Are MSD wires crap or is it me?
Are MSD wires crap or is it me? A little background: In October of 09' I did a cam swap and the stock wires pulled apart just taking them off the plugs so I got some MSD wires and great, everything was fine. In June of 10' I hydrolocked the engine and replaced the SB with an HKE 408. I pulled the wires off just fine and re-installed them just fine. Then back in October of 10' I was doing some testing with my water temp sensor and pulled off the wire from plug #1. When I went to reinstall it, the internals that snap on to the plug got all kinked up and the wire was rendered useless. MSD sent me a replacement due to their 1 year warranty and I didn't dare touch the rest unless absolutely necessary or I bought some new wires.
Now, this weekend I swapped all my valve springs due to 20K on the PRC Golds. I thought ahead and ordered some wires with the springs knowing they may give me hell. Well, (4) of those (8) new wires got all kinked up trying to install them. I had to use (4) of the old ones to get everything kosher. WTF??
Is it me or are they just crap? I know they redesigned the boot to give it a kind of handle which indicates that they have had this problem before in big quantities except it didn't work... Now I am deciding between warrantying them, attempting to return them, or just cutting my losses and getting a different brand of wire. What gives?
Now, this weekend I swapped all my valve springs due to 20K on the PRC Golds. I thought ahead and ordered some wires with the springs knowing they may give me hell. Well, (4) of those (8) new wires got all kinked up trying to install them. I had to use (4) of the old ones to get everything kosher. WTF??
Is it me or are they just crap? I know they redesigned the boot to give it a kind of handle which indicates that they have had this problem before in big quantities except it didn't work... Now I am deciding between warrantying them, attempting to return them, or just cutting my losses and getting a different brand of wire. What gives?
^ I haven't had a problem with my MSD wires. Took them on/off once since I installed them w my h/c swap back in 07.
Taylor's on the other hand.. Garbage wires.
They say the stockers are fine, but I like to have a little brand name on mine. I dunno.. Just me.
Taylor's on the other hand..
Garbage wires. They say the stockers are fine, but I like to have a little brand name on mine. I dunno.. Just me.
We run through a ton of MSD wires and hardly ever seen an issue with them. We use them on a TON of installs here as well with zero issues. Seem to be the most durable wire of the brands we run.
Jon
Jon
Last edited by Jon@Texas-Speed; Apr 26, 2011 at 09:07 AM.
I guess it's me then. I can R&I an engine, transmission, differential, swap camshafts, lifters, heads, valves, springs, external accessories, clutches, electrical wiring, ring and pinions, blah...blah...blah, but apparently I cannot install friggin plug wires 
I have MSD's on both camaros. No problems to report.
Not to mention my MSD box on the 87 got rid of my ignition miss.
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I have a friend that had some issues with his. Idle was rough and then when switching back to stock GM wires the idle issue cleared up. That being said, it doesn't mean they are bad wires. Every company is bound to have a bad example every once in a while.
For the record my previous and current Camaros both run MSD wires with no problems to report.
For the record my previous and current Camaros both run MSD wires with no problems to report.
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I have a friend that had some issues with his. Idle was rough and then when switching back to stock GM wires the idle issue cleared up. That being said, it doesn't mean they are bad wires. Every company is bound to have a bad example every once in a while.
For the record my previous and current Camaros both run MSD wires with no problems to report.
For the record my previous and current Camaros both run MSD wires with no problems to report.
Not sure what you mean by kinked up, but as short as
they are in the wire loop I think the right way to go is
to pull the coil end first, and then take the wire off the
plug.
they are in the wire loop I think the right way to go is
to pull the coil end first, and then take the wire off the
plug.
I am not sure I understand your post. It seems as if you believe I am having issues upon disassembly, but my problem is with installation. If you look inside the boot, you will see relatively thin metal snaps that lock on to the end of the spark plug. This is what "snaps" for confirmation of a good connection. When I try to push the boot on to the spark plug, instead of getting the nice "snap," the boot bends sharply. I can then confirm that dreaded "oh ****" feeling in my gut by peering inside the boot and see that those snaps are completely mangled, effectively ruining the wire (for me). I am sure someone with the proper spark plug tools and connectors could repair it.
I am with you here. Maybe we got a bad batch cause I purchased mine around the same time. I don't wanna bash them because they do make nice stuff but I had the same bad luck with my MSD wires during INSTALLATION. The resistance was also all over the place.
I just recently put them on my bird and at first I was getting a super rough idle then realized I forgot to put dielectric grease in them. Doing that cleared everything up immediately.
Put the scope on my 95 LT1 just now. 2 and 4 were showing higher firing voltage than the rest. So I removed the nice bright red 8.5 MM MSD wires and Ohmed them out. Both open but would "jitter" if I bent the spark plug end. So I pulled off the boots. The wires have a wound conductor and they are NOT crimped in the spark plug terminal. They just lay between two round fingers. So off to find some real wires. Yes I can post pictures if someone wants to see.
To get the boots off I pushed a small screwdriver in between the boot and the wire and put soapy water in. They came right off.
Also pulled 6 just to get access to 4 on the distributor, it checks out fine with the Ohm meter. Was going to re-crimp the spark plug end and put them back but then I would worry about the other 6 wires.
My race car has Taylor wires and the only problem I've ever had is a rat ate one in two.
Al
To get the boots off I pushed a small screwdriver in between the boot and the wire and put soapy water in. They came right off.
Also pulled 6 just to get access to 4 on the distributor, it checks out fine with the Ohm meter. Was going to re-crimp the spark plug end and put them back but then I would worry about the other 6 wires.
My race car has Taylor wires and the only problem I've ever had is a rat ate one in two.
Al
Put the scope on my 95 LT1 just now. 2 and 4 were showing higher firing voltage than the rest. So I removed the nice bright red 8.5 MM MSD wires and Ohmed them out. Both open but would "jitter" if I bent the spark plug end. So I pulled off the boots. The wires have a wound conductor and they are NOT crimped in the spark plug terminal. They just lay between two round fingers. So off to find some real wires. Yes I can post pictures if someone wants to see.
To get the boots off I pushed a small screwdriver in between the boot and the wire and put soapy water in. They came right off.
Also pulled 6 just to get access to 4 on the distributor, it checks out fine with the Ohm meter. Was going to re-crimp the spark plug end and put them back but then I would worry about the other 6 wires.
My race car has Taylor wires and the only problem I've ever had is a rat ate one in two.
Al
To get the boots off I pushed a small screwdriver in between the boot and the wire and put soapy water in. They came right off.
Also pulled 6 just to get access to 4 on the distributor, it checks out fine with the Ohm meter. Was going to re-crimp the spark plug end and put them back but then I would worry about the other 6 wires.
My race car has Taylor wires and the only problem I've ever had is a rat ate one in two.
Al
^ I generally don't have a problem with plugs and wires on mine. Depends on your headers tho.
**** happens to the best of us bro.. It is what it is.
I do the same thing. I do it to allow me to spin the boot/wire before I pull on it to be sure it's free. And the coil end isn't the end you have to worry about. 
Last edited by bayer-z28; Mar 28, 2011 at 07:32 PM.
Honestly, I didnt like em too at first because the way they fit in. So I tried GM LS6 wires; after 1 year(4000miles), I'm changing my spark plugs; when I removed the wires, 4 of em just broke in 2 pieces!!
So back with MSD now, no problem since 1year and a half...
So back with MSD now, no problem since 1year and a half...