Burning plug wires
Burning plug wires I have a Huron Speed twin turbo kit on a 01Z06. I'm at a loss with this. I continually burn plug wires up. This has been going on for a while and I can't even make a run without burning up 2-4 plug wires. On my last run after making some timing adjustments, I had 4 plug wires smoking. Two of them were actually flaming. To start with, I wrapped the headers and used sleeves. That didn't help. Then I pulled the headers and turbo's and had them ceramic coated and then wrapped them again, used sleeves, rolled up header wrap and stuffed it between the wires and headers. Still no help. I played with the timing and was able to get the idle EGTs from 1050ish down to mid 900s. I have one EGT probe in one header on each side about 1.5" from the heads. On the last run the EGTs cruising were in the 1300s max and were mid 1500s max while in boost (16.8 psi). Any ideas on this will be greatly appreciated. I haven't seen where anyone else with this kit has had this problem. Do the EGTs sound right? I'm not that familiar with them but from what I am reading, they sound right. I can't understand how they are burning since they are so well insulated and not touching the headers. WOT timing and AFR are good. Thanks for any help.
Ronnie
Ronnie
What brand of wires, I have had them lay right on the exhaust with min. protection and not burn-almost sounds like an internal wire problem, like a bad resistance problem, the wires getting hot from resistance, then burning.
Is it burning from contact on the outside? Or maybe the resistance is too high for your ignition settings that its melting them from the inside? I have NEVER heard of this happening before a coil burned up...but just a thought. Maybe switch plug between resistor/non-resistor type? Check ignition settings? Just grabbing at straws for you here man. Let me think about this some more and re-post. I feel like that was one of the dumber things I have said in a while ha ha
Let me preface this by saying I'm no expert but it sounds like you have an ignition issue and not a heat issue.
I know guys with turbo headers that are horribly designed and the plug wire has a sleeve on it and is resting on an unwrapped/uncoated header and they don't have this issue.
As stated above check your coils, plugs etc and don't count on the nipple heads at autozone to have sold you the correct plugs either, ask me how I know. >=(
I know guys with turbo headers that are horribly designed and the plug wire has a sleeve on it and is resting on an unwrapped/uncoated header and they don't have this issue.
As stated above check your coils, plugs etc and don't count on the nipple heads at autozone to have sold you the correct plugs either, ask me how I know. >=(
I agree, I've seen plug wires sitting on the wrapped and coated manifolds sometimes. With good sleeves it appears to be a non-issue (but they do not daily driver, so I really don't have an accurate idea how long it lasts)
It sounds like the EGT is too high and the engine is in life-threatening danger.
I would:
A. install EGT gauge
B. attempt to correct the EGT Through timing adjustments with verified at crank
C. if appropriate timing is unsafe for fuel (too many Joules/second), methanol/water or E85 is used instead
Edit:
this is what I should have said, "clearance pics" much better direction given the 1500*F result (which I do not believe should present a problem).
When an engine starts it is room temperature (where you are). So combustion can work down there. The EGT doesn't need to be 1500*F it can be 88*F like when it started. Yes we want it to get hot but there is no reason to insist on high EGT if it is going to be a problem in the application. A tiny bit of distilled water can bring it down. If you are getting that much heat while cruising then it is a timing or similar problem where energy is not being chained correctly as I have tried to explain recently, someone can find it... too lazy but its recent so... easy
It sounds like the EGT is too high and the engine is in life-threatening danger.
I would:
A. install EGT gauge
B. attempt to correct the EGT Through timing adjustments with verified at crank
C. if appropriate timing is unsafe for fuel (too many Joules/second), methanol/water or E85 is used instead
Edit:
this is what I should have said, "clearance pics" much better direction given the 1500*F result (which I do not believe should present a problem).
When an engine starts it is room temperature (where you are). So combustion can work down there. The EGT doesn't need to be 1500*F it can be 88*F like when it started. Yes we want it to get hot but there is no reason to insist on high EGT if it is going to be a problem in the application. A tiny bit of distilled water can bring it down. If you are getting that much heat while cruising then it is a timing or similar problem where energy is not being chained correctly as I have tried to explain recently, someone can find it... too lazy but its recent so... easy
Last edited by kingtal0n; Aug 31, 2017 at 09:15 PM.
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Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2016
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I have a Huron Speed twin turbo kit on a 01Z06. I'm at a loss with this. I continually burn plug wires up. This has been going on for a while and I can't even make a run without burning up 2-4 plug wires. On my last run after making some timing adjustments, I had 4 plug wires smoking. Two of them were actually flaming. To start with, I wrapped the headers and used sleeves. That didn't help. Then I pulled the headers and turbo's and had them ceramic coated and then wrapped them again, used sleeves, rolled up header wrap and stuffed it between the wires and headers. Still no help. I played with the timing and was able to get the idle EGTs from 1050ish down to mid 900s. I have one EGT probe in one header on each side about 1.5" from the heads. On the last run the EGTs cruising were in the 1300s max and were mid 1500s max while in boost (16.8 psi). Any ideas on this will be greatly appreciated. I haven't seen where anyone else with this kit has had this problem. Do the EGTs sound right? I'm not that familiar with them but from what I am reading, they sound right. I can't understand how they are burning since they are so well insulated and not touching the headers. WOT timing and AFR are good. Thanks for any help.
Ronnie
Ronnie
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..I have burned MSD, Taylor, Granatelli and stock.
..Boots and wires have burned
..I have EGT probes in one header on each side, Max was around 1550 in boost, mid 1300s cruising.
..BR7EF Plugs gapped at .025
..Clearance is close but huron says it should not be a problem as long as nothing is touching.
..I removed all the folded up header wrap that I had stuffed between the wires and the headers and made a pull today. The wires did not burn so far but I only went for about a 15 mile cruise and made one second gear pull with 17 psi boost. I'm hoping having an air gap in there will help. Only time will tell. I'm thinking maybe the extra header wrap that I was using for insulation was actually transferring the heat from the headers to the wires. Crossing my fingers. Any thoughts on this? I'm not ruling out all the other suggestions (and thanks for them) until I have this figured out.
..Boots and wires have burned
..I have EGT probes in one header on each side, Max was around 1550 in boost, mid 1300s cruising.
..BR7EF Plugs gapped at .025
..Clearance is close but huron says it should not be a problem as long as nothing is touching.
..I removed all the folded up header wrap that I had stuffed between the wires and the headers and made a pull today. The wires did not burn so far but I only went for about a 15 mile cruise and made one second gear pull with 17 psi boost. I'm hoping having an air gap in there will help. Only time will tell. I'm thinking maybe the extra header wrap that I was using for insulation was actually transferring the heat from the headers to the wires. Crossing my fingers. Any thoughts on this? I'm not ruling out all the other suggestions (and thanks for them) until I have this figured out.
9 Second Club
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 13,616
Likes: 185
From: Norn Iron
Again...pics.
And allowing air to move is always good, wrapping things smartly can also work. Just wrapping the **** out of some stuff as said before can just turn it into a cooker because no air can move to help move heat away.
The fact you're burning up every lead ever invented...proves the leads are not the problem.
and many run all sorts of headers, so the headers are unlikely the problem.
And allowing air to move is always good, wrapping things smartly can also work. Just wrapping the **** out of some stuff as said before can just turn it into a cooker because no air can move to help move heat away.
The fact you're burning up every lead ever invented...proves the leads are not the problem.
and many run all sorts of headers, so the headers are unlikely the problem.