Thread: melted spark plug wires

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Well got to looking at my wifes 72 corvette today. We just got it last week, and found the spark plug wires laying atop the exhaust. Needless to say they where melted, and I am shocked
the car even runs. I would have like to run a rail type loom for the wires but the exhaust stick up above the valve cover lip.
Now the wires where run back behind the engine and around the sides, and this is where the got melted hanging over the exhaust pipe. Any one know a good solution to this problem for this engine. Lt 1 350.

Here's a picture of the exhaust manifolds.


~ Vegas ~

Buy a good set of wire looms and run them through that. I have had problems with the stock looms in that when they're that old they tend to break or only be about half there. I actually have a really cheap set I picked up at Checker/Shucks/Kragen that works kick ass. Before you buy a set though, try to get a look at a few different ones til you find some you like.

I'm not particularly impressed with the rail type looms anyway, they look great but I haven't had a set that worked as well as I figured it would. I'll try to get a pic of mine. I have headers so I don't have the problem you do, but I bet these would work in your application

does the car still have the shields on the wires? as I remember, the wires went down at the back and under the exhaust ports/manifolds.

The same year camaro z/28 didnt have shields and used plug looms that bolted under the lower valve cover bolts.....they held the wires out from the manifolds. As I remember, all my z/28s used angled plug boots but I may be wrong.

I'm not sure what to do, might have to make some thing special for them. Can't put any thing on the bottom valve cover bolts because the exhaust manifolds are in the way.


~ Vegas ~

Originally posted by vara4
I'm not sure what to do, might have to make some thing special for them. Can't put any thing on the bottom valve cover bolts because the exhaust manifolds are in the way.


~ Vegas ~

So you can't get the valve cover off without removing the exhaust manifolds? I'm sorry, I'm need a better picture, but let me try. The ones I have bolt to the bottom bolts, but stick up about 2". I have headers and it lets me get a good angle and holds the wires well. I buy the longer wires, because I have room above but not below and need the length. I'm going tto take a picture now.

I'm not sure if you can get the valve covers off without removing the exhaust, but in any case it would be tight. If I where to put a headers on, it would solve the problem.But the exhaust system is brand new and I realy don't what to hack it up and be replacing header gasgets all the time, If you know what I mean.


~ Vegas ~

I got thermal spark plug wire "boots" for my Cobra because my headers started cooking my insulated wires. A set of eight are cheap and you can get them from most speed shop catalogs. I'm gonna wrap my headers in thermal tape as well.

CoBro; How close where the wires to the exhaust or were they touching? But that is a good Idea thanks.
Urotu; Where's the pictures? It's been a couple days now, Eckerds has 1 hour film developing. HE! HE! HE!


~ Vegas ~

Originally posted by vara4
CoBro; How close where the wires to the exhaust or were they touching? But that is a good Idea thanks.
Urotu; Where's the pictures? It's been a couple days now, Eckerds has 1 hour film developing. HE! HE! HE!


~ Vegas ~

Sorry dude, went and got the camera, batteries are dead. Got batteries in it, the ones I have won't work with the manifolds you have, LOL. That's my fault, leap before you look you know. I have seen looms that bolt at the bottom and rise up a couple fdew inches though. They would bolt to the lower bolts on the valve cover though. I have been looking for what the factory looms should look like to no avail. They had to run them somehow. CoBro might have a good idea with the spark plug wire wrap. I know you can get it from most Belden racks at your local NAPA store. The stuff ain't cheap, but it works well.