes your life easier, as there's not pointy screws, just push in connnectors.

Shouldn't be this hard.

 

[Deleted member 8987]

Shouldn't be this hard.

Especially for a quick "flip". Usually folks who flip anything try to do it quick and right enough it works...for a while anyway.

Personally, I'd never use resistor wires in any older vehicle. My basic rule is, if it came originally with points, gets Belden solid core wires...and not 8mm.
If you have AM radio noise, put in resistor versions of the spark plugs.

I don't know....SANDING points, blowing up distributors, breaking two caps, wrong diameter wires.....

I'd guess it's time to sit back, take a deep breath, and re-think what you're trying to do here.

But, that's just a guess.

 

[poolboy]

You think the point of the screw might have trouble reaching the wire's core if the wire is a mm too big around ?

 

[TR3driver]

You think the point of the screw might have trouble reaching the wire's core if the wire is a mm too big around ?

Sure, if the wire didn't go all the way into the hole.