Anyone have any advice on replacing wires? Should I remove the alternator to get better access etc? Best place to route the passenger side?

I have had reoccurring trouble with wires in the past on stock manifolds and long tubes.

I plan on routing the wires over the valve covers later on when I install long tubes.

Any advice from experience is appreciated.

 

when i did my spark plugs, i already had msd 8.5mm wires. do one wire at a time so you dot put the wires to the wrong plug. id route them the same way the stock ones are. if you gonna go over the valve covers do the same one wire at a time. i did all but one from under the car. didnt move the alternator. just take your time

 

I'd go over the covers now.

And it oddly seems that people often mix up where they go. Get some wire markers and tag both ends.

 

Ditch the stock routing on the passenger side. Run the wires low between the block and the big aluminum bracket that holds the AC, power steering pump and alternator. A lot easier and the wires come up from the bottom to the plugs reducing burnt wires.

 

You can run the wires in stock location as long as they aren't larger than 8mm. There is no reason under the sun to go with anything larger. For longtubes the only trick I had to do was use a longer wire for the #5 plug. Ran the wire along the block in the sheath to the end and looped it back to the plug. That way the boot was pointed towards the back of the block away from the primary.

 

Doing mine sometime soon when I get the time, having trouble with a nasty tick coming from a burnt wire that's arcing out. Would sleeving the wires help out to prevent burning?

 

Yes they would. BTW folks, no Taylor wires, lotsa posts about the burning and/or falling apart.

 

It could prevent burning, but could also take up valuable space making it more difficult keeping them from touching the primaries. If you use 8mm or smaller wires you will have no issues with burning wires using the stock routing locations.

 

Nice, just using MSD street fire, sounds like I should be okay.

 

I have installed two sets of 8.5mm wires through the stock looms/brackets with no problems over the 20 years I have owned the car. I even use the convoluted flex tubing (about 6") on each wire at the Opti end as factory did. If you chose to use the tubing on the #7 wire which runs in the metal bracket use the factory one as the cheap crap at auto part stores will melt or get the correct high temp stuff.The PS routes close to block between accessory bracket so the convoluted tubing prevents any chafing. I run them through the factory metal brackets on each side of the block

I remove both sides as a unit. reassemble on the bench with new wires and install.
Mostly from under the car. With headers I have never burnt a wire and do not use the factory heat shield boots on the plug end. Use dialectic grease in boot ends both plug & opti side

YMMV

 

I, too, have owned my Z/28 for close to 20 years. Over that time, I've replaced the plug wires 2 times, just to keep it running well. Both times I used Moroso Blue Max wires, and ran them through the stock looms. On the passenger side, I loosened the p/s pump, so it would "droop" forward, allowing access to the loom that's behind it.

 

Even through the stock clamps and the slots off the passenger head? That's wild. I could barely fit mine in the slots and could just close the stock clamps with 8mm wires. It still begs the question, why go through the hassle with 8.5mm wires when 8mm or even stock will work just as well?

 

yes all stock clamps/looms/brackets were used. Initially they were snug but clamps did close and snap shut

I bought Magnacore 8.5mm wires through Lingenfelter to replace my 78k mi stock wires.

The only reason I did the 2nd set was when I was renting shop space/lift to do a H/C swap several years ago the owner put my wires (dumb *** move) in a tank of solvent and left them in overnight. He paid for a replacement set of Magnacore wires.