Spark Plug Wire Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

[Paul C.]

I currently have Lectic Limited reproduction spark plug wires (11 years old with very few miles) with carbon cores. I'm having problems with them and and wonder what other options I have. Are the copper core, etc that much better than the carbon core ones for performance? What about noise suppression for the radio? Too bad Lectric Limted or someone else doesn't offer reproduction plug wires with newer technology if it's better. Trying to decide whether to buy another set of Lectric Limited or MSD or some other spark plug wires.
Thanks for your input.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Paul,

You can still buy a set from ACDelco for the 71. I’ve installed them on a few driver cars, and they work great. Yes, the boots are the wrong color, but who cares. Zero issues with them so far.

Patrick

[Mike M.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

I've not had good luck with ANY carbon cored plug wires for the past 40 years. remove the carbon core'd wires from spark plugs once, maybe twice, and the engines misfire.for the past couple decades, once the electric limted, or any other carbon cored wire gives up the ghost, I remove the plug boots and metal terminals from the diseased plug wires. then I take out one of my multiple parckard 440 wire rolls and cut new wires from the roll.then I insert the correct plug boots on the 440, followed by the terminals. then I solder the 440's stainless cores to the terminals after crimping them. I use silicone dielectric grease to the wires to allow easy insertion of the boots onto the 440's. if I'm gonna have the car judged, I ink stamp the appropriate delco mfgr info on the wires. wish I had a stamp that had a concave surface to facilitate application of the delco info. it takes me a half day to make up a set of 440 plug wires but they damn near never fail(unless they come in contact with hot exhaust manifolds). even if the judges don't like my deco stamping, the deduction is minimal and that beats buying and installing a replacement carbon cored set of plug wires. too bad on of our great repo producers/sellers can't make up a set of steel cored wires for the hobby. mike( I hate a misfiring engine).

[Paul C.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Whats the ohms resistance of the carbon core wire versus the packard 44o wire? Thanks

[Dan H.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Just replaced my LL carbon wires for copper set, HUGE difference, like a different car, solved many quirks in driving of the car. Measured the LL vrs copper wires, LL was 5000+ ohms plus per foot, copper was zero ohms. Used the LL distributor boots and connectors, plug end was already installed by vendor. Reason was one of the LL wires, #5, went dead, but it was after 25K miles and a couple of plug changes. Car is 64 FI and runs best ever now.
Dan

[Robert S.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

After getting my 69 L71 back together, I had a misfiring problem, most noticeable at idle. I had removed the points distributor that was on the car when I bought it and installed the correct TI system, and was thought that the TI system may be the problem, but with nothing else to check, I finally removed the LL wires and made a set with the Packard 440 wire. Problem gone. Big difference. Although my 71 LT-1 was running fine, I removed the LL wires on that car also and made up a set of with the Packard 440.

I am not too concerned about the wire lettering (do not plan on getting judged). On both of those cars the wires are basically hidden anyway (under the sheathing on the big block and under the shields on the small block).

One small glitch with the Packard 440: My induction timing light does not work with the solid core wires. So I remove the #1 wire from the distributor and temporarily splice in one of the LL wires between the distributor and #1 wire.

[Ken A.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Ask Paragon about one of their KB 8903 dated sets that feature Packard wire with Kevlar cores.

[Bob W.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Ken I know that you own K&b are these wires a copper core & can you give us some more information about these wires?

Thanks Bob

[Ken A.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Bob, They are NOT copper core but a special core using Kevlar that was developed by Packard Electric for GM 's LS engines. They do have resistance, but resistance is needed to make the coil put out higher voltage. However too much resistance is bad because the coil can't overcome it.
Ignition systems are a complicated thing. Ken

[Bob W.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Ken thanks for the quick reply & information. Do you feel these wires are as good or better than the copper core wires? And do you have these wires for C1 &C2 cars?

Thanks Bob

[Gary B.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Bob, They are NOT copper core but a special core using Kevlar that was developed by Packard Electric for GM 's LS engines. They do have resistance, but resistance is needed to make the coil put out higher voltage. However too much resistance is bad because the coil can't overcome it.
Ignition systems are a complicated thing. Ken

Ken,

Can you describe the difference between the KB8903 and the KB8903 HP wires on the K&B website?
Gary

[Mark E.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Solid core wires are an old-school mod, but may not work well in an ignition designed for resistance. They're susceptible to cross firing and can deliver a tail-end spark sometimes generated by the coil.

And OEM-style carbon core wires vary greatly in resistance and breakdown with time, heat and movement.

I've tried a couple of reproduction braided wire sets for big blocks. Under their braided shielding they looked like crappy carbon-core wires, had widely varying levels of resistance, and didn't last long.

Today, the most popular plug wires for high performance street vehicles and race cars are spiral-core wires. I've used them since the '90s with good result. Virtually no cross-firing, consistent resistance levels, no high-rpm miss, durable, and the radio works. Taylor is the brand I've been using. Right now, my LS5 has their braided 8mm Spiro-Pro wires. At first glance they look original... a bit fatter but still fit in the looms.

[Bob W.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Mark In my 1963 327/300 hp I have a Mallory Unilite and for my 1959 283/245 hp & 1969 350/300 hp I plan on using a M&H wire breakerless se conversion Paragon#8764 . So what wire set do you think will work the best?


Thanks Bob

[Donald H.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

I just installed a set of wires from Paragon (part #1633) in my 67. I believe this is the K&B 8903 set. Here is the Paragon description:

"the wire is original Packard Delcore II wire which uses a special Kevlar silicone wrapped construction to prevent breaks and cracks in the conductor. Fiberglass wires are prone to breaks and cracks. The boots are correct material and thickness and the terminals are stainless steel. Other wires use plate steel terminals which corrode and add a lot of extra resistance, causing misfires. These wires are original length and have the correct ohms/foot resistance - which will give you easier starting and better performance".

At the same time I installed new plugs, new K&B extended tip rotor, new cap, and the M&H Breakerless SE system. So far I've only driven the car twice with probably 20 miles, but it runs good.

Paragon also sells a set (# 15612) with much the same description but listed as HP. I believe these are the K&B 8903HP. Per the description these are lower ohm resistance while the Paragon 1633 wire resistance is like OEM.

Don

[Ken A.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Gary,
We combined both sets into one set and have not updated the web site. After a year of distribution, we have had no complaints, Solid core stainless
wire sets are no longer used by most racers.