My 1st attempt at plug wire holders

[SCRWDRVR]

So what do you all think of my first attempt at spark plug wire holders

[StevenGuthmiller]

Aluminum?

I decided to make some from sheet styrene this time.

Although I have used aluminum in the past.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[SCRWDRVR]

Yes, cut up a aluminum can

[Classicgas]

Looks good, but I think the plug wires are too big.

[89AKurt]

Since you asked.... Working on such tiny parts is a challenge.  You got all the holes lined up together.  I see a blue tint, is that intentional?  You go off picture(s), some have a leg that bolts to the engine.  My favorite material is newspaper printing plate.  The gauge of the wires does look a little big, but know some brands are.  Should be plug boots, as Steve's engine shows.  I won't ask about firing order.  ?

I have a V12 with tube loom to do, so I should talk.  Started a Chevy small block, that has different type of holders, don't even know what engine you're doing.

[SCRWDRVR]

1 hour ago, Classicgas said:

Looks good, but I think the plug wires are too big.

I think you may be right the caliber at .026 which is a touch to big I think but the smallest I had. I need some smaller bits also but neither are in the budget right now.

45 minutes ago, 89AKurt said:

Since you asked.... Working on such tiny parts is a challenge.  You got all the holes lined up together.  I see a blue tint, is that intentional?  You go off picture(s), some have a leg that bolts to the engine.  My favorite material is newspaper printing plate.  The gauge of the wires does look a little big, but know some brands are.  Should be plug boots, as Steve's engine shows.  I won't ask about firing order.  ?

I have a V12 with tube loom to do, so I should talk.  Started a Chevy small block, that has different type of holders, don't even know what engine you're doing.

The blue was intentional, I like the idea of the leg and I think that will come for me but this was my first step. I haven't learned how to do the boots yet and I'm a big fan of making the stuff rather than buying it but that is on my list to work on. Yeah don't ask about firing order its not even close I just mixed them up so they didn't all come from the same side. Oh and the engine is the 426 max wedge from the Color Me Gone 64 Dodge

[OldNYJim]

Looks good to me!  Like was said above, some plug boots would really add to the look - just find a larger diameter wire and strip a little length off for each one ??

[NOBLNG]

Looks good to me too!  I have piece of Patch cable (cat5?) that has small wires inside that I use the insulation from for plug boots. One of them is orange in color which I like the look of. I use 30ga. wire wrapping wire for plug wires which is 0.020" diameter. I have also heated and stretched 1/32" shrink tube to use for plug boots.

[89AKurt]

50 minutes ago, SCRWDRVR said:

I think you may be right the caliber at .026 which is a touch to big I think but the smallest I had. I need some smaller bits also but neither are in the budget right now.

The blue was intentional, I like the idea of the leg and I think that will come for me but this was my first step. I haven't learned how to do the boots yet and I'm a big fan of making the stuff rather than buying it but that is on my list to work on. Yeah don't ask about firing order its not even close I just mixed them up so they didn't all come from the same side. Oh and the engine is the 426 max wedge from the Color Me Gone 64 Dodge

Thanks for explaining, I don't know everything. ?  Otherwise looks really good!  I have stripped wire for the insulation, works as nuts when using wire to make operating things.

[SCRWDRVR]

32 minutes ago, CabDriver said:

Looks good to me!  Like was said above, some plug boots would really add to the look - just find a larger diameter wire and strip a little length off for each one ??

Oh ok sounds easy enough, those aren't glued in yet so I will have to try that. Thanks.

23 minutes ago, NOBLNG said:

Looks good to me too!  I have piece of Patch cable (cat5?) that has small wires inside that I use the insulation from for plug boots. One of them is orange in color which I like the look of. I use 30ga. wire wrapping wire for plug wires which is 0.020" diameter. I have also heated and stretched 1/32" shrink tube to use for plug boots.

I'm not off by much in size then, I think I have an old cat5 cable I'll have to see if it fits mine, thanks

3 minutes ago, 89AKurt said:

Thanks for explaining, I don't know everything. ?  Otherwise looks really good!  I have stripped wire for the insulation, works as nuts when using wire to make operating things.

Thanks, do you mean you use it to make the wires fit tighter?

[89AKurt]

9 minutes ago, SCRWDRVR said:

[...]  Thanks, do you mean you use it to make the wires fit tighter?

I learned this trick from Joel Direnburger (not sure on spelling of his name) at a contest.  For example, on my Sintegra, the hydraulic ram has wire insulation at each end, which are over wire.  Quarter windows open, have lever latches, same trick (this barely worked, almost not worth the effort).   The sunroof latch part, each wire hinge has wire insulation at each end, dab of superglue to keep on.  I salvage wire from dead electronic devices, picking the right size is the trick.

Edited January 18, 2020 by 89AKurt

[StevenGuthmiller]

40 minutes ago, CabDriver said:

Like was said above, some plug boots would really add to the look - just find a larger diameter wire and strip a little length off for each one ??

That's one of the really nice things about M.A.D. pre-wired distributors, like the one pictured on my Olds engine above.

Each distributor includes a resin base and a length of larger diameter wire for making the plug boots.

You just strip the jacket from the wire and cut the jacket into short lengths to be inserted as boots into the heads.

The boot jacket is exactly the right size for the plug wire to fit snugly into it.

 

This not only gives you a nice boot detail, it also makes assembly extremely easy!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Bucky]

I use MAD distributors all the time. At one point, I had about three dozen of them in the parts stash.

[SCRWDRVR]

42 minutes ago, 89AKurt said:

I learned this trick from Joel Direnburger (not sure on spelling of his name) at a contest.  For example, on my Sintegra, the hydraulic ram has wire insulation at each end, which are over wire.  Quarter windows open, have lever latches, same trick (this barely worked, almost not worth the effort).   The sunroof latch part, each wire hinge has wire insulation at each end, dab of superglue to keep on.  I salvage wire from dead electronic devices, picking the right size is the trick.

 

Ok I got you know thanks for the tip...

42 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

That's one of the really nice things about M.A.D. pre-wired distributors, like the one pictured on my Olds engine above.

Each distributor includes a resin base and a length of larger diameter wire for making the plug boots.

You just strip the jacket from the wire and cut the jacket into short lengths to be inserted as boots into the heads.

The boot jacket is exactly the right size for the plug wire to fit snugly into it.

 

This not only gives you a nice boot detail, it also makes assembly extremely easy!!

Steve

That does make it easier for sure, I'm hoping to find a reasonable way to do these without the added expense. Not that they are that expensive but it all adds up and I have to watch my dollars and sense lol...

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Bucky said:

I use MAD distributors all the time. At one point, I had about three dozen of them in the parts stash.

 

51 minutes ago, SCRWDRVR said:

Ok I got you know thanks for the tip...

That does make it easier for sure, I'm hoping to find a reasonable way to do these without the added expense. Not that they are that expensive but it all adds up and I have to watch my dollars and sense lol...

I got my first dozen distributors from Kris, (Morgan Automotive Detail) through a trade for an old promo a couple of years ago.

Still have several left.

 

I guess the price point all depends on how many projects you finish.

I finish 2 or 3 builds a year.

It's well worth the $15.00 a year to me not to have mess with making and wiring my own distributors.

 

 

Steve

[SCRWDRVR]

15 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

 

I got my first dozen distributors from Kris, (Morgan Automotive Detail) through a trade for an old promo a couple of years ago.

Still have several left.

 

I guess the price point all depends on how many projects you finish.

I finish 2 or 3 builds a year.

It's well worth the $15.00 a year to me not to have mess with making and wiring my own distributors.

 

 

Steve

I can understand that, I built I believe 10 kits last year mostly box stock so I do expect that number to drop some as I get more detailed, although it does seem like I'm spending more and more time at the bench...

[89AKurt]

7 hours ago, SCRWDRVR said:

Ok I got you know thanks for the tip...

[...]

Welcome.  Sorry to take the tangent, carry on.  Just throw this ?at me when I get out of hand.

[BigTallDad]

10 hours ago, CabDriver said:

Looks good to me!  Like was said above, some plug boots would really add to the look - just find a larger diameter wire and strip a little length off for each one ??

Although Photobucket ruined the images, here's a way to do spark plug boots

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/101815-snug-spark-plug-boots/?tab=comments#comment-1422494

[89AKurt]

3 hours ago, BigTallDad said:

Although Photobucket ruined the images, here's a way to do spark plug boots

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/101815-snug-spark-plug-boots/?tab=comments#comment-1422494

Thanks for posting that.  I had the technique part way, but forgot about something called patience being a requirement. 

[ChrisBcritter]

What gauge wire is in the M.A.D. distributors? I have some 30 gauge wrapping wire I got from eBay; it seems slightly thicker than the M.A.D. stuff.

[gbdolfans]

Hi, you might make the plug wires a little longer to add some droop in the wires.

Look at images on google and you will see that most wires are not that tight from distributor to plug.

Just my 2 cents.

[Brutalform]

Nothing wrong with those wire looms that I can see. Did a nice job. 
 

[SCRWDRVR]

14 hours ago, 89AKurt said:

Welcome.  Sorry to take the tangent, carry on.  Just throw this ?at me when I get out of hand.

lol no your good  info is what I wanted 

 

thanks all for the tips, cudos and critiques 

[StevenGuthmiller]

5 hours ago, ChrisBcritter said:

What gauge wire is in the M.A.D. distributors? I have some 30 gauge wrapping wire I got from eBay; it seems slightly thicker than the M.A.D. stuff.

I don't know.

You might want to ask Kris Morgan.

He's a member here.

 

 

Steve

[1972coronet]

Ignition wire separators look great --- wires' gauge is a little thick , but they are on a Super Stock (et al.) engine , so... 

My only concern is the routing of the wires to the heads : that routing is not going to work with either stock manifolds or headers . Chrysler's B/RB engines' plug wires' approach is from underneath the exhaust .

Keep on keepin' on !