2v Accel 7914 plug wires

Today I got around to installing the Accel 7914 wire set discussed in earlier threads. To recap, this wire set will eliminate the need for the plug extenders and the rubber boots at the head. But you will need to shorten the plug end of the wire using a lathe. I didn't get a pic of them before cutting them down but I'm pretty sure there is a pic in the thread from a couple of months ago showing them before modification. You only get 4 wires per set so I used my previous wire to the coil. THe 7914 wires are cut pretty close to what is needed but keep every bit you can save during the modification, you'll need it. I only installed the rear bank for starters to make sure everything fit and functioned. The local auto parts store quoted me $89 per set but I got them on ebay for $24 per set. I also to the time took clean the dist cap brass, set screw pins and rotor. The 8mm wires slide into the dist cap nice and snug. A little lube makes them go in very easy. Just make sure they are all the way in before setting the screw. I had already planned on leaving off the distributor rubber cover but I don't think you could use it with these wires anyway. You'd need another 2-4 inches per wire for the cover. I started the car and everything seems normal. I will do a test run tomorrow and if everything seems OK I will do the front bank. This was done on a 1980 GTBi 2V so measurements may be slightly different with other engines.
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Yep, I noticed that but the car runs great and I didn't want to mess anything up.

 

Test drove the car today and performance was good. About the only thing noticed was at idol is seemed a little smoother. I'll do the front bank with the new wires and plugs tomorrow to finish the project.

 

After the test run I was looking things over. The Ferrari factory runs the plug wires at the top of the head so that's what I was trying to do with the Accel wires. After looking things over I decided to run them lower like I see on the QV's. I found running them under the distributor gives you extra length and makes for a cleaner looking install. Ive got some cheap plastic wire separators for the trial but I can already tell this is the way to go. I have the smog pump removed so you have to be cautious of the spinning pulley rubbing the wire. For the time being I've got the plug wires tied up with a wire tie away from the pulley. Tomorrow I'll do the front bank and clean things up with better quality hardware for wire separation and build a shield for the pulley.
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Today I picked up a wire loom from the local speed shop, made some minor modifications, shot some silver paint and installed it on the rear bank. I pulled the front distributor and installed the new plug wires with new plugs the same as the rear bank. I found these plug wires require about the same level of difficulty as the standard plug wires and plugs I installed two years ago. You will need access to a small metal lathe to cut down the plug wire shafts. But the way I see it, this eliminates the need for the spark plug extenders (one less thing to go wrong)and the rubber boots on each wire at the head. All toll I put around 8 hours and $75 in the project. Anybody needing 8 plug extenders give me a PM with an offer. With new plugs, plug wires, cleaned rotor and distributor contacts, she runs silky smoooooooooooth!
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Yeah...this thread is a blast from the past but Im still running them with no problems. And I still have the old extenders in a bag on the shelf. The length of the wire you get in this set works just fine as long as you dont start cutting away during the modification of the extenders. I have the 2v so I could not turn my dist caps for help but as long as you take your time and work on the wire route you're ok without the wires in a bind. If you cut and turn down the extenders the proper length they fit into the head real well and make a good seal at the top. Just remember even an 1/8" will make a difference. I tried to show the measurements as close as possible in the photos. As far as the wireloom.... I went to one of the local race shops and found this wireloom hanging on the wall. I had to do some minor modification to it so it fit properly. Dont recall who made it but Im sure there are similar ones at any auto parts place. It was red when I got it so I painted it a high heat metalic silver. Since doing this mod, I replace the red coil wire with another yellow to match the set. If you wanted to buy a roll of bulk 8mm wire I dont see why you cant disassemble the wire set and use the parts for a custom job. As I recall everthing is just crimped on so you should be able to disassemble the wire from the connectors. During re-assembly I used some clear RTV when putting the extenders back together for some added help. Just a thought.

 

Mine is a 2v and they fit perfect. I guess the QV plug hole is different?

 

Unless Accel has changed the design, the boots will not fit correctly at the end you cut off without turning the down.
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I put just a touch of light oil on the first couple of wires but found I could push them in pretty easy without the oil. They were snug but the 8mm wire would go in ok. As far as I know I have stock caps but I guess someone "could have" drilled them out to a slightly larger size before I got the car? To be honest I dont think the drill as a lathe is going to work on this project. Just one slip and you've ruined one of them. Im sure some hobbiest in your area has a small lathe. Just my suggestion.