[micmak]

Hi Folks, On a 1980 C3 can anyone tell me does the ignition shield slide into place with the plug wires on the engine side or outside the shield? Are the wires supposed to come out through the middle and wrap around the shield on their way to the plugs, or are they tucked inside between the shield and the engine?? I guess you can do it either way, but which way is correct?

Thanks.

......Mike.......

[toobroketoretire]

On my '82, the formed plastic (?) ignition shield has a moulded in trough that goes up against the automatic transmission dipstick tube, and the spark plug wires go in between the ignition shield and the engine block.

As it really doesn't do anything beneficial, I keep my ignition shield off. I have never noticed any static in my radio with it off, so I figured it doesn't have much of a purpose other than looks.

But my 82's ignition shield may be made different from yours.

[abike]

Nowadays the shield is more for looks. the spark plug wires used to have a copper core nowadays they have a silicone,or carbon fiber core therefore don't cause interferance as much.
Adam

[micmak]

Originally Posted by toobroketoretire

On my '82, the formed plastic (?) ignition shield has a moulded in trough that goes up against the automatic transmission dipstick tube, and the spark plug wires go in between the ignition shield and the engine block.
As it really doesn't do anything beneficial, I keep my ignition shield off. I have never noticed any static in my radio with it off, so I figured it doesn't have much of a purpose other than looks.
But my 82's ignition shield may be made different from yours.

Originally Posted by abike

Nowadays the shield is more for looks. the spark plug wires used to have a copper core nowadays they have a silicone,or carbon fiber core therefore don't cause interferance as much.
Adam

Thanks for the responses, Guys. I didn’t think the shield was of any huge importance. I have had mine off for a few weeks (I actually forgot it was off!!!) and there has been no difference to performance whatsoever. I have had the wiring inside the shield for many years and also at times outside the shield, and it never seemed to make any difference. I just wondered what the original intention might have been and if anyone knew for sure which way it was always intended to be. I guess I will do what I always do; just slide it in from the top and if some wires end up inside and others are outside the shield, then so be it!!!

Thanks for the responses, Fellas.

......Mike........

[toobroketoretire]

The ignition shield is nothing but a continuation of the shield that was used back in the days of the radio static producing spark plug wires with the solid cores. Ever since the spark plug wires got changed over to the carbon filiment resistor cores, the ignition shield has no purpose. It's just there for looks.

And the wires were supposed to be tucked in between the shield and the engine block; to shield them from the radio that is in the dashboard.