New Ford Racing Wires Arcing Under Boots!
#1
07-02-2011, 11:57 AM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Fowlerville, Michigan
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New Ford Racing Wires Arcing Under Boots!
Hi everyone - haven't posted in a while! Haven't been on the computer in a while either 
Quick details before you read on: 460 with Accel Super Coil, Ford Racing Wires, MSD Street-Fire ignition, stock Duraspark distributor, new cap and rotor, and Autolite 25 plugs.
Just completed an E85 conversion (will soon have a separate thread for anyone interested
) and began noticing low-rpm stumble and misfire under load from 3,000rpm and up. I thought maybe the problem was with the carb or fuel pump since the misfire is fairly consistent. So, late night, solenoid takes a crap, jumping it with a screwdriver, motor fires, instant laser light show 
. Arcs jumping from plug wires to the air-cleaner lid, and plug boots lighting up... those were 8mm Accel Super-Stock wires (DIY kit... done right) still under warranty. Advance warranteed them for me and I got a set of Ford Racing 9mm wires. This fixed the arc-throwing but the plug boots are constantly flashing at night - at all 8 plugs.
I separated and loomed the wires, new cap and rotor (was due anyway), and even re-gapped my plugs from .045" to .035". Regapping the plugs seemed to make it run a little better but the boots still light up at night so I can rule out over-gapped plugs. The boots are all firmly "clicked" onto the plugs and I just don't see how it's arcing.
A buddy at work said my plugs might have too much resistance and that I should try some non-resistor plugs then see what happens. I also wonder if the Accel coil is simply too much coil for the system? My dad ran it back in the day on a 427 Side-Oiler in his drag boat with solid core wire and race plugs - perhaps the coil isn't compatible with all the EMI/RFI suppression components?
I don't know... my brain and ignition system have one thing in common - fried
As usual, thanks for any and all ideas, thoughts, conventional wisdom, etc! -Special Ed!
Quick details before you read on: 460 with Accel Super Coil, Ford Racing Wires, MSD Street-Fire ignition, stock Duraspark distributor, new cap and rotor, and Autolite 25 plugs.
Just completed an E85 conversion (will soon have a separate thread for anyone interested
) and began noticing low-rpm stumble and misfire under load from 3,000rpm and up. I thought maybe the problem was with the carb or fuel pump since the misfire is fairly consistent. So, late night, solenoid takes a crap, jumping it with a screwdriver, motor fires, instant laser light show . Arcs jumping from plug wires to the air-cleaner lid, and plug boots lighting up... those were 8mm Accel Super-Stock wires (DIY kit... done right) still under warranty. Advance warranteed them for me and I got a set of Ford Racing 9mm wires. This fixed the arc-throwing but the plug boots are constantly flashing at night - at all 8 plugs.I separated and loomed the wires, new cap and rotor (was due anyway), and even re-gapped my plugs from .045" to .035". Regapping the plugs seemed to make it run a little better but the boots still light up at night so I can rule out over-gapped plugs. The boots are all firmly "clicked" onto the plugs and I just don't see how it's arcing.
A buddy at work said my plugs might have too much resistance and that I should try some non-resistor plugs then see what happens. I also wonder if the Accel coil is simply too much coil for the system? My dad ran it back in the day on a 427 Side-Oiler in his drag boat with solid core wire and race plugs - perhaps the coil isn't compatible with all the EMI/RFI suppression components?
I don't know... my brain and ignition system have one thing in common - fried
As usual, thanks for any and all ideas, thoughts, conventional wisdom, etc! -Special Ed!
#2
07-04-2011, 10:09 AM
I was gonna suggest the plug gap but you have already tried that so yeah.. it's quite likely that coil is just too hot. FWIW the stock ford coil is more than capable of producing arcing on worn wires.. meaning it has more than sufficient output voltage for a stock or near stock motor, and using non resistor plugs will introduce all kinds of noise on your radio, so maybe go back to a stock coil or try another aftermarket coil that doesn't produce quite as much voltage as this one.
