AWOL

My engine is an 89 454 mag and has the thunderbolt ignition.

I put in my serial number and ordered some new spark plug wires from an online retailer. They are the BLUE quicksilver wires 84-847701Q7. When the box arrived, they say for 1990 and newer.

I ran them for a bit and the boat just didn't feel right, like the leads weren't making good contact (didn't "snap" onto the plug so well). I swapped back to my old beat up wires and all was good - until I just melted one on the manifold last week.

Long story short, I see they have RED quicksilver wires 84-816608K61 for 1981-1997.

Is there any reason the RED wires are the correct and the BLUE are incorrect for my motor? IS there really any difference or was it just all in my head.

Any help would be great

F-2 Speedy

iTrader: (6)

Just put MSD super conductor 8.5 mm wires on it, pick your boot and cap style and call it good

Griff

The blue are just color matched to the Merc racing blue engines. Same wires, just different color.

I'm assuming the engine ran up to correct WOT rpm and did not misfire.

BUP

iTrader: (9)

The red wires before they were red were black. The red and black wires were for production black engines and cost less than the blue wires in which are listed for Merc racing engines even for the 572 CID.

At one time Black engines even had blue ignition wires on them. If I recall the spark plug wire boots can be different because of the style of exhaust manifolds that the Merc racing engines use compared to the black engines use that are basically the same standard cast iron exhaust manifolds across the board..

Sometimes it is best to call a marine shop or order parts off a person like myself because I will always get you what pertains to your engine serial number just in case something does not cross fit correctly or work properly.

In the long run you will save instead of the savings you think you are getting with online shopping with no tech support. And I have billions worth of marine tech support in my head and hands on.

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Br1dgemann

Unfortunately, BUP, individuals such as yourself are difficult to find. Most are parts-counter jockies that do no better than the owner ordering on-line without tech support....

AWOL

The way the boots are on the new ones, they never really snapped on as well as the old wires. There wasn't an obvious misfire, but in the upper rpm I felt I was about 200 rpm down.

I could only muster 60 on gps with the blue wires, swapped back to the old ones, went right back out and ran 64.

I made sure all connections were as tight as they could be.

BUP

iTrader: (9)

heck Im not that hard to find, I am up here everyday. Can not get any easier than that. Just saying.

Knot 4 Me

The wires on my 2003 496 MAG are the same way. No positive click. Drives me nuts!!!

BUP

iTrader: (9)

For all 7.4 and 454 mag's non Merc racing engines it shows what you posted from 1981 thry 1997 T bolt IV & V the red wires 84-816608Q61 so I have no idea how the blue wires came up for your app as they should not have.. I do not even know your engine serial number and it still shows the red wires across the board.. I would wonder if you had a bad wire even being new. - pulling off and installing wires you have to handle the boot only do not pull or bend on the wire itself nor any sharp bends. .

SB

iTrader: (1)

I have to push the boots back up the wire a little on atleast 30-40% of everything I touch - be it cars or boats, OEM or aftermarket.