Changing Spark Plug Wires Distributor Cap

The engine fires in a specific succession which the spark plug wires and distributor cap are set up to support.

Changing spark plug wires distributor cap. These factors cause the plastic in the cap to break down over time and the internal plug wire contacts to oxidize and deteriorate from spark arcing. It s possible for spark plug wires to be damaged. The rotor routes the energy in a specific through the spark plug wires ultimately to the engine s cylinders in the correct firing order. The points of the crown are where the distributor is connected to the spark plugs by spark plug wires.

Most of the time your wires should last well beyond the 30 000 miles your copper spark plugs are rated for. If you did not see a spark remove the coil wire from the distributor cap. Crack the engine and check for a good spark at the spark tester. With that being said modern spark plug wires can also last much longer than they once did.

So a six cylinder car will have six contacts on the distributor. Breaker point distributor ignition systems were the standard of the industry for decades however the breaker points wore and required frequent maintenance. Each spark plug wire plugs into the distributor cap at a specific location on the cap. However there are other factors that can play a role in the timing.

You may even want to take a photo before you get started. Picture the distributor cap as a crown that a king would wear. The safest way to change these parts is to. Waste spark ignition systems eliminate the distributor and instead use a coil for each pair of cylinders however spark plug.

Like all moving parts distributor caps and rotors eventually wear out from a combination of heat vibration extreme voltage cracking and carbon deposits and need to be replaced. Each point connects to one spark plug and each spark plug goes to one cylinder in your engine. The only critical rule to follow is that this order be maintained. Electronic distributor ignitions were an advancement but still suffered from distributor cap and rotor wear.

Attach the spark tester to the distributor end of the coil wire. If a spark is present the problem is probably in the distributor cap rotor or spark plug wires. Most are numbered for clarity.