I'm not quite sure if this belongs in Electrical & Wiring...

One of my brand new MSD 8.5mm wires is throughing a spark every time I even get my hand near the distributor. I'm thinking it might be coming off of one of the wires near the boots, but I'm not 100% certain. As you can imagine, it makes trying to adjust the timing a real pleasure.

Anyone of any ideas on how to locate where exactly the exposed wire is or where the heck I'm getting shocked from?



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Sean Thomas
TC #907 ACES #4468
Chevelle & ElCamino Club of Oregon #35
1970 Chevelle SS 396 (http://home.attbi.com/~70supersport/)
2002 Camaro SS LS1 (http://home.attbi.com/~70supersport/pageseven.html)

From your description, I assume the spark leak is at the distributor since it hits you only when you get near the distributor.Be sure the wires and boots are all the way onto the distributor. Use dielectric grease between the boots and distributor. Look for black or charred areas on the distributor wire towers.
Also be sure the plug ends are well connected, with all that power, if it isn't going through the plug, it WILL go somewhere.
If you find nothing there, start it up at night in the pitch dark and look for sparks.

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Make it the way you like it, forget what the other guys say!
http://chevelles.com/showroom/alelcaminofront.jpg
http://www.angelfire.com/al4/alcamino64/index.html

Adjust it using the vacuum pod to move it.

Such noice is why now-a-day cars have ground straps on the hood as well.

to better track it down, be a guinne pig and hold a screw drive near it. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Or go for ht night approach and see where the blue sparks fly from. It liekly will ARC to the hood if the hood get's close enough to it. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/eek.gif

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71' 3880# with me. Big Block 402, Merlin oval heads, 10.2:1CR, TH400, 3.73 posi,
1/8th: 8.0 @ 88mph
BEST 60': 1.85 w/street tires.
BEST 1/4: 12.5 with 1.89 sixty foot (street tires)
BEST MPH: 109mph

Picture of me roasting the tires and other guy stuff (http://www.auburnextremeracing.com/drivers/mike/)
Video of me staging (smoke of course) (http://www.auburn.edu/~ledfojw/vids/mike_chevelle_burnout.avi)