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tmart
Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2017
Posts: 176
Location: CA
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 Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 4:59 pm Post subject: NGK BP6ET Spark Plugs: Wires Won't Connect? |
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I feel like an idiot, but I can't get my new spark plug wires onto my new NGK BP6ET plugs. 
I saw someone else mention the same issue on a different thread but no one responded to that post. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
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1990 Vanagon 2.2L Manual
The van that samba built |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32632
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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tmart
Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2017
Posts: 176
Location: CA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 5:03 pm Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plug Wires? |
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Man thesamba is magic, first I post about my oil pressure valve plug fix and it breaks immediately after.
Now I post about this and figure it out right when I go try again. For anyone else that comes across the same issue, there's a cover on the spark plug terminal that covers threads. Then you can just screw on the wire.
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1990 Vanagon 2.2L Manual
The van that samba built |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32632
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 7757
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 6:40 pm Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plug Wires? |
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| djkeev wrote: |
| Remove the aliminum spark plug end. Just grab it with a pair if pliers and rotate counter clockwise... |
Whoop, there it is!
- Dave
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 7925
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 6:43 pm Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plug Wires? |
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| djkeev wrote: |
| Remove the aluminum spark plug end. Just grab it with a pair if pliers and rotate counter clockwise. |
AKA, terminal nut.
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~Kamz 
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
 1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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SteveMc
Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2013
Posts: 210
Location: Alberta, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 6:49 pm Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plug Wires? |
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| kamzcab86 wrote: |
| djkeev wrote: |
| Remove the aluminum spark plug end. Just grab it with a pair if pliers and rotate counter clockwise. |
AKA, terminal nut. |
Easy there!! He’s a bit of a nut but I don’t think it’s terminal.
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
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Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 6:52 pm Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plug Wires? |
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| SteveMc wrote: |
| Easy there!! He’s a bit of a nut but I don’t think it’s terminal. |
To be fair, I think it's terminal for all of us...
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~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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tmart
Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2017
Posts: 176
Location: CA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 7:51 pm Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plugs: Wires Won't Connect? |
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Man Dave, you responded quick. And yes, I learned you just push and don't screw pretty soon after posting. Sitting there screwing and still being able to pop off the wire was getting pretty annoying. I tried an embarrassing number of times to get the threads to mesh. Guess it's terminal for me too....
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1990 Vanagon 2.2L Manual
The van that samba built |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6572
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 8:16 pm Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plugs: Wires Won't Connect? |
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You've arrived at the Terminal, Welcome!
Don't feel too bad, when we bought our bus we thought it was a Dodge.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
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Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
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ezmass
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Joined: August 26, 2019
Posts: 13
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2022 3:43 pm Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plug Wires? |
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Thank you Dave! This post just saved me from going crazy.
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[email protected]
Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2022
Posts: 4
Location: TX
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2022 7:20 pm Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plugs: Wires Won't Connect? |
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I just bought my 1991 Vanagon GL and found that the engine felt like it was occasionally misfiring, like perhaps one of the spark plugs got wet. Shuddering and such, and I was checking the spark plug wires. I found that they felt loose over the ends of the spark plugs and found that the terminal nuts were removed from all my spark plugs.
The wires will not fit my new spark plugs, but I don't really want to take the terminal nuts off because the wires don't feel like they make a good enough connection with the spark plugs?!
Is there any way to get spark plug wires that will fit my new spark plugs with the terminal nuts left on? |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2022 10:36 pm Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plugs: Wires Won't Connect? |
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| [email protected] wrote: |
I just bought my 1991 Vanagon GL and found that the engine felt like it was occasionally misfiring, like perhaps one of the spark plugs got wet. Shuddering and such, and I was checking the spark plug wires. I found that they felt loose over the ends of the spark plugs and found that the terminal nuts were removed from all my spark plugs.
The wires will not fit my new spark plugs, but I don't really want to take the terminal nuts off because the wires don't feel like they make a good enough connection with the spark plugs?!
Is there any way to get spark plug wires that will fit my new spark plugs with the terminal nuts left on? |
With the nuts removed you should be able to feel the wire ends slide down over the threads on the ends of the plugs. |
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jlrftype7
Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2018
Posts: 3582
Location: Chicago
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2022 6:02 am Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plugs: Wires Won't Connect? |
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| [email protected] wrote: |
I just bought my 1991 Vanagon GL and found that the engine felt like it was occasionally misfiring, like perhaps one of the spark plugs got wet. Shuddering and such, and I was checking the spark plug wires. I found that they felt loose over the ends of the spark plugs and found that the terminal nuts were removed from all my spark plugs.
The wires will not fit my new spark plugs, but I don't really want to take the terminal nuts off because the wires don't feel like they make a good enough connection with the spark plugs?!
Is there any way to get spark plug wires that will fit my new spark plugs with the terminal nuts left on? |
A '91 will, or should have ,the later style PIN ends that connect to the Dist Cap and the Coil, versus the earlier style wires that had the traditional push terminals.
The spark plug ends still just slide down the threads of the plug, with the terminal ends removed, at this part, both the early and later plug wires grab the plug threads the same way. A Really Aftermarket set that someone put in the engine might have needed a different set-up with the spark plugs, but the stock versions don't. 
If your plug wires are so worn that you think they're not grabbing the threads of the spark plug, it's time for new wires, since a loose connection will just get worse with arcing. BUT, even new wires might feel 'loose' to you if you're not used to the internal grab/connect system on the stock wires versus some other plug wire that required the terminal nut to stay on a Spark Plug. It IS a different feel with the wire on the plug, a bit more 'wiggle' than maybe you think should be there.
Can you add a picture of both one of your spark plugs and the wire end of the plug wire that's loose on you?
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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
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do.dah
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2015
Posts: 447
Location: Washington
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2022 6:07 am Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plugs: Wires Won't Connect? |
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| [email protected] wrote: |
I just bought my 1991 Vanagon GL and found that the engine felt like it was occasionally misfiring, like perhaps one of the spark plugs got wet. Shuddering and such, and I was checking the spark plug wires. I found that they felt loose over the ends of the spark plugs and found that the terminal nuts were removed from all my spark plugs.
The wires will not fit my new spark plugs, but I don't really want to take the terminal nuts off because the wires don't feel like they make a good enough connection with the spark plugs?!
Is there any way to get spark plug wires that will fit my new spark plugs with the terminal nuts left on? |
I've often thought that the way our factory wires set onto the sparkplugs with out the terminal nuts, was less than ideal. Factory wires just get contact on the ridges of the sparkplug terminal threads, whereas wires that snap onto the terminal nuts, seem more secure and have greater contact surface.
You use to be able to get sparkplug wire kits that you could cut and assemble to fit to whatever specific vehicle you were working on. IDK if those kinda kits are still available.
The problem I almost always had with those kits, is you would get a lot of stray voltage arcing from either the dizzy or most often the sparkplug ends, causing misses. You can easily ID that situation by looking at your running engine in a dark area, either at night or in a garage. |
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 7757
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2022 8:11 am Post subject: Re: NGK BP6ET Spark Plugs: Wires Won't Connect? |
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@smorales: In response to your question, I vote for treating yourself to a new set of plugs,
stock wires, dizzy cap & rotor which you should do anyway on a new-to-you van.
Who knows what abuse has been foisted on the old girl…treat her right! 
- Dave
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"The WonderVan"
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