1976 ignition wires

[Tony S]

My car was getting a slight miss so I decided to due the complete tune up and oil change. I have it on the road but haven't used it much but there is a 200 mile rally this weekend and its going to be in it. So the new cap and rotor is in place and the plugs have been changed . The big challange is the plug wires. I got a set of wires for a 1976 corvette and they should due fine. The wires on it now are ok but don't look think the lengths are correct for each cylinder , some seam short others too long. The question is ...Anyone know the proper length for each cylinder's plug wire. Trial and error here looks like a giant PITA since the wires are snaked around so much.

[Gunslinger]

The reason the Corvette plug wires being wrong is that a Corvette of that vintage uses shielding much like Studebaker Avantis were equipped. Besides that, small block Corvette plug wires were routed through the motor mounts making them an odd length for an Avanti. It's not that the Corvette wire set won't work but that it makes for a not very neat appearance.

Your alternative is to buy an appropriate universal set of wires and trim them to length individually. It's not difficult but it does help if you buy spark plug wire crimpers. Accel makes one and it's available at places like Pep Boys.

[Tony S]

I have used the universals in the past and I have the crimping tool but it's a pain and the crimped ends never seam to be as good as factory. My car has the shielding around the dizzy that continues down each side of the head exactly like the vette. The 4 rear wires don't really get to complicated but the 4 fronts go down under the exhaust manifold through a trough and come up between the block and motor mount. So you can see I want to get it right the first time. I guess I'll try the 4 rear wires first and then try and estimate which wires go towards the front. If I was sure the wires on the car were correct, I would just go at them one at a time but its obvoius the wires are misplaced, some are too long and some short at the dizzy end some are flopping around and some are just making it to the terminals on the cap with no room to arrange them so they aren't lying right on top of others as they cross each other.

[kboyd]

Why not try an ignition wire set for a 1976 Nova equipped with a V8. The overall size of the engine is the same as that used in the Corvette but GM did not waste any money trying to make it fancy.

Edited September 11, 2012 by kboyd

[Tony S]

The issue is just the placement of the wires. Since the engine has the wire shielding exactly like the vette I figured they would work. I guess I will have to just bite the bullet and figure which wire is longest and go from there.

[davepink53]

I found this on a blog. Hope it helps.

Dave.

Looked at the sheet that came with the new wires and the lengths listed are as follows ( I'd scan it but the scanner is on the fritz ):

1975 -77 Corvette - All

Wire #1 - 46" Wire #2 - 54"

Wire #3 - 54" Wire #4 - 42"

Wire #5 - 28" Wire #6 - 28"

Wire #7 - 22" Wire #8 - 26"

Wires #'s 2 & 3 are longer because they have to cross over each other in front of the dist. and go to the opposite sides of the engine, as the others go to the sides that they're on the dist. Don't know if these measurements are correct for my car because my engine is still appart but I have a feeling the #7 should be the 26" and the #8 should be the 22" because of what 7T1vette said about the dist. being offset th the right side. Hope this helps.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-tech-performance/2512580-spark-plug-wires-by-length.html

[Tony S]

That is exactley the info I was looking for . I actually tackled it today and it wasn't too bad. As your information states the furthest of wires isn't the longest because the one in front of it goes to the far side of the dizzy which changes the game. This was the trap the p/o fell into . There were wires that were too long and some that were streched tight. The 76 vette wires worked out well and I was able to get all the shielding on. I think there were 2 instances where the longer wires were not for cyl # 1 and 2 but 3 and 4 because of the placement on the cap.. Thanks Dave!

[Tony S]

Oh by the way the new set was exactley the same as the old set as far as each wires length. I just didn't follow the placement that was on the engine and sorted it out myself..