After a recent drive when my 330 4HL began miss badly I discovered that the farthest outboard spark plug wire on the driver's side had come completely loose from whatever anchors it into the distributor cap. It just pulls right out of the hole. Needless to say, the car is shut down completely until I can repair this.
I started the thread about sparkplug wires and the forthcoming information, especially from Chris Coio's post, was enough for me to determine that my car had been rewired at some time, and the correct components had been used, properly installed, and are currently in good condition - not needing replacing, which the guys at the Ferrari shop concur with.
However, I don't know how the wires are secured into the distributor cap.
I guess the cap will have to be completely removed, coil disconnected, and the wiring tube simultaneously disconnected from its mountings on the cylinder head, along with the sparkplug wires from the plugs, and the loose wire secured back into place in the distributor cap from the underside of the cap. I can also replace the plugs and make sure the screw connection between the plug insulator/connectors and Packard 440 wire is ok.
Assuming this reasoning is ok, my questions are:
Exactly how is the loose wire reconnected back into the distributor cap?
My car currently has NGK BP6ES plugs installed. Are these correct, and what is the correct gap setting? If not, what is correct? The owners manual specs Champion N6Y, .020" gap or Marchal 34 HF, .025" gap, but, this is 40 yr old info.
It looks like whoever installed the plug wires left some extra length. I suppose I could cut .25" or so off the ends and rescrew the connectors to the wires, since some of the connectors are loose.
I would sincerely appreciate any suggestions or advice.
More sparkplug wires
wires
I have not tried this personally
(as my car has 'modern' wires)
but
the Bishop book
(referenced elsewhere)
suggests that the wire be stripped
and the conductor be folded back over the insulation
before insertion into the terminal on the cap
so that the point of the screw
goes thru the conductor first
(not through insulation then into the conductor)
he suggests removing the screw
and looking through the hole
to make sure the wire is centered
under the screw
before tightening the screw
as I said, I have never done this
so it is somewhat academic to me
(apologies if I am 'all wet' on this)
(as my car has 'modern' wires)
but
the Bishop book
(referenced elsewhere)
suggests that the wire be stripped
and the conductor be folded back over the insulation
before insertion into the terminal on the cap
so that the point of the screw
goes thru the conductor first
(not through insulation then into the conductor)
he suggests removing the screw
and looking through the hole
to make sure the wire is centered
under the screw
before tightening the screw
as I said, I have never done this
so it is somewhat academic to me
(apologies if I am 'all wet' on this)
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Rudy van Daalen Wetters
- Posts: 1206
- Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2004 5:53 pm
Bluecat 49,
This is what happened on my 250 GTE as well. It is important that the wire be stripped and folded back so as to make cantact with the tip of the screw. The screw in my distributor cap had arched so badly over the years that it did not have a sharp tip and missed the wiring in the cable
altogether. I always do a resistance check when putting on new wires and sure enough this was the problem.
Rudy
This is what happened on my 250 GTE as well. It is important that the wire be stripped and folded back so as to make cantact with the tip of the screw. The screw in my distributor cap had arched so badly over the years that it did not have a sharp tip and missed the wiring in the cable
altogether. I always do a resistance check when putting on new wires and sure enough this was the problem.
Rudy
fest & Rudy:
Thanks for advice.
I took off the distributor cap and reanchored the loose wire end - very easy because the plug wires have sufficient slack in them for the cap to be turned over enough to get access to the screw without having to disconnect a lot of stuff.
I replaced plugs with NGK BP6RES, .028" gap setting per mechanic rec., and tightened & cleaned the plug connectors on the Packard 440 wire(my car is set up exactly as Chris Coios described in his post on the subject). One plug tip and its connector had a heavy accumulation of whitish stuff similar to what forms on battery terminals and I'm sure this cylinder was not firing at all because of it. So the car was running on ten cylinders.
Anyway, it cranks up strongly and runs very smoothly and well again, once everything is warm.
Mech. mentioned checking resistance in the wires when I bring it in.
Thanks for advice.
I took off the distributor cap and reanchored the loose wire end - very easy because the plug wires have sufficient slack in them for the cap to be turned over enough to get access to the screw without having to disconnect a lot of stuff.
I replaced plugs with NGK BP6RES, .028" gap setting per mechanic rec., and tightened & cleaned the plug connectors on the Packard 440 wire(my car is set up exactly as Chris Coios described in his post on the subject). One plug tip and its connector had a heavy accumulation of whitish stuff similar to what forms on battery terminals and I'm sure this cylinder was not firing at all because of it. So the car was running on ten cylinders.
Anyway, it cranks up strongly and runs very smoothly and well again, once everything is warm.
Mech. mentioned checking resistance in the wires when I bring it in.
I don't know what it means - since it is the same type of stuff that accumulates on terminals of a neglected battery, I assume that it is electrical in nature and has something to do with poor contact between the plug ang wire connector, or condition of the wire or plug. I did put in new plugs with proper gap setting and that will help in determining the cause. I am going to check it regularly and keep it clear of the stuff if it continues to accumulate and have the shop take a look at it.
I'll post what I find out.
I'll post what I find out.
Hi Art,
I think Bluecat is talking about the stuff on the outside of the wire, and you're talking about the stuff on the end of the sparkplug.
Rich running leaves sooty deposits, and blowby shows up in black oily deposits. I think white is lean, but I have to look up my chiltons pictures!
Tom
I think Bluecat is talking about the stuff on the outside of the wire, and you're talking about the stuff on the end of the sparkplug.
Rich running leaves sooty deposits, and blowby shows up in black oily deposits. I think white is lean, but I have to look up my chiltons pictures!
Tom
'63 330 America #5053
To clarify:
White chalky deposits were at the connection of plug and distributor wire, not at electrode.
The weather here in Dallas is nasty and supposed to stay so all week so I doubt if I will have the car out.
Tom, you mentioned black sooty deposits. My old plugs had accumulated these while in bodyshop for five weeks. I think they were just opening the choke full out, starting the car, moving it, and shutting it down, in spite of my carefully composed startup/shutdown instructions taped right in the middle of the dash. It ran very well and started pretty easily even in 50F< weather before I took it in. I'm not blaming the bodyshop completely- I may well have pulled the distributor wire loose at the cap and improperly attached the other wire to the plug when I attempted to cleanup the old set of plugs. It just pisses me when it's obvious that a repair facility has ignored an owner's instructions for the operation of a vintage car.
White chalky deposits were at the connection of plug and distributor wire, not at electrode.
The weather here in Dallas is nasty and supposed to stay so all week so I doubt if I will have the car out.
Tom, you mentioned black sooty deposits. My old plugs had accumulated these while in bodyshop for five weeks. I think they were just opening the choke full out, starting the car, moving it, and shutting it down, in spite of my carefully composed startup/shutdown instructions taped right in the middle of the dash. It ran very well and started pretty easily even in 50F< weather before I took it in. I'm not blaming the bodyshop completely- I may well have pulled the distributor wire loose at the cap and improperly attached the other wire to the plug when I attempted to cleanup the old set of plugs. It just pisses me when it's obvious that a repair facility has ignored an owner's instructions for the operation of a vintage car.
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Rudy van Daalen Wetters
- Posts: 1206
- Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2004 5:53 pm
grease it
an effictive preventive measure
against moisture
(and resultant corrosion)
on the Spark Plug Terminals
is to apply a thin coat
of Silicone Grease
on the inside of the Boots
(on the Spark Plug
and Disributor Cap ends as well)
when replacing or maintaining
Ignition Wires
against moisture
(and resultant corrosion)
on the Spark Plug Terminals
is to apply a thin coat
of Silicone Grease
on the inside of the Boots
(on the Spark Plug
and Disributor Cap ends as well)
when replacing or maintaining
Ignition Wires
What you don't do yourself just doesn't get done right a good part of the time.
We're coming close to finishing our new house and I will have a large climate controlled garage that the 330 will share with our 4Runner, with plenty of work space, good lighting & dedicated power outlets, tool storage, sink, etc.
I'm going to start looking into a home model car lift. Guys at the shop said don't get the "scissors" design -dangerous to the max. I think there was a thread on this board about home lifts awhile back.
We're coming close to finishing our new house and I will have a large climate controlled garage that the 330 will share with our 4Runner, with plenty of work space, good lighting & dedicated power outlets, tool storage, sink, etc.
I'm going to start looking into a home model car lift. Guys at the shop said don't get the "scissors" design -dangerous to the max. I think there was a thread on this board about home lifts awhile back.
-
Rudy van Daalen Wetters
- Posts: 1206
- Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2004 5:53 pm
Bluecat 49,
I built a new garage for my cars and am considering a lift as well. I am looking at a lift made by Rotary which is a two post design with asymetric
arms. This way I can still open the car doors and also remove the wheels to work on the brakes and suspension if need be. Rotary is a good product, I am told.
Rudy
I built a new garage for my cars and am considering a lift as well. I am looking at a lift made by Rotary which is a two post design with asymetric
arms. This way I can still open the car doors and also remove the wheels to work on the brakes and suspension if need be. Rotary is a good product, I am told.
Rudy
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Rudy van Daalen Wetters
- Posts: 1206
- Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2004 5:53 pm
Bluecat 49,
To get Rotary try typing in "www.rotarylifts" and it should take you to SAR
automotive - Rotary lifts. Don't use .com or .net in the address. The website isn't the greatest but I would order their brochure from the website to get more detail and better pictures. Rotary is quite popular here in California.
Rudy
To get Rotary try typing in "www.rotarylifts" and it should take you to SAR
automotive - Rotary lifts. Don't use .com or .net in the address. The website isn't the greatest but I would order their brochure from the website to get more detail and better pictures. Rotary is quite popular here in California.
Rudy