I just installed a new HEI distributor in my 350. The cap and rotor are new as well but the coil was used but I was told it worked fine. My plugs are all new but the wires are used. I ran a wire from the IGN plug on the fuse block to the distributor, I also put a 15 amp fuse on it. After getting it all in I ran it in the dark to watch for jumping electricity under the hood. I didn't see any but I didn't accelerate it at all either.

Everything works good and strong but I have an occasional miss in it that I didn't have with the other setup so at least I can isolate the problem somewhat. The wires looked OK, I just had to clean them up a bit. As I even talk out loud about it new wires seem to be in the mix before the races.

Who uses what and what are your favorites and why? What to stay away from?

Nobody has any experience or an opinion on whose plug wires to buy?

Darren,

Have you measured the resistance of the wires? Also try misting the wires with a spray bottle like I had talked about yesterday. I did not believe it until I found my one bad wire on a 90' Jimmy.

-John

I'm using Summit spiral core on the Malibu and Crane spiral core on the GP. Spiral core, any brand so do nicely.

I am fairly sure the wires are the problem and being they are a dirty grey color they need to go. I have checked a few parts stores and I see a lot of Accell wires. Is this because they are good and popular or just cheaper?

OK, so I buy the Accel Superstock wires, 4048 I think was the part number. I put them in and go for a drive. At idle it is OK, at full acceleration seems OK but at normal driving when I let off the gas a little I get some serious mis-firing!
Before I take them back and tell them they are defective am I missing something here? The old wires worked better than these do. I have the plugs gapped at .035 and I hear I should open them up to maybe .045 but I do not have anything other than the new but stock type HEI distributor.

Just over 2 weeks to the races!!!

You say its OK at idle and WOT, but 'misfires' at part throttle? If its actually misfiring as you close the throttle, its probably lean. If its just bucking at a steady speed, probably timing too advanced. Back the timing off a bit and see if it smooths out. If so, set total timing with a dial back light at 3000 rpm. Of the two, I'm guessing timing, since the 'old' distributor didn't do this.

I did just reset my timing last night based on vacuum rather than the light which advanced it about 8 degrees to around 36 degrees. I say around because my timing tab only goes to 16 and it is well past that. I was told that I can hook up a vacuum gauge and advance the timing until the vacuum no longere increases and that would be the optimum timing for your combination, I ended up at 15 off the carb. I will back it down and do some testing. All I did though was put in new plug wires and this new problem surfaced!?!

The results are in ...

I returned the new plug wires as defective, got new new plug wires, installed them and problem gone.

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