I bought a set of "universal" cut-to-length 8.5mm spark plug wires. They came with the spark plug end already installed, but I have to install the distributor end myself.

I can't get the wires to push through the rubber boots. I worked for 45 minutes today and finally got one wire through one boot. I tried spreading the electrical grease that came with them, but it didn't help. Then I smeared some oil on a wire and that's the one that took 45 minutes to get shoved through that boot. Gotta be a better way!

Anybody have any ideas?

I use WD40 in the boot and on the wire and they go on at least. I've had no luck with the grease they send with the wires either.

smear non-abrasive hand cleaner (like gojo) on the wire and inside the boot, then reach up inside the boot as far as you can (go in thru the end that attaches to the distributor) with a pair of needle-nosed pliers and pull the wire thru. and the hand cleaner won't hurt the silicone on the wire or the boot!! (also use hand cleaner to clean off the plug wires later when they get dirty)

:nanawrench:

Why do you think "THEY" don't put them on at the factory ! I don't know what you paid for them ,but I bought MSD ready to go for about 80 bucks and they were surely worth it. I'd carry those suckers back !!

smear non-abrasive hand cleaner (like gojo) on the wire and inside the boot, then reach up inside the boot as far as you can (go in thru the end that attaches to the distributor) with a pair of needle-nosed pliers and pull the wire thru. and the hand cleaner won't hurt the silicone on the wire or the boot!! (also use hand cleaner to clean off the plug wires later when they get dirty)

:nanawrench:

Getting a pair of needle-nose through a bent boot is pretty difficult.

Why do you think "THEY" don't put them on at the factory ! I don't know what you paid for them ,but I bought MSD ready to go for about 80 bucks and they were surely worth it. I'd carry those suckers back !!

Thanks for the advice.
Anyhow. I want custom length wires. That's why I bought them. I could have bought a set that looks like crap when installed, but I didn't want to.

The universal set I used, I put the end boot on first , then put the distributor end piece on, then slide the boot over it !

The MSD wires i bought fit great and are definitely no a piece of crap. Good luck

The Accel 8.8m universal set I bought from Skip White Performance for $30 only took a couple of minutes to cut to length & put the ends on !!

What type of terminal on the distributor is it? If it is the HEI type that has an external tower terminal instead of the old points type of push in terminal, you must install the metal terminal on the cable first before pushing the cable through the boot. On the old 'points' style cap with the push in type socket terminals, the boot goes on before the terminal. On either type, use liberal amounts of WD-40 and when you think you put enough, spray some more and then some. You can not over spray so keep it flowing and it will co-operate, guaranteed.

Bend the brass piece that goes on the dist. to a 45* angle, instead of the 90* it comes as. Insert that (wiggle it) in the boot as far as you can. A pair of long needle nosed pliers will be able to reach in thru the end of the boot that goes on the dist, grab that brass piece, and pull it on thru til it's seated. The needle nose will also bend it back to the 90* bend. wiggle it a little and it will fully seat.

This is all easier to do than to explain. After the first one, you'll see how easy it is.

WD-40, being a petroleum product, will tend to dry out the silicone on the wires/boots, speeding its breakdown, leading to arcing sooner.

:poke:

When I did mine i used dish washing soap worked great slid right on

When I did mine i used dish washing soap worked great slid right on


but if your hood-to-cowl seal leaks, next time it rains, your distributor will look like it has rabies or something!

:Eyecrazy:

WD-40 is also silicone formulated and is compatible with silicone insulated wires. The cut to fit wire sets I've used all recommend using it to ease the installation of the boots. I've had success with all the sets I've installed, even with high energy capacitive discharge ignition systems. The dielectric grease supplied with the sets is not for installing the boots on the wires! That is applied to the porcelain on the spark plugs to aid in boot installation and removal.

WD-40 is also silicone formulated and is compatible with silicone insulated wires. The cut to fit wire sets I've used all recommend using it to ease the installation of the boots. I've had success with all the sets I've installed, even with high energy capacitive discharge ignition systems. The dielectric grease supplied with the sets is not for installing the boots on the wires! That is applied to the porcelain on the spark plugs to aid in boot installation and removal.
...ditto..(don't use motor oil either,its conductive..)

According to the MSDS for WD40, it does not contain any silicone. Just aliphatic hydrocarbons and light oil.

However, Liquid Wrench DOES contain silicone.

Jack

Did you get the boots on?

Did you get the boots on?

Naw. Taking a break while I wait for a miracle.

Naw. Taking a break while I wait for a miracle.
..POOF...a miracle,...did you try hot water..??..makes it more pliable..:dontknow::dontknow::beer:

..POOF...a miracle,...did you try hot water..??..makes it more pliable..:dontknow::dontknow::beer:

Waiting for divine inspiration(and warmer, drier weather).
I think I'll try WD40 or KY Jelly.

On second thought, better not use the jelly, it might screw it up.

I think I'll try WD40 or KY Jelly.

On second thought, better not use the jelly, it might screw it up.
...you know there two varieties of KY, Cool minty fresh,and hot and spicy,I'd try Hot and spicy,that way it gets a Hotter spark...lol..I hope you find a good solution to get those boots on.It looks to me everybody gave all the possible solutions,but there is one still floating out there somewhere...:secret::secret:
:beer:

Try the liquid soap it really works. You got nothing to lose

Don't make me come out there and do it for you! If you have HEI terminals on your cap, the clip goes on first. If you have the old style boots, the boot goes on first. Soak it with WD-40 and push, it will go on.

Don't make me come out there and do it for you! If you have HEI terminals on your cap, the clip goes on first. If you have the old style boots, the boot goes on first. Soak it with WD-40 and push, it will go on.

Come on out. I can always use some help.
The instructions that came with the wires says to push the wire through the boot and then crimp on the terminal. Then connect the terminal to the post on the distributor and pull the boot over the terminal. That's the way I did the one I finally got on.

I tried putting the terminal on first but it would not go through the boot. Yes, HEI.

Come on out. I can always use some help.
The instructions that came with the wires says to push the wire through the boot and then crimp on the terminal. Then connect the terminal to the post on the distributor and pull the boot over the terminal. That's the way I did the one I finally got on.

I tried putting the terminal on first but it would not go through the boot. Yes, HEI.
That order of events is :neutral2: to me. I've used the MSD trim-to-fit sets and the 50ft. or whatever spools of MSD wire and boots. For both '86-down HEI and '87-up divorced coil HEI. Last set I did was for my 87.

Each time, I crimped on the 90deg. terminal and pushed it into place in the 90deg. boot. Never pulled the wire fully through the boot first.

If you have a non-sharp (plastic?) two-tine tool to push against the edge of the crimped-on terminal, that should allow you to push it into the boot a little easier.

hth

Thanks. I'll try that as soon as the MSD tool I ordered gets here.

The hole in the back end of the boot is way too small to even start pushing the terminal in. It takes a bear and 2 strong men to just try to push a wire in. Then the wire hits the bend in the boot and won't go any farther. That's the hardest part to get through.

IIRC, when I did mine I used silicon spray for the lubricant. I pushed a small flat blade screwdriver through from the large open end around the bend to the small end. This sort of "Flattened" out the boot. I then pushed the wire through and removed the screwdriver. Installed the clip, pushed the clip back into the boot while gently pulling on the wire.
Getting ready to do it again- been 7 yrs and getting a miss that I suspect is a wire issue.

IIRC, when I did mine I used silicon spray for the lubricant. I pushed a small flat blade screwdriver through from the large open end around the bend to the small end. This sort of "Flattened" out the boot. I then pushed the wire through and removed the screwdriver. Installed the clip, pushed the clip back into the boot while gently pulling on the wire.
Getting ready to do it again- been 7 yrs and getting a miss that I suspect is a wire issue.

OK! That sounds like it should work.
Thanks.