Build your own spark plug wires?

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wanderinthru

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Sure some of ya'll do it. What kind and where did you get the crimping tool? What size is it, 10.5 mm is all I can find? Where does one find just bare wire, like on a roll, and an assortment of various ends and boots? I've looked on amazon, smileys and speedway with no luck. Well, no luck finding the above.

Thanks!
Shakey
 

DoubleDingo

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I got mine as a kit. I think I got it from my local mom and pop parts store.
 

bucket

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I've made a bunch of plug wires and modified plug wires too, for different lengths and boot styles. I had always used just a basic pair of crimper pliers that also have an IGN terminal slot. Several years ago, I bought a set of cut to length MSD plug wires that came with a little set of plastic crimper jaws that fit in a vice. Those crimper jaws work real nice. I think I've used them on 8.0, 8.5 and even 8.8 wires.

I still am using terminals that I bought years ago, probably from Jeg's. And probably a bunch leftover from plug wire kits. I haven't seen wire sold on a spool in probably 20+ years.
 

idahovette

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Years ago, I saw a guy that took 3/8? tubing, stuffed his plug wires thru that after he polished it and installed them on a sbc. All lines were run and bent perfectly along the valve covers, was pretty slick. Don't know if it was practical, or whether or not it lasted, but it looked good at the time.
 

squaredeal91

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Years ago, I saw a guy that took 3/8? tubing, stuffed his plug wires thru that after he polished it and installed them on a sbc. All lines were run and bent perfectly along the valve covers, was pretty slick. Don't know if it was practical, or whether or not it lasted, but it looked good at the time.
Long ago it was normal to put plug wires in a metal tube. My 1947 2N tractor is that way.
 

84GMCSierra

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Anyone ever use the build your own wire kits from Amazon? The sets from Autozone royally suck! Some of those are way too long or too short. I'm thinking of getting these and making them myself. I have stock manifolds right now but found a set of ram horns on a 70's C8000 that I will eventually get put on.
 

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SquareRoot

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Spoiler Alert. You get what you pay for. Now I'm aware we have different needs. I can tell you a story of how I spent months and every trick in the book to rid my sound system of RFI. When all hope was gone, I gave up and shelled out $125 for a set of MSD Super Conductors. Problem solved. I "assumed" the brand new Accel wires were ok. Wrong!
 
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PrairieDrifter

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I used prebuilt Taylor wire's. They work great, no radio frequency issues. The best plug wires I've used.

But like many other kits the lengths just left a little to be desired. My other problem is I have ramhorn manifolds, the back two cylinders on both sides are perfect, they run behind the heads and straight to the plugs. The front two on each side aren't long enough to go underneath the manifold like a ramhorn needs.

That being said I believe Taylor has a ramhorn kit. But either way I have ocd, so I'll be going with Taylor's buildable kits. They have rolls of bulk wire, probably going with the 8.8, they have all sorts of boots and connectors on summit. Will also be getting crimpers, you can do without but it's not perfect. Also that's a great time to get plug boot protectors slid on, if you have anything but straight boots most fabric style heat shields won't slip over.
 

Bextreme04

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Anyone ever use the build your own wire kits from Amazon? The sets from Autozone royally suck! Some of those are way too long or too short. I'm thinking of getting these and making them myself. I have stock manifolds right now but found a set of ram horns on a 70's C8000 that I will eventually get put on.
I used a kit just like that on my 67 Riviera when I changed the distributor over to HEI and the Taylor wires didn't fit any more. They worked fine and I bought them from my local O'reilly(they had them on the shelf). I also used their crimping tool... it wasn't great, but it got the job done. I have a set of Taylor wires on my CNP 454 and they are definitely better quality than the Accel cut to fit ones.
 

bucket

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I've run the Accel Super Stocks many times, no complaints here. They are a great affordable wire for a basic carbureted vehicle with no fancy modern electronics.
 

84GMCSierra

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Sure some of ya'll do it. What kind and where did you get the crimping tool? What size is it, 10.5 mm is all I can find? Where does one find just bare wire, like on a roll, and an assortment of various ends and boots? I've looked on amazon, smileys and speedway with no luck. Well, no luck finding the above.

Thanks!
Shakey
The crimping pliars on Amazon are for 8.5 mm wire
 

Scott91370

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I have only used the Holley or MSD brand and it was really easy.
 

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