Well I've been called that more than once so just to show it may have been justified here another way to save a few bucks on your Early Hemi. AS you know spark plug sets can be ridiculously expensive for the early hemi and if you can't can't stand to fork out all that extra dough for near nothing then park yourself in front of the boneyard and go grab some plug wires off a V6 honda that look like these. The boots are glued to the wire but if you're careful you can disect them and replace the wire with your favorite 8mm performance wire. I prefer the 8mm Mallory Pro Wire with the stainless core but I'm sure you have your own. The OEM wires are only 7mm, but I found that if you use the 8mm stuff it works real good - although a bit of a pain to install - you can get them in there. I'm not sure if I posted this before (memory is shot) if so, my apologies. Hey Luke, now it's YOUR TURN to share a CHEAP BASTAGE TIP!!!!
Wow, I see I got another one of those REALLY popular threads going again - ah not!! Well just incase there's another hemi owner as cheap as me (very unlikely) here's a pic of the main steps involved.
Where's the picture of you standing on on leg, tongue hanging out while you force those wires into the plug ends...good idea. Tell me about those breathers on your covers....are they really modified salt shakers swiped from the local pancake hut?
cool idea. ever try a set off a saturn 1.9 dual cam? they look pretty similar to what you have going there but the cap seal on "some" can slide up and down the wire. theres also a good bit of length on the wire itself too. just an observation ive made.
Actually they slide right through (piece of cake) so long as you add a drop or two of dish soap. The orgional wires are glued into the boots and that's the only "problem" -getting them apart. Origionally I'd just use one of the connectors after I filed the edge sharp to cut, but I found it MUCH easier to just make a "tool" (easier to hold onto). The tool is nothing more than a piece of stock with a hole drilled in it. The hole ought to be an inch or so deep. When you push it onto the end of the wire and start to force it through - you go about 1/2" before you feel an obvious "pop" as it cuts through the last bit of bonded area. Piece of cake. I'm glad you mentioned this as - the removal part is tricky (read: near impossible) without cutting the bond first. Once you cut the bond a firm grip and a good yank and they come right apart!!!! The "salt shaker" breathers are BURN DOWN breathers off a drag motor. I didn't have (or need) a puke can so I just machined some flat discs - threaded them - drilled them full of holes and used 'em. They were supposed to be temporary until I found the "right" breathers, but like eveything lately - they're so darned expensive (wtf) that they've been eluding me so far.
No I haven't looked at those (but I will now). I have to say these Honda wires are amazingly perfect. The V6 ones are better - the pic where I show the closeup of my "tool" (hey! No wisecracks!) is actually a set of 4 cylinder wires - they'd work too, but don't fit as well as the V6 ones do. The V6 ones actually seal into the sparkplug tube liek they were designed for them and the diameter of the boot is slightly bigger - making them fit the valve cover "well" perfect. Who'da ever thunk a Honda could supply a good Hot Rod part
You know, last weekend while I was taking a well deserved break from trying to dislodge an early Hemi frozen into the ground, I observed my friend changing spark plugs on his Honda CRV. Damned if I didn't think the spark plug wires and boots could work. Ha! You the man. Great minds think alike ... cheap!
Love it! Great and simple tech! I will link this under the ignition area of the HEMI Tech! Thanks man! Scooter
But if they come on a V6 where do you get the other 2??? Seriously, great tech - I'm thinking about a hemi for my next build and already bought a set of Hemi plug tube well covers (or whatever the hell they call 'em) but like this idea too. Steve
Well I went to.the local pull-a-part here in Cleveland. (notice where hemirambler is from?) Every V 6 Honda had the plug wires gone. There were a few 4 cylinder hondas that still had the wires left's. Actually all the other OHC or hemi type head wires were there unless the head was gone. None of those fit, no surprise huh? I was armed with a factory spark plug tube complete with plug. Those things fit absolutely perfect. Actually the wires fit the motor well in stock Honda form. They have the correct end for a points coil cap. It's a bit of a fight to get the rubber boot loose from the plastic extensions but after that easy peazy. The wire slid right thru just like any other 90* boot. I also have a set of Moon valve covers from hotheads & Those need to be 1" longer for them. No luck at pull a part but close. Terminal supply stocks the terminals needed to upgrade to wires to 8 mm. Thanks hemirambler..
Early to mid 90's Toyota celica boots off of the 4AFE will work as well (though it's only a 4 cyl so you'll need two donors) and the best part....they arnt bonded like those are and seal the same way!
I do not know the length of the Hemi connectors, but another possibility is Porsche 911. At least those used up until the 1980s. Avaialable in straight and 90 degree screw in connections to the wire. These also have built-in 1000 ohm resistor. The covers are not solidly mounted and can easily be relocated.
Ive been looting 3.5 litre chryslers (1990 + intrepids) They pull apart easy ,and bore the tube for larger wires
I had a mid 70s Toyota with a 1600CC 4 cyl hemi with wires like that. I also remember the o ring seals went bad and the tubes filled with oil!
Toyota 2t has the tubes built into the cover. "Looks like" and " fits " are two different things. I tried every single one I could find. Toyota 6 cyl. Hemi looks like it could be neat engine
Y'all keep this up and the HAMB will be the best source of info on the entire planet Now if we just had an index...
After reading HEMIRambler's post ( THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD INFORMATION), I found these on the popular on-line auction site. The guy is a liquidator and I paid him 10 dollars a piece for mine. Just Search for Honda plug wires. There are still 217 of them left. I already have a set of Taylor wires and will attempt to just use the rubber boot on my M/T valve covers before going the full route of rebuilding the wire ends. Regards, George
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