Popping static in radio after plug change !

[Eagleeye]

40k on the Z and i was bored so I decided to change the plugs...NGK TR55's set at .055 and got 'er done in about two 45min. sessions to include new MSD wires. I new about #7 and removed vac. hose and got a swival and all that. All went well untill I fired her up and had a real crappy idle...forgot to reinstall the da-- brake vac. hose! Corrected the dumb ass and all was smooth until I drove to work today. Runs GREAT but have static popping as if one wire arcing...can't find it ! Pulled the coil end off #1 to start there and the spark was so strong it was jumping like three inches to ground !!! Getting the boots to snap on the plugs was a pain with the heat shields and wire coils too so I guess one isn't on tight ??? Strange that I turned the radio up so I could hear the popping under the hood and the sound would change [loudness] by just touching any coil pack with my gloved hand...weird

[03SlowZ06]

Sounds like you have a ground issue. Make sure that you did not break any of the ground wires.

[Crowvet]

I would suspect that either you have a wire that isnt seated to the plug (snapped on tight) or a plug insulator may have gotten cracked during installation.

[Eagleeye]

I'm sure it is one of the two...but which plug ? My next approach was to pull wires - one at a time - at the coils and listen to the radio for the pop to stop. That was when I realized how far the spark could jump...so now I wil try to improvise an insulator to prevent the spark from jumping from coil pack to ground !

[Crowvet]

Originally Posted by Eagleeye

I'm sure it is one of the two...but which plug ? My next approach was to pull wires - one at a time - at the coils and listen to the radio for the pop to stop. That was when I realized how far the spark could jump...so now I wil try to improvise an insulator to prevent the spark from jumping from coil pack to ground !

The best way to isolate the miss is with a scan tool, You can watch the misfire counter to see witch one it is. Sometimes you can run the car in a darkened enviroment and mist water on the boots with a spray bottle and cause the suspect cylinder to arc.

[Eagleeye]

Yup ! Now you mention it...used to do the night/water bit ! Are you old enough to remember that all wires had a "glow" around them in the dark ?

[Crowvet]

Originally Posted by Eagleeye

Yup ! Now you mention it...used to do the night/water bit ! Are you old enough to remember that all wires had a "glow" around them in the dark ?

I,m older than dirt but not quite as wise.