New MSD streetfire wire issues. Anti-stick solutions?

[Keith Stevens]

I have 900 miles on the engine and I changed the plugs once right after break-in.  The boots on these are a weird silicon material and they were all but impossible to remove from the plugs and the distributor cap and coil. I did use a slight amount of Dielectric grease to try to avoid a potential issue of this nature. Any suggestions for another type of product to use so the wires release easier from the plug and cap?

[cjshaker]

I had this problem many years ago with a set of MSD plug wires. I swear the boots had literally bonded themselves to the plugs. No matter what I tried, they would not come off. I tried the grease also, no luck. I would twist and pull so hard that a couple of the boots literally ripped in half. Most of the time the boot would stretch so far that it pulled the wire out of the socket. After fighting them repeatedly, I junked them and went with Firewire spark plug wires and never had a problem. I've also used others, but have never gone back to MSD wires.

[Gaugster]

I have had similar bad luck with 8.5mm MSD universal kits. An even larger boot at the plug. Also the snap clips feel very aggressive. I.e. hard to snap on/off. I found them unreliable to use on a FE in the Cougar. Just wasn't enough room to service them properly. I have changed to the Ford Racing 9mm wires. A more traditional conductor but the angled boots and less aggressive snap clips allowed me to install them with much greater confidence. I have also learned to use dielectric grease sparingly. Too much can create a suction action that fights you both during install and removal.

[cjshaker]

I have also learned to use dielectric grease sparingly. Too much can create a suction action that fights you both during install and removal.

It seemed like it made it even worse for me also. Once the grease hardened a bit from heat, things got even worse. I even tried drilling small holes in the tops of the boots, thinking it would release any vacuum present. Didn't help. And yes, the snap clips seemed really aggressive. One time while fighting them, even after getting the boots loosened on a couple, I could NOT get the snaps to release from the plug and ended up pulling the wire out. I hated those wires and was glad when I finally replaced them.

[Gaugster]

I know exactly what you mean. 

[Keith Stevens]

Exactly. The two in the center the boots are against each other and the clips are very aggressive. I did wind up pulling the metal clip out of #6.
I had originally bought and used the Kevin Marti Concours reproductions. The red boots are thin and tore. The Pertronix II and Flame thrower coil actually bleed. You can see it in the dark.

[cjshaker]

It sucks to have to throw money away, but you're probably fighting a losing battle with those wires. I've had much better luck with Taylor wires. I think Crane quit making the Firewire plug wires, which I also liked.

[BruceS]

+1 with Doug on the Taylor wires.  I've had good luck with their universal kit and a good crimper. I don't remember a problem with getting them on and off the plugs. 

[GerryP]

For those plug boots, I run a drill on the wire end of the boot to make it easier to pass the wire through the aperture when building wires.  I also drill out the plug end.  Really, it's more like a hone.  This makes it easier to get the boot on and off the plug.  It just doesn't need to be as snug as the manufacturers make them.  After all, it's not like the wires are hanging out in a 300MPH wind like a top fueler.  It really works quite good.  Your effort is going to making the connector "click" rather than pushing the boot over the plug.  Those two center plugs go on and off pretty easy.

[My427stang]

It sucks to have to throw money away, but you're probably fighting a losing battle with those wires. I've had much better luck with Taylor wires. I think Crane quit making the Firewire plug wires, which I also liked.

Taylor wire fan here too, boot design is nice and compact and they work very well