Sticky on Ignition Wire Install?

[mchrist809]

Can anyone point me to a good 'sticky / how to' on spark plug wire installation -- removal and re-routing of new wires? This is for an 04 XTL 4.0. Haven't done it before and wanted to read others' advice/experience first. My new Motorcraft plus and wires are waiting! Thanks.

 

[muzzymaniac]

Really? Just do one wire at a time. Installation is the reverse of removal. Method hasn't changed in decades.

 

[mchrist809]

Really? Just do one wire at a time. Installation is the reverse of removal. Method hasn't changed in decades.

Well, I did both my wires and plugs. The driver's side was as simple as one off, one on. Took about 30 minutes for everything. But the passenger's side wires were, as I anticipated, anything but easy.

All three wires are bundled in a 4-5 inch plastic, L-shaped organizer between the miniscule 3/4 inch gap that exists between the alternator and the top of the engine. There is NO way to get these out one at a time. And NO way to get them out without unbuckling a bunch of stuff. To gain any access at all, I needed to first remove the air intake. I then had to completely disconnect the hot water tubing that connects from the engine leading into the heater, including unbolting the entire piece from side of the engine. This allowed me to get the plastic organizer out by disconnecting all the wires and wiggling and yanking the thing out from behind the disconnected heater tube bracket. Then, after quite a bit of figuring (the space is too small to pull the boots through.), I was able to just barely tug and sneak the old wires up and out, and the new wires in, through the tiny gap created between the black metal tubing and the top of the engine (near the oil fill). The only other way to gain real access would have been to drop the alternator, which I wasn't anxious to get into. As it was, I got all the wires rerouted properly, but there was no possible way to get that large, two-piece organizer/heat shield back behind the alternator with the wires in it and snapped back up properly. Hope it isn't too critical.

Don't know what kinda '04 XLT's y'all are workin on out there, but my wires not simple off-on.

 

[muzzymaniac]

Yea, mine were like that too. I said screw it. I neatly ran my new ones on top of that cluster f**- and cut the old ones out.