I popped my hood a few min. ago to see why i was running a little hot. To my surprise I found my spark plug wires bound together by zip ties. This alone pisses me off. I have MSD SF 8mm wires installed for me while i was having inspection done. Idk why they wouldnt put the damn wires in the wire looms. Anyway, as my truck was running i noticed blue electricity running in flashes on my wires. I reved the engine and saw more blue electricity sometimes at the head of the spark plug and others along the wire.

Is this happening because theyre bound together by zip ties. Is this damaging my wires or plugs. THis is the first time ive ever seen something like this. Help, how can i fix this blue pulse? I couldnt see if my wire looms were even there ( dark). Either way im cutting the freaking zip ties off. I thought the 8mm wires were supposed to prevent this, i would imagine not though if theyre bound together by freakin ties. Last time i let anyone touch my truck, this is what i get for trying to kill two birds with one stone.

Help!

 

The wires may be arcing across each other and causing that "blue streak".

 

You're arching because it's easier for the electricity to jump rather than run the wire.

Separating them will definitely help, but I would check to make sure you have the wires fully seated on the plugs and distributor.

 

Yeah thats what i ment to say. Arcing, sorry i was really pissed i couldnt think. Ya, im def going to seperate the wires. Sadly however, im not sure if i have wire looms as of right now ( idk why i wouldnt but i cant think of any other reason why they would be zip tied) if i dont have looms is it ok for the wires to just lay there as long as theyre not touching the headers. Im pretty sure theyd be ok on the valve covers, right? I would do it proper tom. but I have to leave early in the morning for Air Force training so if i dont have looms i just gotta let it hang. This should be fine correct?

 

Short term should be ok but get 'em back in looms before too long. 8mm cables will REDUCE this occurrence but they still need to routed correctly. Laying them on the covers will cause arcing to the covers with reduced voltage to the plugs.

 

Properly sealed plug wires will not arc, regardless of how they are routed. There has to be somewhere that the current can get out. They can cross-fire, but that is not a visible arc. Check your wires thoroughly for any cuts, scrapes, etc. The reason the wires aren't in their looms may be, if yours is like mine, b/c 8mm wires won't fit in the stock wire looms. Mine came with little separator looms to put in, though. My #8 and #5 wires lay across the valve covers (IAW the TSB) and they do not arc. However, they do have the heat protection tubing around them in those spots.

 

Hmm, thanks ill keep an eye out for that

 

yeah, you def need to get some separators and do the plug wire reroute.....when i put those headers on that i got from you, i htrew a couple of random codes and the truck ran like crap........come to find out, it was all because i had pushed my wires together up on the valve cover.......i only have 7mm tho

 

I have 8mm on mine that arent in the looms (because they just fell apart when I took the old ones off) and I havent had any issues so far. Are you sure that the wires arent damaged? Maybe they are melted some where allowing the spark? IDK thats kinda odd...

 

Not sure if theyre damaged or not. Had a shope put them on and havent seen them since. Ill have to check tonight when i get back. I hope driving will be ok. I guess it will be if ive made it this far