63 spark plug wire terminal ends

[John D.]

I have a friend who is a 63 guru. We have been discussing whether or not all 63's with an AM radio had straight terminal ends on the distributor cap.

Another way to put this question is this. In 63 when did the spark plug wire terminal ends (on the cap) go from straight to 90 degree??? Thanks, JD

[Michael H.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

I have a friend who is a 63 guru. We have been discussing whether or not all 63's with an AM radio had straight terminal ends on the distributor cap.

Another way to put this question is this. In 63 when did the spark plug wire terminal ends (on the cap) go from straight to 90 degree??? Thanks, JD

The 90* terminals were used for FI only.

[William C.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

The AIM page indicating the change in configuration from the base engine was not released until may 5 of 1963, if that helps.

[Bob J.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

JD, I'd agree that all 1963 AM radio equipped cars should have straight distributor terminals according to the 63 AIM....Bob

[Michael H.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

Another way to put this question is this. In 63 when did the spark plug wire terminal ends (on the cap) go from straight to 90 degree??? Thanks, JD

I think this is a setup. I think yer gunna tell us that even the early FI cars had straight wires, not 90* wires.

[Stuart F.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

Michael;

Is the F.I. distributor taller? I believe it is which would account for the need for 90* terminals (do ya think?). I have trouble getting mine to fit in well on an L-76 w/ straights. I'm not too familiar with the big cap F.I.'s, but I recall my 58 was two piece; locked to the manifold with the clamp (due to the oil line) and moved for timing with a clamp holding the two pieces together. I can't imagine they could have ever used straight terminals with it. So, I'll be the naive set up man here.

Stu Fox

[John D.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

I think this is a setup. I think yer gunna tell us that even the early FI cars had straight wires, not 90* wires.

"I think this is a setup"??? Well not on my part Michael. Not in any way shape or form.
On the other hand it may very well be a setup with innocent me stuck in the middle.hmmm.
Now forgetting what is correct and what is not I have been thinking that it would be very difficult to force the distr shield on any 63 FI car if the spark wire ends were straight but what do I know.

[John D.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

JD, I'd agree that all 1963 AM radio equipped cars should have straight distributor terminals according to the 63 AIM....Bob

What page is that on?

[John D.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

It's getting harder for me to remember what we spoke of years ago but I seem to recall that in the old days of NCRS some used to think that the 63's used a D308 hi-tower cap. Then later on the D310 low tower cap was recognized as being correct. Distr height Stu? I don't work on carb cars or own one so maybe someone educated on this subject will chirp in.

I just checked the 5th edition on page 103. The only reference made to distributor boots is that they are black.
So now we have two 63 gurus here from the same state saying the opposite of one another. This is a first in a long time.

[William C.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

The distributor is taller by itself. I can also tell you that the wiring prints to build the sparkplug wires used on the FI cars were released for production at my former employers facility in March of 1962, so the design had been requested by Chevrolet in a timeframe that would have made them available prior to the start of 1963 Production. When they were actually put in use in St Louis I'll let you fellows fight over.

[Michael H.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

Michael;

Is the F.I. distributor taller? I believe it is which would account for the need for 90* terminals (do ya think?). Stu Fox

Yes, the FI distributor is taller than a conventional distributor. I don't think that had any effect on the 62 and earlier cars because there was more hood clearance but for the 63, it did. That's why the short tower distributor cap and 90* spark plug wires.

[Michael H.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

"I think this is a setup"??? Well not on my part Michael. Not in any way shape or form.
On the other hand it may very well be a setup with innocent me stuck in the middle.hmmm.
Now forgetting what is correct and what is not I have been thinking that it would be very difficult to force the distr shield on any 63 FI car if the spark wire ends were straight but what do I know.

I know a lot of people assume that the unique FI spark plug wires with the 90* dist ends first appeared some time in May of 63 but that's not the case. I think that's been a myth for decades and it may have come from the 63 AIM.
There are a LOT of factory picures of pilot line cars that have the 90* wires. I have several.
As Bill Clupper mentioned, the wire set was on paper way back in mid 1962 and it couldn't have taken Delco very long to put the wire into production because Delco already had the components needed. (used on Olds engines?)

Here's a pic of a pilot line 63 engine with it's 90* plug wires. This pic would have been in, what, July or August 62?

[Michael H.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

So now we have two 63 gurus here from the same state saying the opposite of one another. This is a first in a long time.

I think there was a part number change on the FI wire set during the 63 model run and I vaguely remember that the difference was in the core of the wire, not the configuration of the dist end?

And I think you may have to "read between the lines" on RJ's post.

[John D.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

Michael, That pilot car pic is quite interesting. But to not stray from the subject at hand I am going to agree that the 63 FI cars typically used 90 degree terminal ends on the low tower cap. Olds was the first to use that low tower cap in the late 50's. So Olds had the wires and the cap.

Now to stray: That pilot car must have been one of the last ones built as it appears to be a cross over from the sand cast unit to the diecast unit but sharing a lot of the parts. Very nice photo. Thanks, JD

[John D.]

Re: 63 spark plug wire terminal ends

RJ wrote me a nice note on distributor wire teminals. So now I pass on the info to you or at least tell you where to go read all about them. Look in Noland Adams book on midyears. Read page 164 and then turn to page 166 and look at the info on top left hand corner.
"The distributor wires had 90 degree terminals on late 84 engines with U69". (AM/FM) This info on pg 166.
Now go back and read page164 and you will be amazed to find out out the 90 degree angle ends did not appear until AIM date 5-6-63-again on L84 engines only. This change should have occured around serial number 16,000 or so.
Now go see page 140 for a very nice original photo of a late 63 L84(FI) engine with 90 degree terminals. Read the caption.
Back up to page 136 and see a 63 prototype FI engine with straight terminals.
By the way I guess I am tired as I don't know the difference between a prototype engine and a pilot car engine???
Hanson posted a nice pic of an early pilot car w/FI that has 90 degree terminals. Go figure..
Notice that all pics of 63 carb engines have straight terminals for the distr cap.
Confused? Sure you are. Sorry. JD