Seperating Spark Plug Wires

[76280z]

I don't post much on the forum, I mostly look at other peoples engine pics. So many of you out there have put together some beautiful motors (make me wish I spent more time on my last one).

 

However, and I don't mean to preach, how come so few people seperate their wires?! In most of the pics I see the wires are zip tied together in one big bunch. This is a bad thing to do. The wires can rub together and eventually wear each other. Second (and this is more likely) the high voltage going throught the wires will eventually cause pinholes (electron tunneling) when the wires are near something else that is conductive (ie another wire). Over time these tunnels will continue to enlarge, until you will actually have arcing between the wires.

 

As you can see in the attached pic, I didn't do a perfect job, but it works.

 

p.s. Sorry the pic is so big, i don't know how to resize them

[BRAAP]

Here was my first one, '75 280-z. Not real pretty, but somewhat separated.

 

 

 

 

Here is another, much shorter wires.

[Brad-ManQ45]

Also - any wire that run parallel to another wire need to cross over/under the other wire in order to avoid inductance problems....(misfires)

[Chino 240Z]

it's an neat freak thing...

[Mayolives]

[S30TRBO]

 

http://store.datsunspirit.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=43

[MJLamberson]

thanks for throwing the link in there

[katman]

Uh, yea, tie wrapping all the plug wires together. Now there's a recipe for crossfire. Pretty motor though.

 

I made my own looms from phenolic blocks for our ITS motors and ran them around the front of the motor like the above picture since the valve cover was off all the time, only separated by 1/2 inch.

[Six_Shooter]

I use tiewraps to seperate mine.As in I will have a long tie wrap around all the wires in that area, then between the wires will be more tiewraps to seperate them, wraped arond the longer the tiewrap not around the wires themselves. This is easpecially halpful when you need to pull the wires to do a plug cut or work under the valve covers and the wires will then just lay back to thier respective cylinders. Numbering the wires helps too.

[S30TRBO]

Now there's a recipe for crossfire.

 

Nah not really:

[Dragonfly]

Here's a couple shots of mine with tie wraps used to seperate the wires.

 

 

 

I agree with katman about the crossfire issue, it may not happen right away but it will happen sooner or later depending on the quality of the wires.

 

Dragonfly

[DREW RBZ]

I too agree with Katman...Do NOT tie-wrap the wires together without spacing them. I was present at a dyno session for a big dollar drag motor...very tidy setup and wires tied together. The session was going great until there was what the shop owner believes was a "crossfire" situation which resulted in the motor grenading. Was a horrible sound/sight and in retrospect could have been easily avoided.

[S30TRBO]

Will pass the word on..thanks!!

[SUNMASTER]

[hughdogz]

I think that the QUALITY of the wire is just as important, if not more than wire seperation.

 

A friend of mine recently bought a new set of Taylor wires and now his engine dies unexpectedly at idle and will even backfire and sputter at high RPMs. Even though they are seperated by nearly an inch (with minimal crossings) it seems that they still bleed a ton of EMI.

 

While at idle, he touched the boot at the coil to ensure it was properly seated and he got a REAL NICE shock!! I would think that the insulation should have prevented this.

 

I was wondering if there is an easy / inexpensive way to test the amount of EMI? I haven't seen a Gauss or Tesla meter at the local parts store...

[RTz]

Can I play too?...

 

[hughdogz]

^^^ You are evil Ron.

[76280z]

I agree with hughdogz, the quality of the wire definitly comes into play. We put a set of 10.5mm custom Taylor made wires on a hot rod and the timing light wouldn't read through them. (I really like the Taylor's)

 

But even best wires will sucumb to electron tunnelling over time.

 

Dragonfly's tiewrap idea works great, and the price is right. I do that to just about every customers vehicle where the wires are everywhere or the factory wire holders are broken off.

 

p.s. it's cheating if you are using coil packs

[RTz]

^^^ You are evil Ron.

 

 

 

We put a set of 10.5mm custom Taylor made wires on a hot rod and the timing light wouldn't read through them. (I really like the Taylor's)

 

Taylor wires have been a bane for some MS users.

[BRAAP]

.....

 

p.s. it's cheating if you are using coil packs

 

Ah, wasn’t it Smokey Y. that once said…

 

… “he who cheats best, wins!!!!” …