Spark Plug Wire Tool Review
I tend to do my own spark plug wires. Often the spark plug wire kits come pre-made for your engines application. This is fine for a regular passenger car, but for custom engines they are often too long or just don't fit right. So your choice is to get a set that is not at all crimped or criped on only one side. The one side often being the distributor side since you can then give the user the option to crimp either post style (HEI or Duraspark, etc) or old school style.
Some of the kits include a crimp that you place in a vice and smash with a hammer. These work OK, but the ones that you really want to get are the ratcheting jaw style like Taylor and other brands sell for a stiff premium. Let me say this, they are worth every penny. For electrical work getting the proper crimping tool will save you time and give you the best connection.
Spark Plug Wire Crimpers
These are two of my GO TO tools. I typically use Taylor 409 Wires and they make a combination Crimper / Stripper. This tool does the distributor side and produces a professional looking finished product (LEFT) The Crimper on the RIGHT is for crimping Cable TV connectors. This served me well for a number of years before I purchased the Taylor crimp. This has heavy dies and still was inexpensive. It produced solid crimps, but they looked a bit funny, best get the proper tool but if in a jam, this one worked well.
Here is a link to some on Amazon. I would try to find one that is specific for your chosen brand of wires. Accel, Taylor, MSD and others all make them for their size and type of wires.
Taylor Professional Crimper and Stripper
This is a great tool. It crimps and strips the spark plug wire. The stripper is nice as it is proper sized and doesn't cut the inner wire. The Jaws are replaceable for different sizes as well. Here is a link to this specific crimper on Amazon. This give a solid and dependable connection. I use these for the Taylor 409 wire sets.
Accel Vice Crimper
This tool came with a set of Accel spark plug wires I got a few years ago. They still sell these sell these, but I can't totally recommend them. The take much longer to do the wires and IMO do not do as good a job as the ratcheting crimpers. Still better then trying to use a pair of needle nose pliers... These are inexpensive and available also at Amazon. For those on a budget, this is an OK way to go.
Cable TV Crimper and Stripper
This is something that I used with good results prior to getting the proper tool. I picked it up at Radio Shack or someplace like that. It was about $15 bucks or so a long while back. This tool will work, but not as good as one specifically designed for spark plug wires. These can also work on smaller battery cable connectors.
Summay Crimper Tools
The ratcheting tools make the job go quick and make secure connections that can survive tugging and vibrations. The plastic or metal Vice style crimpers do an OK job if you have a vice, but have never left me with much confidance, much like that 'Spark Plug' crimp on your home electrical wire stripper/crimper.
