Spark Plug Wire Metal Protectors - Necessary?

[Namrepus28]

Hey everyone,

I tried a search but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for in terms of an answer.

Are the metal spark plug boot guards ('03 SSEI) necessary? Can I remove them and leave them off without negative consequences? Or are they needed to protect the boots from melting, etc, and without them the wires will fail prematurely?

Just wondering if anyone else has removed them and whether or not there were consequences for doing so.

Thanks!

[peter]

Curious why you'd want to remove them?

[nos4blood70]

Took mine off over 120k miles ago, now I can actually pull a spark plug wire off of the plug without swearing. You're good to run without them.

[Namrepus28]

Hey Peter,

I put in new wires, and #1 kept falling off of the engine at the boot today. I think I figured it out. I had a wire connector that was pulling the wire in such a way that the pressure was enough to yank out the wire with enough driving and vibration.

I thought maybe the issue was due to the metal protector when I posted the question, but so far so good on my drive home.

Thanks for the info Carl! Good to know I don't need them if I don't want them. It was definitely a huge pain when I changed the plugs, especially the ones on the rear. They've come off easier since then though.

[Goostoff]

I toss them *fook* every time I get done bitching about them while i am removing them. Never had an issue

[peter]

Hey Peter,

I put in new wires, and #1 kept falling off of the engine at the boot today. I think I figured it out. I had a wire connector that was pulling the wire in such a way that the pressure was enough to yank out the wire with enough driving and vibration.

I thought maybe the issue was due to the metal protector when I posted the question, but so far so good on my drive home.

Thanks for the info Carl! Good to know I don't need them if I don't want them. It was definitely a huge pain when I changed the plugs, especially the ones on the rear. They've come off easier since then though.

I doubt anyone will have any evidence saying wire will last X miles with the shields and X miles without them. I'm just going to venture to guess GM bean counters would have left them off if the engineers didn't feel they were at least somewhat important. Do they make the wires slightly more of a pain to remove, sure -- but I've never failed to get the wire off eventually. Who does wires so often it's really an issue?

But glad to hear you found the root of the problem wasn't the shields in the end

[Goostoff]

I doubt anyone will have any evidence saying wire will last X miles with the shields and X miles without them. I'm just going to venture to guess GM bean counters would have left them off if the engineers didn't feel they were at least somewhat important. Do they make the wires slightly more of a pain to remove, sure -- but I've never failed to get the wire off eventually. Who does wires so often it's really an issue?

But glad to hear you found the root of the problem wasn't the shields in the end

I do wires often enough that it is an issue. I just did an 08 Grand prix today. Guess what? Them SOB's didnt go back on. Oh and back to the engineers... When was the last time you seen an engineer make a rational thought that worked properly.