Art & Inspiration Running plug leads

Who has what they consider to be a real tidy way of running plug leads.
On an open engine bay tidy leads from the distributor to the plugs look sweet but aren’t that easy to achieve.
Any pics out there?
Thanks in advance.

 

I like neat n clean. Most engines,plug wiring by the factory when new is pretty good design to stay with. The black thing at the back of heads on my Ford Thunderbird "Y" are from Ford as made. My Son's Vet SBC has very close to same set up for plug wires.

 

Agreed. That "y" block has one of the neatest way to run plug wires.

 

Factory routing usually works out pretty well, but it depends on the engine. On a small block chevy, if you can use the early style that was used with rams horns manifolds, then the wires mostly disappear (they go down at the back, and along the block, then up to the plugs). This also works on Y block Fords. Early Hemis have the covers for the wires, as do some other 50s V8s. Flatheads, they're out there in the open...using wires and terminals that look good is a plus.

so as usual, the answer is, "it depends". Tell us what you're working on, post a "before" picture.

 

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Search?query=spark+plug+wire+looms Here's 3 pages of all the different types available today, I'm not sure what was being used before 64. My first car at 16 1964, pretty sure I used the factory stamped steel type, later times past 1964 I purchased chrome steel, had a set of billet aluminum separators on a Roadster, no hood which billet violates HAMB if you are into the Traditional hardcore. Many choices/styles to choose from. Good Luck, Have Fun !

 

Don't be too neat with them. Spacing spark plug wires too close or parallel to each other for too long a distance can also result in crossfiring due to the inductive field which builds up in one wire as the current flows in the other. If your car has a miss that you have been unsuccessful in fixing, maybe it's that neat bundle of parallel spark plug wires. Large spark plug gaps and "hot" ignition systems can exacerbate the issue.

It's not so common with todays double insulated wires, but something to consider if you are having a persistent miss.

 

When I wanted to tidy up the wires on my SBC Deuce, I went to Tri-five sellers to get the repop wire looms. With my black wires I used black wire ties for separators in places others will never see.


I also think the straight boots on distributor are more traditional. The right angle boots became common as manufacturers lowered the hood line on mid to late 60's designs.

 

I would post pics of mine but the internet hero's would tell me how bad they were routed. They have been fine for 12,000 miles over the last 2 years. They look similar to post 2 . The Chevy engine.

 

While you can use the "zip-tie" method (four ties for four wires, one around all, with three to seperate) of "separating" the wires... Cheap and easy. Should be all over the internet.
DO NOT tie them all together with one zip-tie.
DO NOT use any direct contact metal separators without having rubber to separate the wire from the metal.

Mike

 

The zip tie method is right at home on Roadkill....but here, not so much.

 

My way of running wires .

 

Early Madsen Crossfire cap (if you can find one). I used one for years, really cleaned up the rats nest at the back of a SBC.

 

I have to say; bright color wires run willy-nilly all over; do more to detract from an otherwise neat engine install than anything else.

I like to keep them out of sight; been using Accel black wires to help make them less obvious. If I can, I run four in each direction and "loop" a couple around to the correct side, hidden down on the back. Then run under the exhaust in sbc fashion.

If using over the frame or lakes headers, those loom things made to bolt to the valve cover bolts work pretty good underneath.

If using rams horns, I use the plastic parts from the same looms and make brackets similar to stock Chevy ones; fit the wires better and cheaper than the repop stock loom pieces.

 

On a SBC or BBC I prefer routing plug wires under the headers. Just having them below makes the engines look cleaner, but also makes the wires last longer below the header heat.

 

Squirrel -

Sorry I'm not up to your standards..!
Done right, it's cleaner than a lot of the store bought crap. Been doing this for MANY years (long before Roadkill). Don't plan on stopping now.

Mike

 

I like the Desoto method, with a twist of my own.

 

I like the original SBC covers that were metal and attached to the block hiding the wires completely accept for the ends.

 

What engine do you have? There are different options depending on what it is.

 

I was always taught not to allow the plug wires to contact metal if possible, and not to run them parallel and touching each other. The Chrysler Hemi covers fly in the face of that advice and they made them like that for many years and several models.


Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

This method along with simple comb style wire separators. Easier than "zip tie" method.

 

Add Corvettes with ignition shielding, Flatheads, and I'm sure many more to that list. The key is to keep your kitchen cupboards stocked with quality plug wires and change them out often.

 

I thought this looked ok on my old T.

 

I’m not a fan of the long billet brackets seen on so many cars nor the bulky Moroso/Mr Gasket separators that only fit 8-9mm wires. To me, they just don’t look right on old style builds. The same with big fat technicolor plug wires.
On old style cars I use good old black 7mm wires and Corvette wire separators. They are cheap, simple and blend in nicely. I make mounting tabs from stainless sheet and use small black Zip ties where needed to hold things together. Assembled right you can’t tell what they are.
Like Squirrel said, the wires probably look best routed down the back and under like Chevrolet did but that’s not always possible. The block huggers on my Model A wouldn’t let me route them under without roasting the two center wires.
.

 

I plan to run my cloth covered wires like this when I eventually get my Olds going!

 

Sometimes stock replacement wires and factory retainers look and work just fine. Like on a 427.

Yeah, you can run nines with a $10 set of stock plug wires.

 

For my first car (at 15 ) I bought some of those neato chrome plug wire looms for my flathead powered ‘40 Ford. From the Newhouse catalog IIRC, maybe JC Whitney. My Dad helped me work the wires into them and taught me about the firing order and marking the wires. But he told me I might have trouble with moisture (sweating) inside of the tubes that would cause misfiring. With the looms, acorn nuts and my fancy chrome air cleaner, I was pretty stylish but it didn’t take two weeks for the damp LA beach air to wet the wires and cause backfiring and hard starting. We pulled off the looms and the wires were soaked inside. We dried it out and all was fine again. Too bad, I loved the look of those wire looms.


Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

So did the SBC’s with the arching covers attached to the block I was talking about.

 

How I run the wires on my FE, stock configuration

 

Yes.
I've used these in the past. Now kinda hard to find sometimes, but may use them. They are clean and simple. Easier to use and change things than most any other method.
Also, the "zip tie" method puts the wires farther apart when done right.

Mike