Magnecore vs OEM wires

[ghamilton]

My orig wires are looking pretty well, "original".

Mechanic say might be a good Idea to replace.

The OEM are really expensive.

What are your personal experiences with Magnecores? I had them on a couple other non P cars and liked them. Is the shielding really necessary?

Thanks

[Eagledriver]

I don't have these myself, but I've heard good things about them and many racers use them. Shielding is not needed if you use spiral wound wires (I suspect Magnacores are spiral wound). I wouldn't hesitate to use them.

-Andy

[Hendog]

I replaced my OEM with Magnecores. Good fit, no issues. I spent the extra money for that very reason.

[aston@ultrasw.c]

no probs with magnecores here

[911pcars]

What does this mean?

"Mechanic say might be a good Idea to replace."

Did he explain why it might be a good idea?

Does the engine run well? Does it misfire? If okay, let it go.

or....
Might be a good idea to replace the coil too, and the ignition box, distributor cap and rotor, etc.

Sherwood

[hcoles]

many here support/recommend Magacore, I have them, no issues, I expect they will last for a long time

[slow&rusty]

8.8mm Magencors support several of my cars, strongly recommended.

[911pcars]

Just to review some basics. Replacing good spark plug wires with a brand new set will not net you anything except a $200 debit in your checking/CC account. Has it been established the old set is kaput? YMMV for new red wires.

Shielding is to reduce/prevent electrical interference with on-board electronics.

Sherwood

[lupin..the..3rd]

Originally Posted by 911pcars

Just to review some basics. Replacing good spark plug wires with a brand new set will not net you anything except a $200 debit in your checking/CC account. Has it been established the old set is kaput?

yes i agree completely. test the old ones before blindly replacing them. use your multimeter and test them all for continuity and resistance. examine the ends for corrosion and clean if necessary. check the insulation for cracking. lastly, i like to do a night-time throttle blip - if the insulation is compromised, you can actually see the sparks arcing across the engine bay and grounding wherever. it's quite a show.

but if they pass all these tests, there's no reason to replace them.

[john walker's workshop]

i most cases i just fab up a set. $35 gets a 100ft roll of metal core belden wire and the crimp on ends are readily available. omh test the connectors for around 3K ohm resistance. 1K on the SC style distributor ends.

[DRACO A5OG]

I love my Magnecors, $200 bling in my engine bay , my OEM Berus were looking pretty worn so I pulled the trigger.

Check for errand sparks from the wires, in a garage in the dark, turn on the car and with a water bottle sprayer, spray a mist of water. If broken, you will see sparks, time to swap, if not fire your wrench.

[500_19B]

Originally Posted by lupin..the..3rd

... lastly, i like to do a night-time throttle blip - if the insulation is compromised, you can actually see the sparks arcing across the engine bay and grounding wherever. it's quite a show.

Assuming you have a set of wires, but your engine is not running, so you can’t do the “running test” that you describe.

Is it possible to make a reasonable evaluation of the wires by measuring resistance and a CAREFUL examination of the insulation alone?

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by john walker's workshop

i most cases i just fab up a set. $35 gets a 100ft roll of metal core belden wire and the crimp on ends are readily available. omh test the connectors for around 3K ohm resistance. 1K on the SC style distributor ends.

Yes. Fairly easy DIY project. If wire core is acceptable on your vehicle. Source some wire, connector ends and dist. cap boots. Practice your soldering skills.

FWIW, my stranded, stainless steel core, silicone-jacketed plug wires have been delivering spark to the plugs for over 20 years (knock on wood). Occasionally, I run a file over the soldered dist. cap ends to freshen the contact surface, then it's good to go. To reduce corrosion, some recommend using DOW 111 as an air insulator at the sealing junctions of the non-conductive joints.

BTW, introducing electrical resistance for radio reception using the built-in resistance of Beru spark plug connectors, resistor spark plugs and/or carbon-centered resistance wires (which are not repairable). Use minimum threshold resistance, if possible.

Since many use Magnacor or equiv. replacement wires in SCs and Carreras, may I assume electrical interference from non-shielded (braided) wire isn't a significant issue?

Sherwood

[steely]

Magnecor (blue) here - I forget the diameter. no apparent shielding issues here - at least not on the FM stations I might listen to - although I have been listening less and less to the radio lately. I really needed to replace my cracked OEMs that were sadly still on the poor girl when I bought her a couple of years ago. I don't think they were the shielded type.

[bsimonson]

When my old wires turned out to be completely shot I replaced them with Clewett engineering wires. They are good quality and slightly lower priced if I remember correctly.

Good luck!

[DRACO A5OG]

Originally Posted by 911pcars

Since many use Magnacor or equiv. replacement wires in SCs and Carreras, may I assume electrical interference from non-shielded (braided) wire isn't a significant issue?

Sherwood

I have aboslutely no interference from the magnecors on my 3.2

[LJ851]

Originally Posted by john walker's workshop

i most cases i just fab up a set. $35 gets a 100ft roll of metal core belden wire and the crimp on ends are readily available. omh test the connectors for around 3K ohm resistance. 1K on the SC style distributor ends.

What do you do when a connector is damaged or does not ohm correctly? Can these be bought separately, or do you get another used one?

[Dejathoris]

Apologies if this seems like hijacking this thread, but my issue is similar to ghamiltons'. On my '72 I have Beru wires on the driver side bank of plugs and Belden wires on the passenger side bank of plugs (car came this way when I bought it). Today I found one Beru wire has a light blue powder on it (like oxidation) where it goes into the distributor cap, which is probably the cause of recent misfiring. I cleaned it up the best I could but some of it is still there. I am now thinking of replacing all 6 wires (plus the coil wire) since the mismatched brands and this one issue. The other wires seem fine (no cracking or cross-sparks). I have an opportunity to purchase some lightly used 8.5MM Magnecores. Any comments? Thanks.

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by john walker's workshop

i most cases i just fab up a set. $35 gets a 100ft roll of metal core belden wire and the crimp on ends are readily available. omh test the connectors for around 3K ohm resistance. 1K on the SC style distributor ends.

Finally, a practical person. I was going to quietly exit this thread with a surprised look on my face, but this post is exactly what I have done, and probably would do again.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

Check for errand sparks from the wires, in a garage in the dark, turn on the car and with a water bottle sprayer, spray a mist of water. If broken, you will see sparks, time to swap, if not fire your wrench.

I've not read of this water spay method before.

Gotta try it now.