Misfire Solved

[Argess]

I'm not having much luck with spark plug wires. Eventually I start to get misfires under reasonably hard acceleration starting around 4000 rpm or so. *I’m currently using Taylor spiral core wires and started to get misfires after 5 years. This is the third set of wires to cause misfires, and it seems to be related to time and lack of use (engine not frequently run up to temperature).

My garage holds the humidity. It's never under 80% in the summer, and frequently well over 90%. Once Fall starts it gradually drops off. To add to this, I’m near the salt water so I can expect a salt air environment.

This is partly why I started thinking of dielectric grease... to keep moisture in the air from migrating up inside the wire boots. Now I've never used dielectric grease on spark plug boots (and coil and dist cap boots) even though some wire sets come with it.

So last Fall, I removed all the sparkplugs and cleaned the porcelain (the outside part) with alcohol and paper towels. I then cleaned inside each sparkplug wire boot with alcohol soaked Q-tips. Using Q-tips I applied a coating of dielectric grease to the inside of each boot and over the plugs porcelain part. I havn't been out in the car much so far this year, but so far, ,so good. No misfires at all.

I do believe that with my car sitting so much, and especially sitting in an unheated garage that holds humidity, the exposed porcelain part of the plugs gets mild condensation and the moisture wicks up under the boots and causes misfires. The misfires come on when the engine needs the best spark most.... under hard acceleration.

I plan to treat the distributor ends of the wires and dist. cap sockets the same way (and the coil connection too) but so far just doing the plugs and plug ends has fixed the misfires.

I doubt any of you who live in dry places or use their car more frequently (which helps dry things out) may have the same misfire problem, but if you do, try the dielectric grease. It’s a lot cheaper than a new set of wires.

[Rosco]

Interesting and thanks for posting.. i have a problem with humidity as well but not with the wires (I run Taylor as well) but with the MSD Distributor. i've been through three (3) of them due to rust and weights not advancing.. Drives me crazy since I either have zero advance or full advance at start up..

Wondering if the dielectric grease will work on the weights and shaft?

thanks,

Gino

[Blas]

Be sure you are using the newer style vented cap on the distributor. A light coating of WD40 on weights and inside after cleaning up minimizes the problem. Perhaps a circulation fan in the garage to move air around. But if outside humidity is always high that might not be of help. I read somewhere once that putting an incandescent bulb under the car below distributor would help with humidity problem, never tried it, but seems to me that that would only make warm humid air. Does having hood open when not in use help I wonder. Trapped moisture? Piping loose the cap for long periods of storage might also help.
Blas

[DanEC]

You might consider spraying the distributor internals with this and let it dry before using. It seems to hold off rust development for a good while. It would be worth investigating anyway.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001447PEK...roduct_details

[carmine]

Spoil yourself this father day!!
Replace that old school weighted distributor with some new school tech.
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All made on the fly as you drive using your phone.
Even the fuel smell of unburned fuel coming out your exhaust that ends up in your clothes is gone.
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Win Win Win!!!