Driving to my girlfriend's house last night and I smell unburned gasoline in the exhaust....The car seemed to be running rich. I pull up to back in to her driveway and when I let off the brake....the whole car shutters. I know this feeling well as i spent the better part of lasst summer trying to fix this problem...The SES light didnt come on so i thought maybe it was ok. I put it in park and realize the car is idling at 600rpms...lower than the normal 900 range. I rev the engine and it sputters and then the SES light starts blinking at me...I figured that once again my shorty headers burned up my spark plug wires....

So, instead of camming and tuning the car, I get to repair it again. I am going to get some long tubes and an OTVC assembly because I am tired of this nonsense.

Could someone remind me of the NGK spark plugs that actually fit? I forgot the number...

NOooooo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ooooo..... I'm gonna refuse to comment on spark plug wires, gonna refuse to comment on spark plug wires, gonna refuse to comment on spark plug wires!!!!!! The stock spark plug wire looms just flat suck! I think anytime that tubular headers are installed...the OTVC wires should be used and for that matter, GM should have done better for the stock exhaust manifolds as well. Don't feel badly, lost even the stock wires in the stock looms with stock cast iron manifolds. Had to insulate each and every wire with that silver foil stuff that is used around the power brake cylinder vacuum hose. Try it, it will save lots of headaches.

Here is the plan.

I am getting the following to fix this issue once and for all!

NGK TR55-IX Iridium Spark Plugs, Stock heat range, gapped at .050
Thunder Racing Over-the-Valve-Cover LT1 Plug Wire Kit
Taylor Fire Sleeves, Heat Treated Fiberglass, Provides protection up to 1200°F, Pkg of 8, Red

Pacesetter Headers, Quicktrip, Full-Length, Steel, Painted, Chevy, Pontiac, Camaro, Firebird, 1996-97, 5.7L, Pair
Exhaust, Y-Pipe, Aluminized Steel, Chevy, Pontiac, Camaro, Firebird, Each

how does that setup sound?

It'll work, just don't fiddle with the spark plugs. Check the gap, gap them, use feeler gauges and the iridium will usually be scratched and those tips just melt away and the gap is ruined. NGKs with iridium are wonderful. Am using them right now on two cars--10 bucks each.

these were 6.99 each....but the guy i talked to said that as long as you are careful, you're good to go. I was hesitant to buy them at first

$6.99 is a bargain. Took me a long time to break old habits--gotta check them. After replacing plugs for the 2nd time on my Civic (with 8,000 miles), decided that no matter how careful I am, the little iridium thingies get scratched and even the Honda eats them up in a few thousand miles and then runs like crapola. Maybe, it is better to stick in the buck nintey-five plain old sparkers and then regap every 10,000 miles. Problem is, plugs aren't easy to change on a Firebird, but they are easy to change on the Civic.

all my parts will be here tomorrow!

gonna tear it all apart today after we get the turbo off my dad's f-250 super duty monster of a pickup. It was my grandfathers and when he passed away it sat in my uncles drive way for six years in the lovely new york weather. We went up last month and towed it home.

The turbo was frozen in place so we are trying to take it out to send it to hypermax.....proving a little more difficult as we had to pull the tranny, which weighs like 200 lbs....

anyway, Im hoping with 3 solid working days, my TA should be back on the road! Im so excited haha

So the jerks at thunder racing back ordered my heat sleeves and everything is on hold until they come.

That said, I have hit a few snags:

1) The cross member no longer attaches to the stock postion under the new ORY pipe
2) The 2 bolt mount is about 3 inches away from the mount provided on the Passenger's side Y pipe connection.
3) O2 sensors are too short, they gave me the wiring but i am still afraid to go cutting them up.

Seeing as how i couldnt install the wires yet, I was wondering if how to route them now, do they go in front of the big bracket or behind it? (big bracket being the one that holds the power steering pump, a/c, etc. I saw a picture of guys that has them behind the bracket but i just wanted a second opinion.

My biggest problem is the cross member no longer fitting, how did people with similar applications get around this?

Thanks
Sean

So I got Taylor wires, custom build your own! super thing.....and its an FPOS! My dad and i have already torn into each other because we are so close to finishing the car that every little snag sets us off. Tempers are on short fuses and These wires are not helping. I currently have 8 wires hanging out of the bottom of my car. On the bench, I have 8 distributor end boots. In the directions, it says use supplied silicone lubricant. In the box, there is no supplied lubricant. It is physically impossible to get the boots on to the wire ends AND!, have them far enough up the wire to put the metal end piece on, just to pull the boot back down over it.

Am I missing something? The directions make it look like pie, it doesnt show the faces reddening, and veins showing, just to get a millimeter up the wire. Plus, we dont know if we are breaking the wire inside the silicone.

Please, any experience and/or tricks of the trade would be much appreciated

Thanks,
Sean

Sean,

Hate to tell you this buddy, but others have had similar problems. The boots can't be installed without using some kind of lubricant--like soap or silicone and that doesn't gaurantee success. I hate those things and as full of crap as the stock wiring system is, I stuck with that, becuz the wires were pre-terminated, no fuss, no muss. And, yes, it is possible to damage the wires internally.

The stock wires in the stock looms will hold up to header heat, but shields must be used.

He is attempting to make his own to go over the valve covers.

well i cheated and drilled some of the excess rubber out of each boot. Then after building each wire end, We used shrink tubing to seal the boot ends. So far it all looks pretty legit.

I'll let you guys know how everything turns out by monday-ish

I understand that. However, making the wires and installing boots and terminals--the usual grind--is a difficult thing to do. I believe Sassy Sue also had problems with this--so have others, myself included. Over the valve covers is a nice way to go--servicing is much easier. The problem is making the wires. I gave up on trying to do this when the engine was gone thru many years ago and went back to the OEM system, promplty burned thru a wire with the stock manifolds and cussed and swore a blue storm, becuz in order to fix the one wire, had to remove the manifold. learned my lesson and covered everything with heat shielding. There is no reason that a stock system cannot be used with adequate heat shielding just to avoid the cussing and swearing of properly making new terminals and installing those boots.

iv been then red face and veins poping out in anger, lost a few tools in the process. reminds me of a gmhtp aticle "when lt-1s attack"

the o2 sensors stock wiring gota cut into it when installing lt's dont be afraid just lable the wires when cutting and do one sensor at the time.

is the install finish? how did it go?

Haha

The O2 sensor went just fine. We cheated on the wires and brought constructions tools into play. We forgot to hook up the bottom tube on the passenger side header. What is that for? anyway, we are going to go that, then put new oil and filter on and I'll let you know in just a bit!

cranked it.....everything seems to be running, just to be sure, only 2 O2 sensors should be connected without cats? And the SES light should be on because the other two arent on?

It's running strong! Loud as all get out with the cutout open.

We have a small clearance problem with the Y-pipe, it is vibrating against the bottom of the car and the noise produced is VERY annoying. Gotta work on that tomorrow just thought I'd share the good news

Good to hear it is back on the road. Now it is time to learn it so you can find an unsuspecting Mustang driver.

Matt

I had to go to Capital Ford today in Raleigh for some parts for my dad's F-250. They had a bunch of the 2010 Mustangs all lined up in a pretty little row. A few of them had some people standing around, admiring i guess, I opened the cutout and left it in 2 gear....I think the paint melted off some of the cars after hearing the sound of a real muscle car. And the people just kind of stared.....

Similar experience....I got pulled over after flying past the people gawking at the 2010 camaro...oops...

57 in a 45...
written warning...im the man!

anyway
Congrats on the well running car man!

y pipe rattle fixed?