Spark Plug Wire Retainers

[81f100custom]

I have been searching the documentation but have not found these as of yet. Are they in there some place and I just have not ran across them as of yet? looking for the retainers and the screws, bolts that go into the valve cover that hold them in place. Here is a similar picture I found online that shows what I am searching for. I am sure Gary can set me straight if there in there someplace. Thanks

[Rembrant]

81f100custom wrote

I have been searching the documentation but have not found these as of yet. Are they in there some place and I just have not ran across them as of yet? looking for the retainers and the screws, bolts that go into the valve cover that hold them in place. Here is a similar picture I found online that shows what I am searching for. I am sure Gary can set me straight if there in there someplace. Thanks

You can buy the plastic retainers aftermarket from Dorman. I have them on my 302 now and they seem to work OK. Finding those factory bolts with the little post on top will be the hard part. You'll have to check the junkyard for those. I still have my originals.

If you're not in a rush, I will be removing mine at some point...but I can't say exactly when. I have a set of 5.0 GT valve covers I will be installing, and my stock bolts will not longer work.

[Gary Lewis]

The plastic "combs" are shown here: Documentation/Electrical/Ignition and on the Ignition Wiring tab:




But, I don't know what the part numbers are for the screws that hold them, and I can't find them shown in the MPC.  Here's the illustration that shows the 12297's, but I can't see the screws.  Can anyone?

[81f100custom]

That drawing does not look like they use those style retainers that would fit on the valve cover bolts. I notice it says for E250/350 8 cyl 460 would that be the same for the F100 302?

[Gary Lewis]

Dunno.  That's the only illustration in the MPC that addresses the engines used in the F-series trucks.  So I'm at a loss.

[Rembrant]

Gary Lewis wrote

But, I don't know what the part numbers are for the screws that hold them, and I can't find them shown in the MPC.  Here's the illustration that shows the 12297's, but I can't see the screws.  Can anyone?

Gary,

The screws in question are the forward two valve cover bolts on the 302. They are 1/4" hex head bolts, but the heads have a little post sticking out of them that the wire retainers fit on to. See mine below. They are like the wire "combs", but they have a hinged part that snaps in place.



My original retainers were all broken and falling apart, but I installed Dorman 40286 retainers and they are very similar (and fit the factory valve cover screw posts).

[Gary Lewis]

Cory - That helped.  They are:

387883-S2 r/b 387883-S8M-stud & washer (cover to cvl. head)-1/4"-20 x 1/4"-20 x 1.82

[81f100custom]

Look something like this maybe. I believe this is the part for the number Gary provided. If your not going to be needing the ones you have I would be interested in them. My wires have been kind of a mess so decided to try and use the original type routing and retainers on mine. So this was the original routing for the plug wires on these trucks I take and not over the center of the valve covers which is where mine is now and they don't fit well at all.

[Rembrant]

81f100custom wrote

Look something like this maybe.

That is exactly what they look like. There are two on each side.

The plug wires originally went around the front of the heads and then down the side of the valve covers. There were a couple loose combs used between the distributor and the valve cover retainers. Here is mine now...it is pretty much how they were routed originally. These are aftermarket wires and are a little shorter than the originals, so they don't flow quite as nicely, but they are OK.