• Mustang Forums
  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
  • Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech

need help quick on spark wires!

  • Thread starter Thread starter plainwrecknate
  • Start date Start date Sep 4, 2005
P

plainwrecknate

New Member
Jul 21, 2005
92
0
0
Fort Morgan, CO
Sep 4, 2005
#1
  • Sep 4, 2005
  • #1
I'm in the proccess of replacing my sparks, spark wires, cap and rotor. this is the first time doing this and i'm stuck!

the book says the cap order is counter-clockwise so: and please excuse my crappy diagram.

Code:
4         1         8
3     2       8     7
2   3           7   6
1     4       6     5
          5

^         ^         ^
|         | cap     |
|                   |
|_______plugs_______|
that's how the book says to do it, but my cap is wired like this:

Code:
4         1         8
3     4       8     7
2   2           3   6
1     7       5     5
          6

^         ^         ^
|         | cap     |
|                   |
|_______heads_______|


what should i do?
 
S

Synned

took tubgirl on a date and got banned
Mar 31, 2005
991
1
0
Philly
Sep 4, 2005
#2
  • Sep 4, 2005
  • #2
Your firing order is this:
1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8
You start with the 1 on the dizzy cap should have a 1 and go counter clockwise around it to each plug.

Code:
4         1         8
3     3       8     7
2   7           4   6
1     2       5     5
          6

^         ^         ^
|         | cap     |
|                   |
|_______heads_______|
 
P

plainwrecknate

New Member
Jul 21, 2005
92
0
0
Fort Morgan, CO
Sep 4, 2005
#3
  • Sep 4, 2005
  • #3
ok, i got everything replaced, i wired it to the 1-4-2-7-6-5-3-8, it was running like normal. then i wired it to the 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 and it shakes the whole car, so i took it for a drive around the block and all i hear is "pop pop pop" misfires. is my engine an outcast?
 

blackstangt

Member
May 31, 2004
460
1
19
ny
Sep 4, 2005
#4
  • Sep 4, 2005
  • #4
your timing is probably off, it's 13726548 what year and details about car?
 
S

Synned

took tubgirl on a date and got banned
Mar 31, 2005
991
1
0
Philly
Sep 4, 2005
#5
  • Sep 4, 2005
  • #5
Maybe its a 5.0 and not a 5.0 HO? Maybe someone swapped the engine?
 
B

Bladez5_0

Founding Member
Apr 14, 2001
460
0
17
Goose Creek, SC
Sep 4, 2005
#6
  • Sep 4, 2005
  • #6
Loosen the bolt holding down your distributor. With the wires hooked up in the 13726548 order rotate your distributor some to see if the engine runs smoother. If not return it to your old order and scratch your head in befuddlement.
 

RYC CUKR

Founding Member
May 19, 2002
1,437
1
38
Orlando
Sep 4, 2005
#7
  • Sep 4, 2005
  • #7
Synned said:
Maybe its a 5.0 and not a 5.0 HO? Maybe someone swapped the engine?
Click to expand...


That is what I thought at first but the 1-4-2-7-6-5-3-8 firing order isn't even the non HO firing order.
 

maverick0716

Founding Member
Jan 12, 2002
3,924
0
56
Chilliwack, BC, Canada
Sep 4, 2005
#8
  • Sep 4, 2005
  • #8
I'm guessing the timing is way off.
 
J

JerryDaugherty

Member
Apr 7, 2005
309
0
16
Near Dallas
Sep 4, 2005
#9
  • Sep 4, 2005
  • #9
weird thing is mine wasnt working on HO or non HO order so I had to make my own and now it runs fine rofl
 

maverick0716

Founding Member
Jan 12, 2002
3,924
0
56
Chilliwack, BC, Canada
Sep 4, 2005
#10
  • Sep 4, 2005
  • #10
JerryDaugherty said:
weird thing is mine wasnt working on HO or non HO order so I had to make my own and now it runs fine rofl
Click to expand...

uh...you might want to get the figured out, you can't just make your own firing order.
 
P

plainwrecknate

New Member
Jul 21, 2005
92
0
0
Fort Morgan, CO
Sep 4, 2005
#11
  • Sep 4, 2005
  • #11
got it! since i'm new to the the whole car thing, i was lost so i took it down to autozone, three blocks away and popping all the way there, truned it off, talked to the guy about it. we figured the distributor must have been turned wrong (timing i assume) so he told me to just wire it back up in that 1-4-2-7-6-5-3-8 and then just play with the distributor until i got it set right. well, i go out to change all the wires back to the weird order, and it's running like ****. so we go back to the HO order, drove it around the block, works even better than before!! i guess the computer just had to catch up? anywho, before today i couldn't even get a bark out of the tires, now i have to watch myself at stop lights.

just a little info on what was there before, it had those bosch platniums on it. i've always read that platniums and foxes don't mix. i got autolite #25s for it, was going to get the #24 but they didn't have any. so i got the #25s, bosch wire set, and duralast gold cap and rotor. runs like a champ now. my idle is way lower. it was around 1500rpm, now it's down to 750rmp or so. and it just runs awesome.

and the info on the car, it's a 91' 5.0 LX hatch. i don't think the engine was ever swapped, and it is an HO. the guy i bought it from used to be the mechanic for the police station out here so i figured he knew what he was doing. tuesday i'm going to ask him if there was any reason for that funky order.

anywho, it's working with 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8. thanks for all the helps guys.
 

garystocker

Member
Jan 2, 2005
305
0
17
New Jersey
Sep 4, 2005
#12
  • Sep 4, 2005
  • #12
Bladez5_0 said:
Loosen the bolt holding down your distributor. With the wires hooked up in the 13726548 order rotate your distributor some to see if the engine runs smoother. If not return it to your old order and scratch your head in befuddlement.
Click to expand...


That's what he said to do!
 

blackstangt

Member
May 31, 2004
460
1
19
ny
Sep 6, 2005
#13
  • Sep 6, 2005
  • #13
time the car too
 
P

plainwrecknate

New Member
Jul 21, 2005
92
0
0
Fort Morgan, CO
Sep 7, 2005
#14
  • Sep 7, 2005
  • #14
blackstangt said:
time the car too
Click to expand...

i want to do the timing, but i don't have $40 to spend on a timing light that i'll use once or twice and that's it. what's the importance of a timing light? wouldn't a flashlight allow you to see the degrees? hahaha.
 

maverick0716

Founding Member
Jan 12, 2002
3,924
0
56
Chilliwack, BC, Canada
Sep 8, 2005
#15
  • Sep 8, 2005
  • #15
plainwrecknate said:
i want to do the timing, but i don't have $40 to spend on a timing light that i'll use once or twice and that's it. what's the importance of a timing light? wouldn't a flashlight allow you to see the degrees? hahaha.
Click to expand...

No. The timing light pulses to the #1 spark plug wire....that's the only way you can accuratly time an engine.
 
B

Bladez5_0

Founding Member
Apr 14, 2001
460
0
17
Goose Creek, SC
Sep 8, 2005
#16
  • Sep 8, 2005
  • #16
If you're close to me you we can get together, work on cars, and drink beer. I'm in GA.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Electrical 91 hatch wiring help needed
  • FastDriver
  • Apr 7, 2026
  • Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech
Replies
2
Views
134
Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech Apr 8, 2026
FastDriver
C
Engine Cylinder 5,,7, & 8 run significantly cooler than the other cylinders
  • Crisfixes
  • Sep 27, 2025
  • Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech
Replies
1
Views
217
Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech Sep 27, 2025
Noobz347
C
Electrical HELP! 1989 5.0 Stick, Voltage Bleed onto Ignition Trigger wire
  • ChickenDeluxe
  • May 14, 2026
  • Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech
Replies
7
Views
161
Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech May 24, 2026
ChickenDeluxe
C
96 GT 4.6 w/ dirty spark plug well
  • Mustang Momma
  • Apr 7, 2026
  • 1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-
Replies
3
Views
105
1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk- Apr 9, 2026
LILCBRA
D
Engine 85 GT Backfires through Carb
  • DienstXIV
  • Oct 3, 2025
  • Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech
Replies
19
Views
589
Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech Oct 7, 2025
85GTStangGuy
Share:
Bluesky Email Share Link
  • Mustang Forums
  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
  • Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech
Menu
Log in

Register

  • Forums
  • What's new
  • Media
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Sponsor
X

Privacy & Transparency

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Personalized ads and content
  • Content measurement and audience insights

Do you accept cookies and these technologies?

X

Privacy & Transparency

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Personalized ads and content
  • Content measurement and audience insights

Do you accept cookies and these technologies?