I'm having a Hemi built for my Model A coupe. It'll have chromed FirePower valve covers on it. I was looking at the Hemi photo thread and I can't decide if I want the ignition wire openings in the valve covers to have the rubber plugs in the openings or if I want them to be open. What are those rubber plugs that the wires p*** through called and where do you get them? I'm guessing they're not made for the early Hemi but rather for the later 426 Hemi and adapted to the early Hemi's? Also, never having owned a Hemi of any type, I have no idea on this either: do the ignition wires have some sort of hard plastic ends at the plug end that extend toward the valve cover surface that help attach the wire to the plug, or do they just have regular plug ends on them? If that's the case, are they tricky to get the plug end of the wires attached to the plug?
My 54 New Yorker had long maybe bakelite ends on the plug wires. That allowed you to attach the wires to the plugs that are way down in the tubes. If I remember right, you weren't supposed to use washers on the spark plugs.
Most of us use wheel cylinder rubber boot caps to hold the wire centered in the plug tube. It keeps dirt and junk from getting down inside the tube as well as preventing the wire from wearing against the tube and shorting to the tube. In stock form there is and actual clip that holds the wire in place as they all bunch together under the stock top cover and are kind of self supporting. I wouldn't run without them specially on a hoodless Hot Rod.
This is my solution. I get these rubber covers at the junk yard. they come from Toyota 4-bangers. There are two types, you need the ones with an "R" on he lip. Use a razor to cut off the outer lip. I use these Accel silicone wirers that reach the plugs. The factory use either white porcelain tubes or Bakelite tube to reach the plugs. Expensive if you can find them and old-tech. Also I form a wide lip on the tubes so they will seal without the wire covers using this wood fixture.
I use these spark plug tube covers.: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tay-44300 I like these wires. They have the long, hard plastic boots that you can push down over the plug from the top of the spark plug tube : https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tay-75089
Originally the spark plugs were surrounded by aluminum tubes. The spark plugs were put in without washers, the aluminum tube made the washer and there was a rubber seal at the top. Early slant sixes used a similar arrangement. Then there was a white ceramic end on the plug wire that reached nearly to the top of the tube. On top there was a long steel cover that contained all the spark plug wires and was held down by 4 screws.
I'll mention that 1950s wires are not what you buy today, so the pull to remove and push to install is going to be rougher than modern suppression wire is built for. That's why having something like what @willys36 shows is important over time.
Some good info here. As mentioned just pulling on the wire to remove can give you a headache. I built a Hook if you want to call it that to go down under the plug boot and lift it off. No more metal clip left on the plugs.
I just use 1 1/8” wheel cylinder cups, punch a hole for the wire with a leather punch and install them cup down. They work fine but I can see that there are plenty of foreign cars in the wrecking yards that might have something useful that might look better.
“I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy You can't always get what you want But if you try sometimes, well, you just might find You get what you need“
That's my engine! Has Marine valve covers now. A few months ago I traded the small valve '52 331 heads for big valve 354 truck heads. While I was at it, I added the Marine covers with the adjustable rocker arm bumps. It's all for show!!
Here is the porcelain insulator tube. I had these on my '52 331 hemi. Work on plain small plug wires. Don't think the modern fat, fancy silicone wires will fit. Here is the Bakelite plastic type tube. The '54 331 I just built came with these. Again, likely too skinny to fit modern fat wires. These are late model 426 wires. Available many places. Definitely work on early engines but a bit $$$$$$ compared to the DIY systems described above.
I am putting together a 1958 Dodge 315 and was working on the valve covers this afternoon so this post is timely. A while back I ordered a set of Taylor plug wires from Hot Heads Hemi. These wires have long plastic extensions on the plug ends and a choice of straight or angled fittings for the distributor end. I also picked up a set of the rubber covers that others are showing. My question for the experts… If I am not using the metal wire covers and instead using the boots, do I still use the big metal washer at the top and is there seal/gasket to be used as well? I might be able to answer my own question this weekend when I get back into the garage but I thought I would ask.
I used the upper seals just like as if you were running the wire covers and ordered the hot rod washers that fit tighter on the tubes so the flair holds them on. Think I got them from @TR Waters . www.trwaters.com Dave
On the Chrysler the tubes aren't flared much at all and don't capture the washers. The metal pans are needed. That is why I hammered a lip on mine so the rubber washers are quite compressed but still robust and seal perfectly. See my how-to post a couple above.
As was mentioned earlier wheel cylinder seals work, I had to put a small piece of wire at the bottom to let pressure out of the tube as it is heating or it would pop it off, often taking the spark plug wire off the plug. The seals go on the same way as on the cylinder, but pulled up instead of pushed in. I use generic straight boot Accel/Mallory type spark plug wires, cheaper & still works. On my current 331 I use the tube washers and spark plug covers.
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