hey everybody i dunno if this is a good idea or not but i was thing about changing my ignition wires and maybe the rotor/cap too. I'm pretty darn sure they;re originals and i got 140,000 miles on my truck. I've already done the plugs and the iginition coil, but the reason i haven't tackled the wires is because on my truck 5.2 the rotor is at the back of the motor and is seriously hard to get to and i don't want to mess up the timing etc. Is it a good idea to replace them or if it ain't broke don't fix it. Is there an easy way to access the rotor i know once i redid the wires on a gmc van and the dash came out to acess the filter and the back of the engine. any ideas are appriciated thanks.

 

Yes, it is definetly a good idea. Changing cap and rotor is one of the most basic tune-up steps. It is kinda tough to get back there, but if you take your time, you'll get 'er done. You can't mess up your timing. Worse you could do is put the wires back in the wrong order. Just note what wires came from what plug before you start so you put everything back the same. The firing order is imprinted on the intake, and you could probably look in the service manual on this site for the order of wire install on the cap. I doubt you need new wires, but if you must do them too, just make sure they are not touching anything hot, that's about it. Try to run them in the same path the previous ones were ran.

 

best piece of advice i have ever heard when doing the wires, do one at a time. that way you'll never mess up the firing order. it might take longer but personally it seems the smart thing to do to me.

 

my 97 5.2 was pretty simple. the best way is to remove air hat from tb. that way it is easier to get at cap/rotor. cap is marked number 1 so this is were you begin for the plug wires. look at the manual when doing the wires. i got into the habit of closing my eyes and counting the nipples on top of the cap for plug wire placement. seems wierd but some how i visually saw the cap and had no problems installing wires in correct order.

 

the other thing was i stood on the bumper the entire time of the tune up. only way to reach back to cap/rotor

 

It would definitely be a good idea to change them out. I think you will be surprised at the performance difference after ou change them. It is a pain in the butt however. Get a good cap and rotor set with brass contacts. (NAPA) Get a good set of wires, and plugs also. get Champion Truck plugs, or Autolites. Remove the air cleaner and put a rag over the tb. I laid a big piece of thick cardboard over the radiator/fan area to make it more comfy. There is not room to remove and replace 1 wire at a time and the cap - so you have to remove all the wires from the cap and replace the cap & rotor, and then replace the wires one at a time. I will attach a plug wire diagram to the post - it's what I used to keep them straight........Make sure to route the new wires exactly as the old ones were. Change the plugs one at a time as you do the wires. Took me about 3 hours to do it and do it right.

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Has anybody tried NGK plugs in there truck?

 

NGK's are some of the best. I run them in my built Vette and on my truck.

 

kool thanks for the tips, prolly going to tackle it this weekend, could somebody give me a price estimate on the cap and wire so i know how much they are and so i don't get ripped off. Also i want to build a "back rack" for my truck to carry stuff and protect my back window problem is that i have a tonneau cover and the rack sits on the bed rail any ideas, i will be making my own but heres the site and what they look like thanks. http://backrack.ca/