Chrisz24

Heres the deal
It's 98 with only 46K miles, It's a great car and I really like it! perfect blend of practical yet sporty I've owned it since 02 and bought it used with 10,000 miles.

I'm a maintance freek, If I cant do it I pay someone to do it right, I dont skip at all, Lately I've noticed that when starting up It sometimes blows a puff of blue smoke out the pipes, (burning oil) I only use mobile 1 and change it 3-4,000 miles, I dont drive hard, rarely floor it for any reason,

Also, now that it's getting more humid, my misfire problem is coming back I had the plugs+ wires changed 2 TIMES last summer! I dont want a repeat!
I looked under and last time I checked I pulled a wiere off a header, is their anything I can buy and wrap around my existing wires to help them last some longer? it pops sometimes especially on humid days so I just sence that its only going to get worse

In short I really want to put off spending 25K on a new car for a wile longer if possible, I know these arent major issues but the misfire is driving me crazy every hot day, what should I do?
I cant change the wires myself since thats beyond my level of work so what should I ask my mechanic to do?

brink

put anti heat thingys around your wires / plugs .. i forgot the name .. its some sort of metal that this dude i know has on his 69' Camaro SS that he races at the track .. he hasnt had to change plugs / wires in a long time..

MustangEater82

heat sheathing...

I put some on my car, when I did my plugs and wires... I have had no problems but only like 1.5 years, 17k miles. Especially after seeing one of my stock wires on the exhaust manifold

I got a 6ft. roll of 1000* sheething form summit for like $30, 1 foot per cylinder and Msd wires.

browse through "the great misfire mystery" thread at the top explains it.

99andMine

And the puff of blue smoke...thatd be oil getting past your rings. Not to cheap and since the plugs are beyond you the rebuild should be done by a mechanic. Look on the bright side, you can build it stronger...

Chrisz24

Today was a bit cooler so car ran just great!

Eric, I was actually going to try to IM you but your rarely on and ask you how your 3.8 does in FL with all the hot weather, thanks for replying

I had to go to the auto parts store today so I talked to one of the guys I normally deal with and he sugested that if they go we order a set of 8mm wires and get heat sheathing.

I'm going to try to stop by this speed shop by my work and see if I can get some kind of sheathing that goes over the existing wires to prolong their life if possible.

It's just so DANG hard to work under there! Cant even reach #2 I'd love to meet the engioneer who did this and kick him in the nuts

MustangEater82

Thing is that works for me... if you had plugs and wires like my car? I'd say hit it up yourself, but I have tubualr manifolds and 98s don't and I hear they are alot harder to work.

Need4Camaro

By all means H-E-DOUBLE-L-YES MUCH harder!

PREPARE and MAY you bring bandages... MANY MANY bandages!!!

Camabird

Mine we're quite as difficult as I had heard when I had the stock manifolds. Definatly fu**ed up my hands in the process though. Much easier with the headers

EKO

The smoke at startup is usually oil leaking past the valve seals, not the rings. It is common in older cars, although yours isn't that old. Either way, if it stops smoking theres nothing to worry about. If it keeps smoking or puffs when you stomp on it, then I would suspect rings.

MustangEater82

Imagine my surprise when I went out and did my plugs and wires in like 45 min, that included making all the heatsheathing and covering up the remainder of the wires with black tubing. I was thinking boy those guys on the interent bitch too much about changing plugs on a 3.8L...

then I saw a car with lincoln log manifolds and realized the differnce

Chrisz24

Wow, I never knew the Headers were THAT different, anyone have pictures? it's 2000 + right? anyone thing their is horse power gains? where they just more rounder?

I got under there the other day and re-ajusted the looms and black plastic things the wieres are in so it's pretty good right now, I might buy more of that black plastic stuff to protect an area where I think it needs it.

I stoped by that speed shop but they didnt have anything that I could fabricate to an existing setup, I guess I'll just wate till they really crap out and then get it re-done correctly.

BTW, I'm going to have a HARD time getting my mechanic to do this job again, he bitched alot about the last time!
~Chris