Choosing the Right Spark Plug Wires Based on OHMS of Resistance
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Spark plug wires are simple; or are they? With tons of options to choose from, selecting the right one for your application is critical. OHMS of resistance is a big factor in selecting the best wire and you can test your current wires without a lot of fancy tools.
Crimper I use: amzn.to/2QkM5Fr
FAST wireset I use a lot of - amzn.to/48FrEIN
My carburetors for sale - musclecarsolut...
Order My Merch Here - muscle-car-sol...
We're on Facebook! - / 660846365791157
I'm on Instagram! - / muscle_car_solutions
Wanna buy me a beer? ;) I like beer! / musclecarsolutions
New video cam! - amzn.to/47XMhAP
Gimbal - amzn.to/44zKNd9
My Amazon Store - www.amazon.com...
#ignitionwires #sparkplugwires #ignitionsystem
Great test, thank you ! My first car back in the early 70s (64 Dodge 383) I ran Accel plug wires,dual point distributor and their Super coil . I look back now and that was way too much yellow in the engine compartment. My current small block Chevy I am using a D.U.I HEI style distributor and MSD plug wires. Times have changed over the years !
Sure have!
I was already getting ready to do my plug wires test . I use MSD or Taylor . I quit using the cheap quality plugs from the auto parts stores and stopped using Accel wires as well . I will say people also need to use good quality spark plug wire separators. Also I found even with the high performance 7mm or 8mm plug wires besides using separators make sure the wires dont touch anything metal on the engine ! we upgraded to MSD 8mm plug wires on my moms jeep and it was still causeing a check engine light to come on and tge code was misfire bank 1 bank 6 ect. once I used wire separators and thick zip ties to help keep tge wires from touching other metal stuff it quit causing the other problems . if you use one of those yellow Accell long coil wires fire up the vehicle at night you can watch a ball of electricity move through the wire
spray wires lightly sparks everywhere insulate and separate , cataclean , pedo fiasco got me past the smog scam thumbs down clown move it all out now finally past
Great info! Thanks for sharing! I just learned I bought some junk wires and now I know why MSD & FAST is 3x’s the price.
Where can I find fast wires? With all the counterfeit spark plugs, sensors and other parts going around I would like to find reputable seller.
Directly from FAST, Summit.
I was hoping FireCore would make the test list.... Great video.... The Taylor shocked me..... Accel didn't surprise me at all...
I had to keep the cost down so I ordered brands that offered single replacements. If I hadn’t, I can’t imagine what this video would have cost to make! Thanks for watching!
don´t measure ohms holding both multimeter tip leads you are putting your body resistance on parallel and getting erroneous values
Funny, I have been running Moroso Spiral Core for decades. Good radio suppression and great conductivity. To bad they didn't make it into the comparo ... 🙃
I spent quite a bit to make this one. I didn’t know individual wires would be so much! I’m fairly sure some of those Moroso wires were pretty high ohms when I looked at them, but not uncommon when they add a ton of insulating properties for those boosted or high cylinder pressure engines. Go put a meter on them and see if they are in spec and let me know!
I decided Accel was not worth the extra cost, junk 30 yrs ago. Thanks for proving that nothing has changed.
Never knew what you’ll find till you start measuring!
A+ video for educational content. Though I have to give the recommendation of FAST wires an F rating. I bought a set for my car after watching this video and began checking each of the wires with my ohm meter, as you showed, but I did measure at the terminal inside the boot. The four shortest wires all were at 32 ohms/ft or lower, but the four longer wires were all much higher. Three were between 75-225 ohms/ft, one was at 714 ohms/ft. On that one, I pulled the boots off and discovered the signal wire had come untucked from the terminal crimp on one end. When I tested the signal wire itself, the reading came right down to 25 ohms/ft. Maybe I just got a bad batch, but I'm not too keen on the single crimp design and suspect that's the issue with most of the higher readings I got. I've ordered a MSD kit that allows you to make your own custom length wires using double crimp terminals. I appreciate you taking the time to show how to properly test all the wires.
@@robertcassella932 that’s why I always make my own. Full control over the length I want, and using a good tool. 👍
Great video per usual. Makes me feel better about my MSD selection.
Thankfully the quality hasn’t taken a dive after they were purchased.
Great review. I’d say Summit and Taylor are the same wire. So if your budget dictates, try Summit. Be interesting to see the difference between a good crimped connector and a backyard crimp without the correct tool. That’s where I would have saved money in the day. No crimping pliers.
It’s really not that expensive of a tool. But even if you used the MSD crimp block, they’re still better than trying to make a good crimp with basic hand tools. It’s a good investment for the right tool!
I agree. I have the right tool now. But when I was 24 I didn’t and I didn’t know what tools existed, I didn’t have YT and google to learn. I may not have had 10$ extra to buy a tool. 57 now. It’s all different. Kids raised. Retired from AF. Have a good job. Now I have to much stuff!
@@garyhosier4765 yeah I don’t wanna think about how I did stuff as a kid. 😆 Broke and bad decisions! Thanks for your service brother! My Dad was AF. I should have gone that route. The girls were prettier!
It’s been great for me as a person. Thank you.
Thanks for the video. Just ordered a set of Fast wires for my 427.
Easily my favorite!
So much 2 consider an understand. Yep I'll just run down to the auto parts store and grab me some plug wires It ought to be good. 🤔 I have to admit that's the way most of us think.
Yup. I’m sure that’s probably the case. Honestly on my GMC I could probably run a 7mm, high ohm wire and it would likely be fine. But I’ve been making wire sets for quite a long time to get lengths I want. Mostly because I like the under header look on distributor ignition systems.
Great topic and content and thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
I've never tested the ohms but in Mercedes ignition systems, they require non-resistor plugs as the resistors are in the wires themselves. Another reason why its so important to use genuine Mercedes replacement parts.
I for sure couldn’t see a set of Accel plug wires under the hood of an e class! 😆
Great video.
Use a 4 wire test set up (look it up). Don’t hold the terminals when measuring.
Great video. I used Accel plug wires back in the late 70's when in high school because they looked cool along with their super coil. But I've been using MSD plug wires for a long time now and they seem to last much longer with headers and heat cycles. I would like to a comparison of the spark plug boots? They seem to fail before anything else. My two cents worth. Thanks for your video's.
I think most folks have had a yellow set of Accelerator wires on something! Testing boots might be challenging. Let me think about that one. Thank you!
I have all Fords, and I use the Ford Racing 9mm (spiral-wound) cut-to-fit wires. They're fairly inexpensive (less than $60), and beyond being Ford branded, I've verified their advertised 9 ohm resistance, and they work great with the sniper EFI I have installed on one of my cars.
Assuming you meant they were 9mm wires. What is the ohm rating on them? What measurement did you get?
@CarSolutions - 9mm wires, AND 9-ohm resistance. I tested them back in 2014, and don't remember exactly what the resistance was, but I seem to remember 9.1 ohms - close enough to 9 to not quibble.
You sure about that? What part number are you using?
@@MuscleCarSolutions - M-12259-M302
Only a guess, but MSD is my pick to win (at beginning of video).
great. i have accell wires🤬🤬🤬
Get that multimeter out!
Given the rise time of a spark, you need to measure reactance instead of ohms. The reason why I bring this up is some wires have low ohms at dc but have a lot of reactance when a spark is transmitted. I do not like spiral core wires for this reason. Suprisingly though, most anything will work at least for a while. ( Magnecore is somewhat unique in this area as they have a good rise time.)
What performance spark plug wire company publishes that measurement?
@@MuscleCarSolutions I do not think they publish this, I had to test with an oscilloscope and I did not test more than the three types I had on hand.
You cannot test plug wire resistance with a typical multimeter. They need to be tested with what is essentially RF testing equipment. This is why the manufacturer spec varies so greatly. They are listing based on different test protocols. The impedance will change based on firing frequency. They must be tested at high voltage, switched at typical firing frequencies. The insulator has a huge impact on impedance at frequency which testing DC resistance does not show. Your bench testing here shows absolutely nothing. Do not make a decision on what wires to use based on this. I think if properly tested, on the same ignition coil, with the same control module, fired at typical firing frequencies, you would probably find the spark energy between all these varies insignificantly.
I guess it was just an accident that some of the advertised ratings were very close to what we measured. How do you explain that?
@@MuscleCarSolutions I stated why. They are listing the numbers based on different test parameters. Some are giving you the DC resistance, which is why they come out close on a typical meter. Some are likely giving you the impedance at frequency, which is the important metric. DC resistance does not tell you the same thing as it does in a typical DC circuit carrying steady state lower voltage current. The current is pulsed, high voltage, that has a significant negative component, through a conductor insulated in a dielectric core. This is precisely why plug wires are made the way they are rather than a simple insulator capable of handling the voltage. They are more like an RF coax than a simple conductor. The white inner insulator is a dielectric core. Its the dielectric, along with the conductor that give its characteristic impedance (not resistance) at frequency, not just the conductor alone.
@@ArionRaine while all of that is fascinating, and I’d love to see you make that video showing all those possible tests and further explain RFI, how current moves through different types of configurations; thats not what this video was about. Simply the one measurement that most aftermarket plug wire manufacturers advertise. Ohms of resistance per foot. We tested it. The results were very close in some instances and off in others. I really hope you’ll make that video that will show there is no difference in spark energy in spark plug wires.
I went with “good rated” Taylor wires and they were complete junk. The amazon no names I had prior performed better than the expensive Taylor garbage. Taylor doesn’t stand behind their products either
Tried to think if I ever had any problems with a Taylor wire. Don’t know that I have. What was wrong with the set you got?
Great comparison, will consider on my next purchase. Thanks !!
For sure! Always good to know what it is you’ve actually purchased. This has been a reminder for me to get back to checking the details!
17:23 0.028-inch is hardly out of tolerance for plug wire OD. Not a concern.
Red flag! What else did they not make to spec?
@@MuscleCarSolutionsThey are to spec. Dimensions have tolerances. Advertised size is a nominal marketing model identification. Same thing as engine and motorcycle models that are both the actual displacement of the engine.
@@mopartony7953 all depends on what you’re willing to accept.
What spark plug wire crimpers are you using?
Link is in the description
@@MuscleCarSolutionsthanks. Not sure how I didn't see that when I first watched the video a month or so ago. 🤦🏻
@@Mopar_Taxi_Guy it happens!
Great Video. I needed this info for the K20!
Thanks bud. Enjoying the k20 videos! Keep ‘em coming!
Ford switched ignition + coil wire from Fuse box is 5 Volts !
So if you're upgrading from points to pertronix magnetic pick up. Always get the flame thrower Coil and confirm 12 volts from key switched source.
I go from battery to 20 amp inline fuse and a hidden switch under dash.
And probably require and recommend spiral core wires.
Wow really well done testing - surprised by the Accell that was the go to wire back in the day. For us old school guys its sad to see China buy up quality products and ruin them I really appreciated those Fast wires I had no idea they were so good i will be using those now -- My wire was the Taylors for years -- Now what about making sure they are cost effective? Another words some of these companys have a high quality line and a lower quality line of wires. Did you take that into account? Are we comparing apples to apples here?
That’s the standard accel offering. On par (allegedly) with the Fast and MSD. I didn’t test the cheap MSD street fire wires because they are the bottom of the barrel. Doesn’t really matter. The whole point is to test your own and make a decision on what will effectively deliver the power.
Wonder how ngk would do
Don’t know. Someone out there has a set. Throw a meter on it and tell us the resistance number per foot! I’d love to know.
I thought Taylor was made in Texas did uou say Missouri. Disappointed in accell had just replaced my wires with the 9mm on my fe390
Taylor is in Grandview MO. Just outside of KC. Lived there for close to 30 years.
The numbers you showed have msd far ahead of the taylor wire, yet you rate it on par or higher than the msd. You obviously dislike msd for some reason. I don’t have a dog in the hunt but it seems disingenuous.
Not at all. I have no dislike for MSD or Taylor. I have used both and installed both. If someone asked if the MSD is a good wire, I’d say yes. Was the best in this line up? Nope, but being at 2 is still a good wire. What is your ranking on these based on the data collected?
I've been using Taylor for years. Never an issue. And keep in mind that electronics need a resistance wire to created a magnetic field around that wire to stop inductance on adjoining wires, including the 12 volt primary wires in your car. Little to no resistance will fry your fancy electronic ignition and/or fuel injection.
Yup. Which is why this video wasn’t about comparing the suppression abilities or any other technical detail. They are all suppression wires. All we concentrated on were the two things that they all advertise to see how they measure up. I run the Fast wires on everything, including EFI. They’re extremely capable of that but deliver more spark. I’ve used Taylor stuff my entire life. Grew up in KC and that’s their hometown. Great wires and great company. The numbers are there. It’s up to the user to decide what they want and what the product will deliver. In Taylor’s case, they over delivered.
👍👍👍
I just wrap a 12 gauge wire around my plug
"I forgot the Accel wire was so awful." That says a lot about a company.
It’s understandable in some way. Just advertise it and let us know. That’s what’s irritating.
Been using standard wires from Napa with no problems, maybe I could upgrade, keep the videos coming
On a mostly stock engine they’ll be fine. Thanks again for stopping by!
Moroso
What part number do you have and what did they measure?
Fast for the win!
They’re great wires that won’t break the bank.
Thanks for taking the time and spending the money. My turbo SBF is breaking up I suspect ignition. All the wires are old and the boots are showing some heat damage. On the car now are 7 Bosch Ultra - Premium (parts store?) and one Accel. I also have an old ford Motorsport coil wire to compare.
24" Bosch 950,
25" Ford Motorsport 2,060,
41" Accel super stock 13,300! Wow!
This is exactly what I was hoping for when I made this video. Folks to go out and take their own measurements. I appreciate you sharing that data! Remember to convert those lengths down to 12” so you’ll know what the measurement is at the standard. Still some unimpressive numbers! Yikes! The more you know….
@@MuscleCarSolutions there seems to be a pretty big price jump from the 350 ohm wires to the 50. Trying to spend wisely. How to tell if it's worth the money?
@@russellbroadwell I’m a bad one to ask. I’ll always go with Fast first on any performance application. If it’s something mild? Really anything under 500 is very acceptable. I always make my own wire sets too. Not really for any other reason than I can get the lengths I want without any additional wire and I enjoy doing it. Keeping the resistance down would be an additional benefit. But that’s also why I’ll choose Fast at 25 ohms per foot. The longer the wire, the better they perform over other brands. That’s just how I think through it.
Mine are high heat silicone 8mm @15ohms a foot. Ceramic plug ends and gen 2 coil end with dielectric on all ends. ngk plugs
And? What brand?
@@MuscleCarSolutions oh sorry Ton's Performance. he does great job building custom sets and cheap.
@@Will1Big never heard of them. I’ll check it out. Thank you.
So can we get the old wires that interfere with everything 🤣
If that’s what you’re after!
How about a Dyno test, where you use the best and worse ohm wires, to see what difference it makes…
I’d love to. Who’s going to pay for that? 😂
I'm sure if you find it for the guy he would.
8.8 ‘s all day long . Never ran into any major issues
It begs the question, did you measure them, or just install them and assume they were performing as advertised?
Be careful here. Static resistance measurements are not the right way to measure a wire. These wire run at high frequency and high voltage so it is more about low impedance and high frequency. Otherwise people would just make copper wires.
Completely acceptable in this situation. Like I mentioned in the video, this wasn’t about a complete discussion about the technology that goes into spark plug wires. Two of the simple things that are the most talked about; size and ohms.
Racing and vintage wires are just copper or alloy wire.
@@MuscleCarSolutions if that were true MSD and Pertronix would just make their wires out of braided copper and make them very low resistance vs 200ohms per foot.
@totalyep sure, but they’d not sell any of them for street use as they for sure wouldn’t work with EFI and I’m sure generate lots of interference with stereos. Again the point of this video wasn’t to discuss all the technology in insulation, windings to suppress those RFI waves, etc. Just looking at two of the most common marketed specs from the manufacturer to see how they are actually delivered.
it really should be in conjunction with the other stuff like the ballast resistor, plug resistors. it's not really a high frequency as such it's more of a short dc spike every now and then. similar to hf(in that very limited time window) but not quite. the current let on the plug wire is limited on purpose to not fry them.
Solid core for life
😆😆