Plug wires aren't just a necessary part of any gas engine; some might see them as something of an artistic statement, a flowing and organic foil to the engine's inherent angularity. This is especially true for engines like the Ford Windsor, where the distributor is the first thing you see when you pop the hood. Indeed, the very fact that aftermarket plug wires tend to come in vivid shades of blue, yellow and red should be testament to that much. But, aesthetic considerations aside, you're going to need something to get spark to your plugs, and a wire is a wire is a wire.
Instructions
- 1
Rotate the engine either by bumping it with the starter or by using a ratchet and cheater bar on the crankshaft bolt. In either case, unplug the coil (center) wire on the distributor first. Stop when the "TC" (top center) mark on the harmonic balancer reaches the 12 o'clock position and the timing indicator hovers over the 11-degrees-advanced (BTDC) position.
2Remove the distributor cap and look at the rotor. Note its position and where it's pointing, and mark the outside of the distributor body with a marker or screwdriver so that you can see it when you put the cap back on. Reinstall the cap, then mark the cap terminal above your reference mark. Facing the engine, you should find this terminal at the 12 or 1 o'clock position.
3Separate your wires out according to length. You'll find two very short wires (the No. 5 and No. 2 wire), three slightly longer wires (the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 6 wires) and a longer one (No. 7). The second-longest wire goes to No. 4 and the longest goes to No. 8.
4Note the cylinder numbers; No. 1 is the front cylinder on the passenger side, and Nos. 2, 3 and 4 are the following cylinders on that side. Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are on the driver side, counting from the front cylinder and going back.
5Connect the No. 1 distributor terminal to the No. 1 cylinder plug. The rest of the the plug wires go on in the counterclockwise direction on the distributor. Install the plug wires to the appropriate cylinders in this order, going counterclockwise on the distributor: 1, 3, 7, 2, 6, 5, 4 and 8.
6Install a two-prong wire loom on plug wires No. 7 and No. 3 right next to the distributor, another on plug wires No. 4 and No. 8 near the front of the driver-side valve cover and a third on those wires near the rear of the driver-side valve cover (just before they split off to their respective banks). You could also install a two-prong wire loom on wires No. 5 and No. 6 or wire No. 1 and No. 2 if you want to keep things pretty and organized.
