Plug boots won't stay on

[lonelywolf8588]

I have tried everything but replacing y plug boots on my '86 Ninja 900. Cylinders 2 and 3 are the biggest problem with slipping off the plugs. What can I do short of replacing them? I tried putting a little non-hardening gasket maker inside the boots as an adhesive but it doesn't seem to help much.

 

[crazypj]

put the little tubular 'shaped nuts' on top of plugs, you probably have wrong caps or plugs.
There are two types, one goes on threaded end, one for 'smooth' nutted ends

PJ

 

[Redbird]

It's probably from years of pulling side-to-side on the wire to remove it from the plug. Especially the two inside wires. It spreads the little contact/clamp in the wire. Try GENTLY squeezing the contact together with a pair of needlenose pliers. If you can't get a pair of needlenose in there, try inserting a small blade flathead screwdriver between the contact and the boot, and again, GENTLY lever it over to push the contact/clamp together. Do this a little bit at a time... you can always squeeze a little more. But if you crush it, you're buying new wires.

 

[lonelywolf8588]

There actually isn't a clamp between there. There is a little cup looking thing but the plugs just have the threaded ends for where a ball should go but doesn't fit in the plug boot.

 

[Redbird]

If it looks like a cup inside the boot, and you have a threaded end on the plug, your problem is exactly what pj described. You need to have the oval shaped "nuts" that thread onto the plugs.

 

[lonelywolf8588]

I thought of that but when I tried the ball the plug wires wouldn't go on. It was like the cups inside are too small but they are perfectly round.