After 24 years and 112,000 miles, I think one of my coils is shorting to the frame. I decided to replace the pack with a new set from Wells/Airtex (sourced from Rock Auto), but, of course, these $100+ parts that only fail after decades of service don't come with the soft rubber bits that they need - so, if you're following in my footsteps, you'll need to get B61P-13-363A from your local parts counter, internet source, or whoever you can. Too bad I realized this at 5:30pm on a Saturday. The coil packs themselves seem to change between 1.6/1.8 and also every few years within the 1.8s, but that mounting washer was apparently used in most of them.
There's also a plastic wire guide that you'll need to move over, mine came across without too much of a fight, but I can imagine that part shattering when removed if it's in a bad mood - sorry, since I didn't bust mine, I haven't looked up the number... a good parts guy can probably find it for you, I imagine it's about $4 - and as long as you're at the counter to get your $9 grommet...
My personal tool kit was fresh out of short 12mm sockets, you'll need one of them to get that back bolt off/on. Sears/Craftsman has a nice little 10pc metric 6pt socket set online at the moment for $14.24 - amusingly, if you just walk in the store, they want $19.99 until you tell them that it's available online for less, at which point a sales guy will help you do the online ordering there in the store, even print you four sheets of receipts for it, so you can go to will call to pick up the socket set you and he were holding in order to put the part number into the online system... I mention it not just because Sears is ridiculous/funny this way, but also because the socket and ratchet handle were perfect for reaching under the CAS to get at that bolt head that goes through the washer that I'm now waiting 2 days to get because my local parts counters don't work weekends, and especially not Sundays.
While I was wrenching in the blind behind the engine, some little electrical connector came disconnected on the back of the block, mentioning it because it was basically invisible when disconnected (or connected), I might not have noticed it if the loose end didn't pop out at me at some point - you'll probably want to look for it (and any friends) before putting the new coil packs in. Oh, and while these things are out, might be a really good time to replace that inboard heater core hose, the little blind nipple on the back of the block, the clutch hydraulic flex hose if it needs it, and probably some other stuff I don't know about...
So, the coil wasn't the problem, or at least not the whole problem. A new ignitor got the car running right again. While it was all open, I also replaced the inboard heater hose, but left the terror plug alone - it "felt" like it still has good integrity and I wasn't in the mood for more bleeding... Since the Magnacor 8.5 plug wires only have 21,000 miles on them and aren't showing "traces" the way the last set did after I don't know how many miles, I put them back and will use the new NGK blues on the 99. Finished off with a dose of injector cleaner, and will get it back on the road when it stops raining 14 hours a day.
