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| 95Vert | Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Senior Guru
 
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Basic, because the issue is right there in my face. The plug wire, Mallory wires if I recall, closest to the front of the car, passenger side, has popped off the plug twice now. This is why frustrating...
First time, car ran rough, you could tell something was wrong, but got me home where I checked and put the plug back on. Now compounding any issue is the fact I work on a DOE facility so security out the ying yang, big deal, squad cars, etc. all for a break down. Special tow trucks with access to the site, etc. Read $$$. (The Y12 issue out in Oak Ridge, TN, break in has all security factors on edge anyway...) So, this morning, driving on a 55 mph stretch (tightly controlled, 55mph on the nose!), car starts to buck and lose speed, power. Service engine light comes on, security light comes on, no power, pull over. Idle at 900 or so. The warning lights go off and I have power again to an extent. Get it back on the road to avoid tow trucks, security cars, etc. No warning lights, other issues outside of running slightly rough again. Get to the parking lot ok, no further warning lights, etc. I check that plug wire and sure enough its hanging off again. This after I pushed it on. Do I need to somehow tighten the metal inside the boot or something?? All the other plugswires are on without issue... |
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 13:23
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Ralf "Send lawyers, guns and money..." |
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| TommyT-Bone | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Chair-man of the bored
 
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Sounds like a good place to start. Lightly pressure the metal to form a tighter grip.
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 13:47
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| BillH | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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The Stig Moderator
 
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It could be a number of things.
First, put the wire back on the way you had it before. Look at the distance between the end of the plug boot and the silver part of the spark plug. How much white insulator is showing? And (important) is that measurement the same as the other boots/plugs? I ask because the boot may have never been full seated. I've had a few wires that took a lot of pressure to go on right the first time. If you have dielectric grease on the boot you should be able to slide the boot on until you can feel the connector in the boot touch the top of the plug. Then push harder and there should be a distinct click when the connector goes over the tip of the plug. If you can't feel that click either the boot's not seated far enough or the connector inside the boot is damaged. Again, check the amount of insulator showing. If no click is felt look inside the boot to see if the brass connector is distorted. It should be round. It's possible that the connector could have been damaged by pulling it off the plug at an angle. The brass connector was put on the wire at the factory with a crimp machine (I speced in that connector at Mallory and my company leased the machines to them). Though they could be using another vendor now. Generally, the boots have a good seal to the wire. But you may be able to slide the boot back enough to expose the connector. Some of the hand crimp tools guys have in their garages have a spark plug wire hole. Some of the wire sets have 2 die halves, one goes in a vice the other over the wire and you hit it with a hammer. If you can't slide the boot back, you're only choice is to try and tighten up the connector with a pair of plyers using the round part of the plyer jaws. But first check for the click. |
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 14:06
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| TommyT-Bone | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Chair-man of the bored
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Plus ..... what he said. I thought you meant it was loose but what Bill says makes sense. |
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 14:15
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| BillH | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Quote:
There's a first time for everything..  |
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 14:16
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| 95Vert | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Senior Guru
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Thank you!!
No click heard though I thought that was weird when I put it back on yesterday. I'll take a look following that procedure as referenced. |
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 14:29
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| j3studio | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Quote:
Damn, Bill!  |
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 14:31
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| 95Vert | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Senior Guru
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Went out to the car, put the plug back on, drove to a service station for fuel and checked the plug. It had worked itself loose again. That holder is not engaging the plug top. I can press it back on, but it is working itself out.
Tough to get to as well in terms of heat, already burned myself on the manifold. Now I've got another meeting I have to drive to. So, back under the hood, maybe with a wet paper towel and push it back on. This just started so its weird. ...sitting here with ice on my fingers...  |
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 16:32
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| Matatk | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Also make sure the boot itself isn't too long. I've seen on plug wires where the metal connector can move a bit inside the boot and when you try to put it on the boot is too long and pushes it off the plug.
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 18:13
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| BillH | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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The Stig Moderator
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Quote:
That happens. Usually because someone pulled on the wire and not the boot. Again, the click thing, if it doesn't click on, it's not installed right. Some of us have spark plug wire removal tools. |
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 18:23
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| BrianCunningham | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Check and make sure the plug is seated as well
Had a slight leak on one, later it spat the plug out! |
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 19:57
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| TommyT-Bone | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Chair-man of the bored
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Quote:
I have one. Now where the heck did I put it ....... |
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 20:25
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| BillH | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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The Stig Moderator
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Quote:
I have 2, one puller and one set of boot pliers. Attach file:  Spark+Plug+Wire+Puller.jpg (0.00 KB) |
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 21:21
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| Matatk | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Quote:
I agree. And the removal pliers work well, I too have a set. |
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Posted on: 2012/8/15 23:30
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| BillH | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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The Stig Moderator
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Quote:
No burned fingers. |
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Posted on: 2012/8/16 0:01
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| 95Vert | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Senior Guru
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Not having fun here. Oh, and I do have those removal tools, just not at work
I planned to take the wire to task yesterday...of course it started raining, but that didn't deter me. The darned boot would barely come off the plug! (Cold motor) So I squeezed the boot a bit. Its not very long, just a right angle, but the pliers just did not really do a good job as the boot angle gets in the way of the metal piece inside. Anyway, managed it and could not really pull the boot off after putting it back on, yet it rotates and feels loose! Just have real trouble getting it off the plug! So, this morning, almost at work, car starts acting wonky again...park and open the hood, sure enough, the boot is hanging off the side. Definitely Mallory plug wires. They seem to be fused to the end of the wire though so I can't really push the boot down to get at the metal inside. Now what...new plug wire and take the motor apart at the front to get it on the distributor? Is this a tool to close the metal terminal end inside the boot? http://www.samstagsales.com/images/mt0568-20-01x.jpg |
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Posted on: 2012/8/20 15:15
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| BillH | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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The Stig Moderator
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Quote:
No the tool is just another (and too expensive) tool to pull the wire off the sparkplug. And a spark plug wire crimp tool won't help anyway. They're designed to crimp the wire to the back of the connector NOT to shape the front of the connector that goes on the plug end. Possibility - the metal tip of the sparkplug (the part that goes inside the wire boot and into the connector) has unscrewed and is lodged it the plug wire. Is the tip on the sparkplug or do you see a small threaded shaft on the end of the sparkplug? |
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Posted on: 2012/8/20 19:32
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Every man dies but not every man lives. |
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| 95Vert | Re: Basic but frustrating/weird issue | ||
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Senior Guru
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Thanks Bill, good point on the spark plug. After work today, I put the plug wire back on. It got me off site, but I had to pull over after about 10 miles and had to put it back on. HOT!!!
Drove home...another 10 miles or so and the boot is off again. I will look at the plug when the motor is cold. I expect that the plug wire would then grip and not let go if I put it back on. Seems to have something to do with the car warming up. IN the morning it takes longer to pop off. I'm going to get another plug and play with the boot as well. Maybe i can get it to click. Weird! |
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Posted on: 2012/8/20 22:29
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Ralf "Send lawyers, guns and money..." |
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