MSD Spark Plug Recommendation
09-28-2004, 02:18 PM
#16
Race Director
Thanks for the research Nick!
"Joe also explained that you never want to use solid coil wires with any kind of grounded (conductive) protective sleeve as this will form a capacitor and act as a huge energy drain on the system."
I always knew those Nology wires were crap!
"Another interesting point is that the dielectric properties (resistance to electricity passing through an insulating material) of ignition wire insulation are always in the process of deterioration and will deteriorate faster with the higher voltages produced by larger spark plug gaps. He estimated wire replacement for your average daily driver using the high voltage set-up at somewhere close to once a year (seems high to me?)."
Yup, the material makes a difference too. Typical rubber-type insulation are always venting and evaporating oils and vapors over time. Continually be exposed to high-voltage speeds up this process and eventually the insulation dries out and cracks. I think the 9 or 10mm silicone wires should be able to hold up to any kind of abuse you send their way...
"Joe also explained that you never want to use solid coil wires with any kind of grounded (conductive) protective sleeve as this will form a capacitor and act as a huge energy drain on the system."
I always knew those Nology wires were crap!
"Another interesting point is that the dielectric properties (resistance to electricity passing through an insulating material) of ignition wire insulation are always in the process of deterioration and will deteriorate faster with the higher voltages produced by larger spark plug gaps. He estimated wire replacement for your average daily driver using the high voltage set-up at somewhere close to once a year (seems high to me?)."
Yup, the material makes a difference too. Typical rubber-type insulation are always venting and evaporating oils and vapors over time. Continually be exposed to high-voltage speeds up this process and eventually the insulation dries out and cracks. I think the 9 or 10mm silicone wires should be able to hold up to any kind of abuse you send their way...
09-28-2004, 10:43 PM
#17
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I just recieved my Clewett Engineering wires from Pelican today! They look great but they are 8mm, I really think they should be plenty thick for my setup right?
Quoted from Pelican:
"Clewett Engineering High Performance Ignition Wires are 8mm, with a 2 layer silicone jacket, wrapped in a 1200 degree protective sleeve. This Spiral Core, resistor conductor wire provides EMI/RFI suppression for all ignition and engine management systems."
Quoted from Pelican:
"Clewett Engineering High Performance Ignition Wires are 8mm, with a 2 layer silicone jacket, wrapped in a 1200 degree protective sleeve. This Spiral Core, resistor conductor wire provides EMI/RFI suppression for all ignition and engine management systems."
09-29-2004, 07:12 PM
#18
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Hi everyone,
Skip got back to me with regards to MSD’s insistence NOT to use solid core wires with their ignitions, and I wanted to make sure it got posted for reference.
*********************************************************
Skip wrote:
I had the same conversation with one of their "people" at SEMA a few years ago and we discussed their recommendations were actually more geared towards the early model muscle car crowd and folks with points systems. We, in the end, had to agree to disagree that the solid core wires with resistive ends were not suitable for Porsche ignition systems. I, and many others, have been running them with absolutely no problems for a few years. Their theory is based on old information that I feel they have no want to update. I tried to redirect their questions to people in the know about wire types (Taylor, Kingsborne, etc), but they kept to the company policy. It may be that in theory they should not be used (though, I still disagree), but in practice they work just fine.
That all said, resistive wires are okay for use on Porsches too - they're just not what Porsche would recommend.
It is indeed a bad idea to use solid core non-suppressed wires with aftermarket ignition systems and high energy coils (reminder: Porsche wires are suppressed by use of BERU resistive ends). Especially those equipped with alternate or updated ignition schemes or aftermarket engine management systems. This is the primary basis of MSD's recommendations (as well as Crane, Jacobs and Pertronix).
If folks want to make the situation of using resistive wires a bit better for use with Porsches and aftermarket ignitions, they can simply ensure all wires are equal length. This means making your own. But, it does answer one of the arguments about uneven power distribution.
I shouldn't really be considered an expert in the field, but I do have real-world experience and an extensive background in industrial electronics and EMI/RFI. Kingsborne, a leader in the OE and Aftermarket ignition industry, has the same understanding as I do. Taylor did not comment directly to my requests, but their publicly available information suggests an agreement as well.
Skip
Skip got back to me with regards to MSD’s insistence NOT to use solid core wires with their ignitions, and I wanted to make sure it got posted for reference.
*********************************************************
Skip wrote:
I had the same conversation with one of their "people" at SEMA a few years ago and we discussed their recommendations were actually more geared towards the early model muscle car crowd and folks with points systems. We, in the end, had to agree to disagree that the solid core wires with resistive ends were not suitable for Porsche ignition systems. I, and many others, have been running them with absolutely no problems for a few years. Their theory is based on old information that I feel they have no want to update. I tried to redirect their questions to people in the know about wire types (Taylor, Kingsborne, etc), but they kept to the company policy. It may be that in theory they should not be used (though, I still disagree), but in practice they work just fine.
That all said, resistive wires are okay for use on Porsches too - they're just not what Porsche would recommend.
It is indeed a bad idea to use solid core non-suppressed wires with aftermarket ignition systems and high energy coils (reminder: Porsche wires are suppressed by use of BERU resistive ends). Especially those equipped with alternate or updated ignition schemes or aftermarket engine management systems. This is the primary basis of MSD's recommendations (as well as Crane, Jacobs and Pertronix).
If folks want to make the situation of using resistive wires a bit better for use with Porsches and aftermarket ignitions, they can simply ensure all wires are equal length. This means making your own. But, it does answer one of the arguments about uneven power distribution.
I shouldn't really be considered an expert in the field, but I do have real-world experience and an extensive background in industrial electronics and EMI/RFI. Kingsborne, a leader in the OE and Aftermarket ignition industry, has the same understanding as I do. Taylor did not comment directly to my requests, but their publicly available information suggests an agreement as well.
Skip
09-29-2004, 09:49 PM
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I got my plugs and wires in tonight but ran out of time before I could wire up all the MSD stuff.... It seem's I need an .8 ohm ballast resistor too.... Danno, do you know where I can find one individually?
