Plug wires...what's good??

bcarter

bcarter

New member
So, after trying to figure out what plugs to use, I now am looking to upgrade the ignition wire set. What everybody using?

I found a set by a company called Nology, makers of "Hotwires", for almost $500 Canadian a set, but supposed to be great. A little out of my $$$ range..

Thoughts??

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G. Brooke Carter
Wheat Buckley Racing
# 10 Challenge Car
Calgary, Alberta
 
Thoughts...

Use the money to buy some tires.

Put in some decent wires, make certain they're in good shape and well routed. No long parallel paths of wires next to each other and search elsewhere for time/power.
 
It really depends on which manufacturer's advertising you want to believe. If you read the advertising about Magnacor, MSD, or the Racing Beat wires....They all say they are the best. The Magnacors I bought were about the same price as the Racing Beat wires.

When plug wires are new, almost all decent quality wire will transfer about the same juice to the plugs. It's the question as to heat resistance of the wires insulation. If that breaks done then you may start loosing spark. (From what I understand.) This typically happens as the plug wires become more seasoned.

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Allen Brown
#36 IT1
[email protected]
 
Seat time will make you faster than spark plug wires. Case in point... Our RX7, with JY drivetrain, cooling system, stock original cut springs and shocks (ok... KYB's in back), just ran within .5 seconds of the ITA track record at Topeka. It had nothing to do with the spark plugs. In fact, I think they're Small Block Chevy wires that we had in the shop.

The same driver (Bryan Cohn) drove an equivilant RX7 3 seconds a lap faster than our RX7 driven by myself, yet our car was much faster with student drivers at the last drivers school.

My point is, there's no point in throwing money at a car until you have stopped going faster as a driver.

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Scott
It's not what you build...
it's how you build it
Izzy's Custom Cages

[This message has been edited by Speed Raycer (edited February 26, 2004).]
 
I do understand the point about driving better vs money, but as I have said before, speed is incremental, and any power advantage I can get is just that, an advantage. Two cars with equal exit speed, the HP becomes a factor down the straight. We have the longest straight in Canada, and HP is a factor.

I recently saw a display in a speed shop with 6 different sets of wires, and the resistance was very different among them. Obviously, the less spark lost to resistance is better. MSD came out on top, but it was their display...duh !

In discussions with tuners,there seems to be a conviction that the right wires can provide a power boost. Just that the "best" wires differ from application to application.

I figure the wires deteriorate over time, and so if I am going to replace them anyway, why not take a "systems" approach, and maximize each segment of the system...

zoom zoom
 
BC,

I agree with your incremental steps, and the sum of all the small things become big things approach. I was merely suggesting that Super Special plug wires would be very, very low on my priority list.

We are not trying to ignite a super rich, high pressure mixture. Like a Top Fuel motor. Their mixtures and cylinder pressures are so high they need a bazillion amps, +/- a few, to keep the hole lit. Have you seen the magnetos on those things and 16 plugs?!

If your plug wires are in good shape they will offer enough current and voltage to delivery a healthy spark, for our purposes.

As long as you aren't having problems with your existing setup additional volt amps isn't going to help things.

It's like octane...If you aren't detonating now and you can't increase the timing or compression ratio adding extra octane gains you nothing.

Find a little baby step somewhere else. If everything else on the car is maximized. Congratualtions you've got us all beat in that game! Go treat the family/freinds to a nice celebration dinner!

--Daryl DeArman
 
Ya see, that's the point of this forum...I read a little, I talk a little, and I learn something.

I am currently running low octane gas, so the point about spark and igniting the mixture is really well taken.

Now, I wasn't gonna buy those million dollar wires, just trying to find the best bet.

I'm running low octane due to another bunch of posts regarding heat, and combustion temps.

Just difficult to find the answers, when the first time on the track every year is race day...remember I live in the frozen Great White North, so testing is something we just don't have time for.

I do believe the wires deteriorate, and am going to replace them, and really what I am looking for is anyone who has a real negative about particular wires.

Ran NGK's last two years, no problems, but someone just told me they were not up to the standards of the plugs. How about the Racing Beat wires?

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G. Brooke Carter
Wheat Buckley Racing
# 10 Challenge Car
2002 Class Champion
Calgary, Alberta
 
Originally posted by bcarter:
Ya see, that's the point of this forum...I read a little, I talk a little, and I learn something.

I am currently running low octane gas, so the point about spark and igniting the mixture is really well taken.

Now, I wasn't gonna buy those million dollar wires, just trying to find the best bet.

I'm running low octane due to another bunch of posts regarding heat, and combustion temps.

Just difficult to find the answers, when the first time on the track every year is race day...remember I live in the frozen Great White North, so testing is something we just don't have time for.

I do believe the wires deteriorate, and am going to replace them, and really what I am looking for is anyone who has a real negative about particular wires.

Ran NGK's last two years, no problems, but someone just told me they were not up to the standards of the plugs. How about the Racing Beat wires?
Click to expand...

I think your right in your octane choice, at least according to my dyno runs.

I run the RB wires and they seem fine, but I haven't done any back to back comparos. They look good, though!



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]
 
Stock set of NGK wires will work ok for a year or two. Most wires designed for street cars have a lot of resistance somewhere around 12 to 16 ohms. The more they get used, the more the resistance gets which causes a weak spark and eventually, poor ignition. The resistance is built into these wires merely to prevent radio interference(noise). If you are like me and like to listen to Bob Marley when you drive, then these are ok
biggrin.gif
If not, get a set of Accel (or something similar) street wires which have less resistance and have a decent silicone casing to protect the core that wont wear out too quickly. Roughly 30 to 50 bucks. If you want to be a super cool racer dude, then anti up and get a set of race wires which has very little resistance and will provide excellent spark and continuous efficiency.(more power but can only be seen on dyno results) I would suggest a set of Magnecor(from Speed Source) or Accel 300 race wires(from most anywhere) that you can get for around $80. NOLO who?????? $500 dallah??? Ahhhh ...No. Leave that for the super tuner ricer posers
smile.gif

Ray
 
I bought a set of ACCEL (sic) wires for a V-8 and fabbed up to sets with extra coil wires and all for about $30.00. You do need a good crimping tool though.

Drive well.
 
Originally posted by moto62:
If you are like me and like to listen to Bob Marley when you drive, then these are ok
biggrin.gif
Click to expand...

Bob Marley!!!!

I always had you as a Whitney Houston kinda guy!!!!!
 
Interesting choices in music.

I prefer the traditional Mazda Throat Singing, with the speaker sticking out under the rear bumper.

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G. Brooke Carter
Wheat Buckley Racing
# 10 Challenge Car
2002 Class Champion
Calgary, Alberta
 
Originally posted by Tom Blaney:
Bob Marley!!!!

I always had you as a Whitney Houston kinda guy!!!!!
Click to expand...

Nah!!! But I do have a thing for Julie Andrews.
This page is dedicated to Julie Andrews who is the most talented person on earth! http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/4756/ Julie rocks
biggrin.gif

...and to keep this a plug wire thread....
Festus, that is a good idea and is exactly what I did before I found out that I could actually buy race wires that were already made for the 7.
Ray

[This message has been edited by moto62 (edited April 11, 2003).]

[This message has been edited by moto62 (edited April 11, 2003).]
 
Back to plug wires....

I had an engine builder I used to deal with who ordered several brands of plug wires to test. The resistance values were all over the map for these "performance wires". Accel, MSD, Taylor, Woody wires were all tested, and the winner is.......


MSD!!!



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Chris Wire
Team Wire Racing
ITS Mazda RX7 #35
[email protected]
 
Well, just to finish this off, I finally just sprung for the Taylors that Mazda Comp sells. Dyno on Wednesday... we'll see how the winter tune-up went.

Happy racing.

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G. Brooke Carter
Wheat Buckley Racing
# 10 Challenge Car
2002 Class Champion
Calgary, Alberta
 
Brooke Carter:
I like the Taylor wire set (like you bought)because everything is "tailored" to fit. I've been very pleased with their performance.

Rick Thompson #99 IT7
 
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