Loose spark plug leads?

I just noticed that on my rear cylinders (haven't got into the fronts yet), the spark plug cap hardly makes connection with the plugs. That is, rather than snapping on in a positive manner, it just sits on top of the plugs, more or less. I looked inside and didn't see anything broken. Just wondering if others have experienced this, and what the fix is. New plug leads, I suppose? I'm guessing the cap can't be taken apart and repaired...

 

Make sure the plug has the nipple on top where the cap goes on. If it's just a threaded lead then you need the nipple on it for the cap to snap tight.

 

My 86 vf500 does not use the nipple, the threaded end is what it snaps on to. It is not easy to get these on, apply a considerable amount of pressure and wiggle it around while you are pushing down.

If you still cant get it on take a look at the plugs and plug wires, they might need to be replaced.

 

My spark plugs do not have the nipples on, and from looking inside the caps, I'm guessing they are not designed for nipples (not large enough). Also the .pdf shop manual I have, has a picture of spark plugs without nipples.

 

OK I figured it out. You can take these caps apart. If you look inside you see a screw slot. Unscrew it and there is the brass fitting, a spring and the resistor. The brass fitting has a little clip on it that grabs the threads of the spark plug. The clip has to be able to move. My brass fittings and clips were corroded so they didn't work any more. I cleaned it up and put a little WD40 in it (not much, didn't want that running down the spark plug), wiped it dry as I could, and now it clips on properly.

If your cap is very difficult to clip on, it's likely this item needs attention.

I got my bike together, but now I have to troubleshoot a power surge - it runs strong for a bit, then goes blah, then strong again. I had removed a bunch of (non-functional and cracked) California plumbing and have to make sure I haven't left a fitting open or something like that. The throttle is much more responsive though, when I "blip" it. It wasn't before, making clean shifts difficult.

 

There is a problem with your idle circuit (pilot jets) or your carbs are not synchronized.