944S SP Wire installation

944S Boyeee · 07-02-2002, 08:35 AM

Just about to put on some of those Magnacore 8.5mm wires (red in color) on my car.

Any tips on putting these on? Do I just pull the old wires off the spark plugs or do they unscrew?

Also, I heard I have to set the torque of the spark plugs (gonna replace these "while I'm in there" ). How do I do this with that sparkplug tool? - I don't have a torque wrench.

944S Boyeee

scottmandue · 07-02-2002, 09:06 AM

When I did the plugs/wires on my car they just snap on (the wires to the spark plus) not screw on.
Few things I learned since then.
The dust shields on each wire (I have the 8V don't know if they are on the 16V) can be removed from the old wire and poped onto the new (if they are still okay) so I have been told.
I did not use a torque wrench and just did it by feel...
BUT it was scary with an aluminum head and all...
AND you have a 16 valve head

($$$)
I am going to buy a torque wrench, it seems like a small investment when you think about how much aluminum is on the car. Even if I only use it to change sparkplugs and servicing the wheels and brakes.

Good luck,
Scott

overkill · 07-02-2002, 11:24 AM

Dude, I just did mine. None of the ends screw off. Just pull them by the boot. The ones that snap onto the spark plugs might be a bit hard. I guess because of the heat they are vacuum tight. Don't lose the order. Replace one at a time. Are you going to replace DIS CAP and DIS ROTOR? Have fun. I just got done dropping my entire exhaust system except for the header. Have to find a rattle that happens at about 3200 rpm.

waterlogued · 07-07-2002, 03:16 PM

Where did you order your wire from and do you have any left that you might want to sell?
Thanks

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

What??? Snap off-on??? This is not the stock wiring we are talking about???

Sectional of stock wiring at dist. cap.

97XRAY · 97XRAY's Garage

944S Boyee and Overkill,

I put the 8.5 Magnacore on with new rotor and cap (distributor) about 3 months ago. Honestly, I can't seem a difference. They look nice though, eh?
Maybe with the K&N filter and the new cables I could IMAGINE an improvement at high end, but in the NA (even the slightly higher 168 horse Euro) there just wasn't much difference.

What have you noticed since the change? Did you have factory before the Magnacore?

waterlogued · 07-08-2002, 07:10 AM

I also have wires like the picture shows from socal. You can see a threading of sorts on the crimped on connectors. Can you buy these connectors somewhere? When I removed mine I turned the end off and there was the brass crimped on connector.

Socal do you have a cut away of the plug side connector? The pictures are great.

If you just pulled out your wires and put wire back in they would probably work but the ends are not working properly. A 30,000 volt spark will jump across to the old connector and maybe that is why they are working or maybe in different years they had different style connectors?

Did you order the wire from magnacore I thought they just had the premade wires?

944S Boyeee · 07-08-2002, 07:53 AM

Yes - I did have factory Beru's before the Magnacore.

I cannot comment on the performance of the stock vs the Magnacore, because my old wires were putting lil' burn marks on the inside of the hood (they were pretty bad). The car was like this when I bought it, so I don't know how the stock wires perform. Obviously, since I put on the Magnacores and new plugs (factory Bosch copper-tips), the car works 1000% better. My stumbling idle is less and when it does stumble, it jumps back up quicker. There are no more "misses" or when I gear down, I don't get that "no gas for a second" feeling.

The Magnacores are Red (which is sweet, cause my car is also Red) - but the softer rubber boots don't fit as snuggly over the spark plug holes like the Beru's - but the Beru's were so expensive in comparison. Another things is due to them being 8.5 mm, they won't clip into the stock wire holders. On that note - does anyone know where to get those clips? Or does anyone even make 8.5mm wire holders that screw into the S cam cover?

Another thing I noticed about these wires is that my car has seemed to have lost it's "mojo". Or maybe it's found new mojo - I don't know......

What I'm talking about is when I had the older, stock, "fire-jumping" wires - it would feel like the car was going normal until about 4000 RPM, then it would feel like a Turbo kicked in or something......there was a noticable "surge" in power at that RPM. Now that I have the new plugs and wires - that "surge" is gone. It feels like a smoother power curve allll the way through the RPM's. When I hit 4000 now, it still pulls more, but it doesn't feel as "turboeey". I'm racking this up to the fact that the old wires were bad and the spark may have been retarded up until the higher revs, thus the "extra kick" feeling. With the new stuff - I think it's a better constant spark, thus no real "kick in" spot. Does this make since, or should I look for a problem?

Overall - new plugs and wires made a huge difference in the way trhe car drives - but I'm not sure if they made the car faster or slower????? But it does feel a lot "tighter" and "newer".

944S Boyeee

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

I found the lower wires on the dist cap to be totally corroded and impossible to remove with out breaking them off inside the rubber cover and leaving the cap and a bit of cable behind.

The assembly I scanned is composed of selected pieces. The wire end is from the 86 engine fire. The rubber sheathing and core are from a very old set of wires I first replaced. The rubber was split on the wire side to the larger part.

These are stock items. The core is the die cast unit as later after market cores seem to be made up of several pieces; stamped and formed clip part over a machined or die cast threaded part.

I've been able to remove bad cores -- corroded -- from good rubbers by squirting in silicon lube and using needle nose pliers pulling out the core through the larger dist side. A little selective pressure from the wire side with a Phillips screw driver helps too. You will probably damage the core but since it's most likely corroded beyond recovery no biggie.

A good core goes back in through the larger bore. Make sure you have it turned the right way or you will be removing and reinstalling it again.

Some marginally corroded cores I have been able to recover using the baking soda and vinegar cleaning trick. Rinse well afterward and use a silicon spray to preserve.

The Beru ends I've been able to get from a local BMW performance store. Think he gets them from one of his suppliers. Has told me they are difficult to get. You can get cable most anywhere.

I use a thin jaw crimper -- that's the common stamped steel type -- to set the wire in the threaded extension. Get a cable TV crimp plier and use the smaller hex of the two for the barrel. Rotate your crimp three times to make the barrel even or it will not pass through the rubber even with lube. Note: this is not as secure a barrel crimp as the stock wires so some care has to be taken when inserting and tightening the cable to the end fitting. Don't over tighten.

Including buying the cable TV crimpers you should be able to do a set of wires for less than $20 and a half hour or so. Yes the wire comes in many colors. If you are short on parts, most likely the dist end of the wires, get some at a JY. Check the resistance of the spark plug connector too. These sometimes "open up". Seen a set of four on eBay go for $25 recently.

Haven't looked for a source for the little rubber weather sleeves that cover the wire side of the spark plug connectors.

I don't have a section of the spark plug connector but from what i can see it's the same on top for the cable end.

I too would like to see some sectional details on the MagaCore wires. Do they have a web site?

waterlogued · 07-08-2002, 12:47 PM

www.magnecor.com

Here is the web page for magnecore. I think we are spelling wrong. They may have the picture you are looking for on thier site.

Well looks like I cannot find out how to get wire or the ends and really don't understand how people are replacing just the wire and keeping thier ends. I don't have access to beru ends right now. Maybe I will run across something on the web.

How much is the 8mm wire? Did you buy it by the foot or is it packaged in a set length like 20 feet?

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

http://www.beru.com/english/produkte/kabel.php

Beru's page on ignition wires.

waterlogued · 07-08-2002, 02:31 PM

Tried the beru site to see if I could get the crimp on connectors but no luck. I think it is time to invent Do you know what type of wire is used? I assumed it was the carbon type wires.

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

The Beru site only shows the stranded copper core wires with the end caps. I recall that carbon core wires used a different method of termination. A spike, part of the end cap, would be forced down the core to increase the area of contact with the carbon.

Beru also has a spiral stainless steel core wire. possibly the same wire Magnecor uses. Does not show what the end caps would look like.

I just bought "off the shelf" stranded core ignition wire -- nothing special -- as this is what comes stock. You can get it in colors. I was thinking transparent orange.

Give me a little time to chase down a source for the end caps.

waterlogued · 07-09-2002, 09:30 AM

I am at the end of my wire here and still there are no ends in sight. How can they hide these things?

So the other folks who built thier own wires you obviously used a different set of boots. I saw a set of boots that light up. I thought this would be much better than watching my wires light up and they provide diagnostics. Well I guess my wires do to but I need the spark to make it to the plug not an engine bracket.

Just like trying to find replacement ball joints for the a arms. All this stuff must be with those socks I keep losing.

-------------------------------

Netrivia
Post Toaster - A post meant as a compliment or the opposite a
post meant to flame or toast. Meaning is derived
like all language from context.

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1842317103

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1841264186

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1841973781

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

http://www.kingsborne.com/800.htm

OK I've talked with Kingsborne. You MUST use metal core wire, 16 gage stranded copper, for all 944 ignition wire applications. This is because the spark plug connectors have the required resistance core to keep the ignition noise out of the radio.

The different sillymeter OD sizes you read about is only the outer diameter of the insulation and is thicker for higher voltage applications. Does NOT make any difference for the 944s as the 7mm OD wires are sufficient.

Yes they have the Magnacore type wire. Does NOT recommend it's use on the 944s because of the much higher resistance/impedance.

Also asked about the Beru end caps: Yes he has them and is sending pricing info.

waterlogued · 07-09-2002, 05:52 PM

Thanks for the update. I plan to use the stock wire type whatever that is? Also someone had mentioned the size needs to fit into the existing mounts so 8.5mm and others may not work.
I have a vanilla 944 that I just like to drive.

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

7 mm

Check out the cool colors:

http://www.kingsborne.com/3fs.htm

Takes almost 10 feet to do a decent job.