Crimping Spark Plug Wires Question

[WillBilly53]

How exactly do I do this? I ordered a set of spark plug wires from Bob's but they were not crimped on the distributor ends (I assume theres a reason) Anyways, I am unclear of how to crimp them correctly. The connectors seem like they just squeeze on with you thumb and forefinger, then slip the boot down. Or do I need to strip the sheathing back to expose the wire?

[old-tank]

If the spark plug wires have an actual wire core, strip off some insulation, pass the wire through the hole in the terminal and solder. That is the only was to use those cheapy terminals. (I didn't think they even made that junk anymore)

NAPA AUTO PARTS

This terminal will work with wire and carbon string cables and most common wire striping and crimping tools will install this terminal....strip the insulation, fold the conductor and crimp.

Willie

[WillBilly53]

Excellent!. Much obliged, Willie!

[NTX5467]

I didn't realize that NAPA had those bare terminals in their catalog, but not surprised that they do.

Some hand pliers do not have a smooth curve in their toothed areas, but like they are configured with TWO curves, with a dip between them. This provides a double-curved toothed surface which can be very good for the final crimp on the plug wire terminals, similar to the special tool which some spark plug wire sellers (think Accel) have to do this job with (with the wire end and the terminal installation not completed, not crimped, on the wire, being held in a bench vise.

Using the described pliers, put get some "bare conductor" exposed and then folded back over the edge of the outer insulation. Slide the new (as seen in Willie's link) over the insulation and folder conductor, then gently compress the terminal over the outer insulation, check the final positioning, then proceed to further squeeze the terminal over the insulation. After you do one or two, you can see how this might work best, but the final "crimp" would be with the point on the toothed area between the two curves in the teeth. As you compress the terminal, you'll find the two sides can touch, so to further tighten things up, the two sides will need to be crimped into the insulation, which is what the point of the pliers is for OR you can use the end of the pliers to do the same thing, one side at a time. Best not to pierce the outer insulation, but it will be compressed when you're through.

It might take doing one or two to get the hang of it, but once you see how it can work, things can progress smooothly past that.

Enjoy!

NTX5467

[Gene Brink]

Wow! Have not seen wires like that in years. A real advantage will be that you can individually trim wire lengths to get a factory like fit (something you cannot do when wires are already made up since everything seems to be made to fit multiple applications).