Shocked!

[Purple440]

So after reading Ron's post on tuning a 383 in the 1970chargerregistry site, I got motivate to try again to get my 440 to idle smoothly and not have the headers banging into the steering column every few seconds which is pretty embarrassing 

I loosened the distributor clamp and started the engine, then went to turn it and got a fairly big shock.  Usually I only get shocked through my socket wrench when I loosen the distro clamp when the car is running, not when I just grab the cap and twist.  My first thought was that the wires aren't seating on the cap properly.  Any thoughts or does anyone else have this problem?

[Khyron]

sounds to me like bad plugs in general. I've never gotten a shock from my 440.


That may also be why the engine is idling so rough? 

[Purple440]

Interesting...I've always gotten shocked, obviously I have a problem somewhere.  I think I have 8mm wires, and my ignition guy said they were large and my not seat properly on the cap.  The wire from the blaster coil to the distro doesn't seat well at all on the cap, it's pretty bad actually.  The boot pushes it up a little after you press it on. 

And regarding the rough idle, that my be part of the problem, but I just read a holley instruction guide to get some ideas and it mentioned rough idle could be a vacuum leak.  I clamped both hoses except on the PVC nipple and ran a propane torch along my intake manifold with no increase in idle.

[Steve P.]

Did I understand that you took a jolt just by touching the CAP??  This should not be happening. The spark is going to travel through the shortest rout to ground. But that also means that the spark is getting out of the cap to you. Cracked cap, bad wire.

[firefighter3931]

  The cap is bad.


Ron

[Khyron]

Interesting...I've always gotten shocked, obviously I have a problem somewhere.  I think I have 8mm wires, and my ignition guy said they were large and my not seat properly on the cap.  The wire from the blaster coil to the distro doesn't seat well at all on the cap, it's pretty bad actually.  The boot pushes it up a little after you press it on. 

And regarding the rough idle, that my be part of the problem, but I just read a holley instruction guide to get some ideas and it mentioned rough idle could be a vacuum leak.  I clamped both hoses except on the PVC nipple and ran a propane torch along my intake manifold with no increase in idle.

I am currently running 8.5mm wires and they connect fine. Get some new wires that will fit the engine and I have a feeling that the car will run better. I'm going to assume you bought some standard plug wires and thats why they aren't working that well.

http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?N=700+4294925143+4294908110+4294756594+4294925082+115+4294840062

good luck.

[Purple440]

Thanks guys.

My plug wires are good quality, based on your feedback I believe the 90* angle boots aren't working with the cap.  I replaced the coil wire with a spare from a cheap set and the big shock became a small tick when I grabbed the cap this time.  So I need to redo all the boots and make them seat better...also I think moisture was getting in there because the cap was new this spring because it got corroded over the winter somehow.  I drove it in the rain recently and at the ignition shop last week he had to clean the cap because there was corrosion AGAIN.  And I tested each wire with a multi-meter yesterday and two were dead.  Clipped the tips and now they're good again.

- Doug

[Steve P.]

Still sounds like some cheeeeeep tune up parts in there to me... You get out what you put in. Cheap stuff under the hood will cough and choke and shock the shit out of you...

Don't be fooled by the size of things... Just cause it says 8mm on the wire does NOT mean it is worth a French Poodles turd.     Firefighter has a link to some very good wires. Maybe if we ask him real nice he will dig it up for us..

[Purple440]

The multi-meter showed resistance on my good wires anywhere from .5 to 1...my spare cheap set showed 20.  They are insulated spiral wires.  There's nothing cheap under my hood   It's just that the owner is on a learning curve 

[Ghoste]

If there is a recurring corrosion problem in the cap just replace it too.  Caps aren't expensive and you shouldn't be getting a shock from loosening the distributor clamp either.  If that power is travelling down the cap the rest of your tuneup is not going to be dead on.

[Purple440]

Thanks Ghoste, I agree I should replace the cap when I get my wire situation figured out.

Hey Ron I'm waiting for that link that Steve P. mentioned....where's the luv? 

[tecmopar]

Sounds like something is shorting in the dist. if your getting jolted down at the the hold down bolt.