Best Spark Plug Wires

Old Henry

Old Henry

Well-known member
I just had a set of spark plug wires I got from C&G 18 months ago wear out after 20,000 miles. Are there any better than theirs that anyone would recommend?
 
Craig, What type of wires are they, copper wire inside or some type of suppression cable ? How could they wear out, what is the problem with them. Spark plug leads should last for many years. Regards, Kevin.
 
koates said:
Craig, What type of wires are they, copper wire inside or some type of suppression cable ? How could they wear out, what is the problem with them. Spark plug leads should last for many years. Regards, Kevin.
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They are solid copper wires. The wire is OK, it's the insulation that's leaking spark out to anything close enough to jump to instead of to the plugs. See this thread for how I determined this: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1179660#post1179660
 
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Packard 440 is the traditional hotrod wire, and is very durable. Its design is at least 50 or 60 years old, so there is almost certainly better insulation around now, but the 440 does work and endure!
I go traditional all the way and use Rajah ends...
https://www.brillman.com/ is my source.
Accel seems to be a decent and very easy to get modern equivalent. Their stuff comes in hideous yellow that belongs only on '75 Trans Ams, but I found out that adding a B into the part number gets you black wire that looks OK.
You just have to have good stuff in a stock Ford, as the metal conduits and the bunching of wires within the 59A cap are practically asking for trouble if you have dodgy insulation.
 
Speedway Motors makes a set for the flathead ( Moroso) thay we have used for years.

A service tip is to wipe the cables off using WD40 on a rag and wipe off the excess this keeps the moisture content down and they seem to last a long time.

Just remember that the spark will go to the path of least resistance and we hope thats the spark plug gap etc.
Also anything that causes a increase in secondary voltage will try even harder to jump to ground.
 
Henry, Don't feel alone. I have the same problem with the same wires. An under hood check in the dark showed the wires sparking against any metal that was near. Not every wire of course but enough to cause a low and cruising miss. Let's see what your post comes up with.
 
I appreciate all of the ideas. I investigated and considered them all. I may well should have pursued one or more of them but I'm afraid I took the easier route and ordered the C&G wires again since they are the stock brown color and already made up and cut to fit, and, probably most importantly, will be here in two days for my road trip next week. And, the guy at C&G said he'd never heard of a set failing and will talk to the manufacturer to see if I can get any warranty coverage for them.

Thanks again for all responses. I really appreciate it.
 
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Henry, Keep us posted on how the new set works on your trip. My Ford is in Winter storage but I would buy a new set in the Spring if you have good results
 
I'm sure there's a 7mm silicon sleeve spiral core wire out there? Maybe petronics make? This stuff ain't resistive like the carbon string stuff, but it does have real good resistance to "leaks". Works like solid copper core wire, as far as your ignition is concerned. The big but being this stuff can be bunched together in the plug wire conduits, and not leak your spark to earth. It also prevents induction spark leap. With solid copper leads, the spark intended for the cylinder on its firing stroke, can "leap" via induction, to another plug lead bunched next to it, that has its cylinder not on its firing stroke. It's harder for the plug to fire under compression than it is to fire a plug under any other stroke. The spark energy will take the easiest path. With the spiral wound stuff, this induction "leap" of the spark is vastly reduced, practically to never, but doesn't have the resistance of the carbon string stuff, which is what we need for our vintage ignition systems (no resistance) with the close coupled plug lead terminals in the caps, and small rotors and the like.
These spiral wound leads in 7mm are perfect for us, and will fit easy, unlike the 8mm stuff, and come in black.
If they were available in authentication color cotton braid, it'd sell like crazy. I don't know if it is though. One of the vintage specific hotrod speed shops may be a good call.
Martin.
 
It was explained to me thus...the main energy of the "jump" is at 90 degrees to the conductor, so traditional wire wants to jump over to the next wire if resistance is low that way. With spiral, the direction is along the wiring bundle rather than out...90 degrees is straight ahead.
 
Bruce Lancaster said:
It was explained to me thus...the main energy of the "jump" is at 90 degrees to the conductor, so traditional wire wants to jump over to the next wire if resistance is low that way. With spiral, the direction is along the wiring bundle rather than out...90 degrees is straight ahead.
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Not sure I follow this Bruce, are you referring to flux lines being 90 deg to the current flow?
 
I have used Packard 440 every since i was a kid on all my hot rods. Never had any trouble with them.
 
scooder said:
If they were available in authentication color cotton braid, it'd sell like crazy. I don't know if it is though. One of the vintage specific hotrod speed shops may be a good call.
Martin.
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It's my understanding that the loom equipment they use (cloth wire suppliers) braids over modern wiring. Should be able to get one of the manufactures to braid you up some!
 
Just a side note: several years ago I made a set out of a set of stainless steel spark plug wires. They came off of a Pratt and Whitney 1830 used on our DC-3's. Works great and have lasted a long time.
 
Try The Hot Rod Company http://www.thehotrodcompany.com
The products look good but I couldn't wait for them to ship a set so I went with the Moroso from Speedway. FWIW, I tried to find Moroso wires somewhere else and finally called them direct and was informed they only sell the wires through Speedway. Even though I don't like Speedway I went ahead and order them and they got all the way to CA the next day with two day shipping.
 
Whatever you do don't get the red transparent wires, had a friend with a street rod with those wires, at night he got quite a light show from them.
 
37 Coupe said:
I like the ignition products and cables from John Brillman in Virginia. www.brillman.com.
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I am glad you mentioned these folks. They could be very convenient for me as they are practically in my back yard. I was unaware they existed.

As another thought, I have used the Moroso plug wires from Speedway on a couple of 8ba's with good results using electronic as well as point type ignition.
 
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