Testing plug condition

[LAWRENCE Owen]

Can I remove spark plug wires one at a time at the distributor to locate a bad plug? I can't reach most of the plug wire s at the Chevy 350 V8 engine.

 

[Bondo]

Can I remove spark plug wires one at a time at the distributor to locate a bad plug? I can't reach most of the plug wire s at the Chevy 350 V8 engine.

Ayuh,..... That'll tell ya whether that cylinder is firing,....
It won't tell you whether it's the plug, or it's wire,....

 

[LAWRENCE Owen]

Thanks, Bondo. Wires ok ... it's a DEI distributor.

 

[LAWRENCE Owen]

Thanks, Bondo. Wires ok ... it's a DEI distributor.

New, from, top to bottom ...Chevy 383 stroker, 400hp. Love the crank-driven water pump.

 

[ESGWheel]

Looks sweet, congrats on the build. Pulling plug wires one at a time is a time-honored way of initial troubleshooting. One concern to be aware of with this high voltage system is causing an arc inside the distributor cap that can be an issue (that spark is going somewhere!). Once you are done pulling wires off the cap, pull the cap and look for any carbon traces. If none, good to go, but if you see even a little one, replace the cap and rotor.

Also, if I may, with such a nice build that even paid close attention to the hoses you used, the perforated hose clamps do not measure up to the care you applied to the rest of the build. These types of clamps can eat thru a hose and have significant weak points. While they may not leak and even last a long time as one of my professors used to say, “Its impolite”. Here is a case study on the web about durability of various hose clamps in a marine application: link.