What would you say are the best plug wires???

 

Factory ones IMO

None of my friends have ever had any luck with any aftermarkets ones on LS1s or LT1s.


Casey

 

GMPP wires, made by Delphi so you KNOW they are close to stock construction, fit is perfect, coloring (red on black) is awesome, less resistance than stock wires (but not stupid low like the MSD wires are) - perfect. Cheap too, go to Pace Performance Parts <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0">

-Kris <img src="graemlins/gr_devil.gif" border="0" alt="[devil]" />

 

[quote]Originally posted by 99WhiteSS:
<strong>GMPP wires, made by Delphi so you KNOW they are close to stock construction, fit is perfect, coloring (red on black) is awesome, less resistance than stock wires (but not stupid low like the MSD wires are) - perfect. Cheap too, go to Pace Performance Parts <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0">

-Kris <img src="graemlins/gr_devil.gif" border="0" alt="[devil]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>

yup what he said i like my GMPP wires <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0"> they are nice and red too goes with my red motif hehe <img src="graemlins/gr_devil.gif" border="0" alt="[devil]" />

[ December 16, 2001: Message edited by: ExtremeZ28 ]</p>

 

the gmpp wires are the same resistance as stock from what i've measured.. the msd's seem to work fine as long as they are all good.. but as far as i can tell.. ur better off spending your money elsewhere as long as your stock plugs are all under 400ohms.

 

Stock plug wires are cheap carbon based wires, that break down under heat.

The best wires for the LS1 are the magnecor KV85. They use 200 windings per inch, and dont use coatings on the windings to enhance measured conductance (ie little resistance). These coatings break down rapidly and cause EMI and other conductivity issues.

If you buy wires simply based on resistance values you are being completely fooled by a marketing scam. Measuring wires with a volt/ohm meter is a useless measurment, not only because of the coatings on the windings in most wires, but also because when you fire 40,000 volts down a wire, a whole set of different principles take effect, like skin effect. That is when the electrons shear out to a magnetic field at the windings. This cannot be measured by a volt/ohm meter.

Be smart about what is happening. Forget about resistance measurements of spark plug wires for performance metrics.

 

I have to disagree about the Magnecores being superior wires. From an electrical transmission perspective they may be an excellent wire. However from an assembly-quality perspective, they are garbage. I had a set on my Z28 soon after I bought the car, and they were of exceptionally poor quality (light corrosion on the terminals, poor boot material). They ended up causing more trouble than they were worth, so I installed a set of Jacobs EnergyCore wires.

Now, the EC's were great up to about 6 months ago (been on the car for about a year). However, now I'm getting misfires. I doubt it's my plugs, as they're about 6 months/10k miles old. So now I'm looking for new plug wires. <img src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" border="0"> I'm thinking about the 10mm Taylors that Thunder Racing sells - anyone have a perspective good or bad about those?

 

I am using MSD 8.5 wires and no problems. I got them 4 months ago.

 

I've had the Taylors for about six months now. No probs and no fit issues.

 

I use stock wires with GREAT success.

I would recommend no other wire. Save your money.

 

Well, the reason I changed the plug wires in the first place wasn't for performance, but because the boots on the factory wires were crumbling. <img src="gr_eek2.gif" border="0"> It was the same on my '98 T/A and '99 Z28 both, and I'm not sold on replacing junk with junk. <img src="graemlins/gr_judge.gif" border="0" alt="[judgement]" /> Has GM/Delphi improved the materials quality of their OEM plug wires? If so, I have no problem going back to stock. If not, I'll keep looking. <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">

 

I like the MSD and ACCEL wires the most.

I like the Taylor wires the least, I had one wire come apart after about a year.

 

[quote]Originally posted by 99WhiteSS:
<strong>GMPP wires, made by Delphi so you KNOW they are close to stock construction, fit is perfect, coloring (red on black) is awesome, less resistance than stock wires (but not stupid low like the MSD wires are) - perfect. Cheap too, go to Pace Performance Parts <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0">

-Kris <img src="graemlins/gr_devil.gif" border="0" alt="[devil]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>

One would think that however it's not true. I ordered a set of GMPP wires and they ohm'ed out at 360 to 380. My stock wires were 300 to 330. So the GMPP wires were actually WORSE than the stock wires. The sponsor I bought the wires from checked several sets and found the same thing I did. This was strange because a few of the earlier sets were in the 30-40 ohm range according to the same sponsor.

I would avoid the GMPP wires because the set I got checked much worse than stock, this was backed up with several other sets of GMPP wires being checked.

I have a set of Talyors for my 72 vette, they are junk, and I would not buy another set of Taylor wires.

I have a set of SPI's wires on my car now, they were made by a company that makes most of the NASCAR wires here in the Carolina's. They ohmd at around 200 better than stock but not as good as I'd hoped. MORE Performance sells a very simlar wire.

If I was getting a new set of wires I'd get stock ones or maybe try MSD.

 

I got the MSD 8.5's as well... I'm very pleased, they look nice, have little resistence and there is no radio interference.

The only real reason I bought them was becuase I was swapping plugs and I ripped one wire out of the boot. Well GM wanted like $20 for a (count it: ONE) replacement wire and instead of salvage one I just picked up the MSD's for the price that I could have replaced 2 or 3 stock wires. Been pleased so far.

 

Anyone check the resistance on their spark plugs? <img src="graemlins/gr_jest.gif" border="0" alt="[jester]" /> Why are you guys worried about 20 ohms, 200ohms, 400ohms or even 1000ohms in a (what?) foot long wire?

I'm with kewlbrz... Haven't had a problem with the magnacore's in almost 3 years even with headers and they ohm out to about 1.2K. <img src="gr_eek2.gif" border="0"> But my TR6's ohm out 3.9K. <img src="gr_tounge.gif" border="0">

John
www.TECH-LS1.com

 

Kewlbrz,

AMEN!!! This discussion comes up so often on various boards and everyone spouts off the resistance of their wires as the buying factor.
Being a Elec Engr I have tried to explain it doesn't mean anything and the thickness of the skin of the wire is actually the best indicator. As it happens a wire designed with a thick skin to handle the AC like voltage would OHM out very high. Go figure, I guess the MSD demos in the speed shops were very effective in brain washing the public.

FYI- I also vote for Magnecor, for the reason mentioned above.

 

Magnecores are crap. I dont care what I did, i could not keep the wires on the plugs to save my life.

 

[quote]Originally posted by kewlbrz:
<strong>Stock plug wires are cheap carbon based wires, that break down under heat.

The best wires for the LS1 are the magnecor KV85. They use 200 windings per inch, and dont use coatings on the windings to enhance measured conductance (ie little resistance). These coatings break down rapidly and cause EMI and other conductivity issues.

If you buy wires simply based on resistance values you are being completely fooled by a marketing scam. Measuring wires with a volt/ohm meter is a useless measurment, not only because of the coatings on the windings in most wires, but also because when you fire 40,000 volts down a wire, a whole set of different principles take effect, like skin effect. That is when the electrons shear out to a magnetic field at the windings. This cannot be measured by a volt/ohm meter.

Be smart about what is happening. Forget about resistance measurements of spark plug wires for performance metrics.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Measuring wires with a volt/ohm meter is a useless measurment? I think you'd better check any wire with a meter to make sure it's a good wire. Everyone has manufacturing issues from time to time. Of course if you "trust" the company enough not to bother checking to make sure their product is good that's your choice. Myself I always want to ohm each wire so I know they are at least consistant. The skin effect may be the be all/end all for the performance wire but if one wire ohm'd say 18,000 and the others all ohm'd 300 I'd say that one wire is probably defective or at least suspect.


[quote]Originally posted by Bill:
<strong>Kewlbrz,

AMEN!!! This discussion comes up so often on various boards and everyone spouts off the resistance of their wires as the buying factor.
Being a Elec Engr I have tried to explain it doesn't mean anything and the thickness of the skin of the wire is actually the best indicator. As it happens a wire designed with a thick skin to handle the AC like voltage would OHM out very high. Go figure, I guess the MSD demos in the speed shops were very effective in brain washing the public.

FYI- I also vote for Magnecor, for the reason mentioned above.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Please elaborate on the thick skin wire and why it's good, this is the first I've ever heard of that. At least I check stuff and posted the data for discussion.

Where's your data?

[quote]Originally posted by JAS BLK 98 TA A4:
<strong>Anyone check the resistance on their spark plugs? <img src="graemlins/gr_jest.gif" border="0" alt="[jester]" /> Why are you guys worried about 20 ohms, 200ohms, 400ohms or even 1000ohms in a (what?) foot long wire?

I'm with kewlbrz... Haven't had a problem with the magnacore's in almost 3 years even with headers and they ohm out to about 1.2K. <img src="gr_eek2.gif" border="0"> But my TR6's ohm out 3.9K. <img src="gr_tounge.gif" border="0">

John
www.TECH-LS1.com</strong><hr></blockquote>

Actually, seems like the plug would have two resistances. One when the air gap is jumped and another while the arc is connected and plug fires.