Hey a4 Cragman, I got 2 washer caps that I'll send you for $20 shipped.
Duplicolor has a "briliant silver" that matches factory LY7W "silver" perfectly.

 

Well I only need the passenger side cover but $20 is a reasonable asking price for both and I may take you up on that so in case the drivers side one ever comes up missing I have a replacement on hand, but I'll see what I can make happen with the Duplicolor and if I decide it looks bad or I do a sh1tty job spraying it on and screw up the cover I have, I'll let you know.

 

I used this writeup and used the convenient search feature to find this thread on our very own forum site looking for the exact same thing you are- a writeup for a 2.8. It has pictures and instructions, very useful.

The first link says not to go more than 500 miles with it in the crankcase, and I'm almost to 300 and haven't had a problem but the recommendation is 50-100 (and before being flamed by all of ya for going more than 100, I'm changing it later today so don't cringe too much, I hadn't even intended on going over 200 with it but I had to chase around town to get the misfire issue fixed, but just for the books, I haven't had any problems yet letting it run through there this long)

Don't waste your money on pulstar plugs. They do more harm than good for euro engines, search 'pulstar' on this site and find all the other threads about people that have tried them and ended up with misfiring engines, rough/non-existent idles and all sorts of other problems. These weren't designed for our motors, they were designed for American engines and I think for some rice, but not sure on that. Ultimately tho, go with NGks like a few people early in this thread told me to. They're cheaper and work well with these engines.

As for the socket, check autozone. That's where I got mine. Only cost 6 bucks and it worked like a charm.

 

You need to go to high powered coils and better wires to take advantage of these plugs.

 

Hokay. So. My problems are back and I don't know what to think.

Basically, the stutter that I had when I discovered the bad ignition wire has returned. It ceased for a few days after I loaded the worn area with electrical tape but now it's back and I've even had a couple misfires from it. I am unsure if it's that same wire or a different wire acting up but it's developed a habit of not stuttering when I'm looking at the coilpacks so I can't tell if it's arcing off the same wire or not.

Another symptom to this that may be helpful in any diagnosii you guys might be able to provide is the general stutter itself. If I push on the gas quickly, that's when it shutters, jolts and occasionally misfires, if I ease into it, it'll stutter/miss once or twice and then accelerate like normal. So is all this attributed to bad wires or do I potentially have a problem in the throttle body, coil packs, ICM or worse, timing belt?

I ordered new wires off ecs Monday night but I'm not sure what to do about this until they get here and once they're here if they doesn't solve the problem, I don't know where to go next but as mentioned early on in this thread, if it keeps misfiring my cats are gonna be shot and I can't afford new ones so what are some recommendations as to other sources of the problem and ways to fix it? I was thinking about loading a few layers of electrical tape onto all the wires in the same spot the first one was arcing through in case the other wires have the same issue going on, but if anyone has a better idea of what to do, please share

Much thanks,
-J

 

I'd still claim the bad wire.. Even though you taped it to prevent arcing, its still bad. Just ease into the throttle and wait on the wires before you go chasing your tail.

 

Good advice, thanks

Easing into the throttle is difficult, purely because my local surroundings aren't flat. At all. I'm always on a hill of some sort that requires quick throttle to not roll back into anyone, its frustrating haha. It doesn't help that I have terrible luck with lights either. But I'm working on keeping easy on the throttle. Hopefully the new wires will be here monday afternoon.

And speaking of wires, is there any special know-how or other required items to install them? I've heard for the wires you have to put a lubricant or sealant or something like that on the end that goes to the plugs to make sure dirt and moisture don't get in there, so is that required or just recommended? Also, are there any do's and don'ts for plugging in the end that goes on the coil packs?

Thanks again,
-J

 

Not really any do's or dont's other than make sure you hear and feel it 'click' then lightly tug to make sure its actually on. That 'stuff' is silicone gel you can get from the local auto parts store than you rub inside of the rubber boots. Its to help protect from moisture, yes, but mainly its so you can get the wire off again years down the road

 

I see, cool Thanks for clarifying that. UPS tracking number says they should be here tuesday so hopefully nothing blows up by then.

 

its called dielectric grease and it prevents arcing and electrical dissipation. its only recommended, i never put it on mainly because i dont have any, but it also makes a mess and dirt sticks to it and its hard to get out of small places like the inside of your wire plug or coil pack and spark plug socket wrench.