Spark Plug Wire Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

**William F.** · February 25, 2018, 11:30 AM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Which grounds-locations? do you clean?

**Gary B.** · February 25, 2018, 11:45 AM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Mike,

Two questions: What do you use to remove the Packard 440 USA lettering on the wires? And I assume you meant to say copper core instead of stainless core?

Gary

**Gary B.** · February 25, 2018, 11:56 AM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Originally posted by Mike McCagh (14)

... if I'm gonna have the car judged, I ink stamp the appropriate delco mfgr info on the wires. ...

I have a few follow-up questions. Can you provide the exact text on your stamp? Do you have the specs (font style and size, etc.) in case others want to have stamps made? What company made your stamp and what is the general cost of a having a stamp made?

Thanks,

Gary

**Gene M.** · February 25, 2018, 07:41 PM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Originally posted by Gary Beaupre (28818)

Mike,

Two questions: What do you use to remove the Packard 440 USA lettering on the wires? And I assume you meant to say copper core instead of stainless core?

Gary

Lacquer thinner on a rag takes it right off. I seem to recall it is copper wire with a (tin? Silver color) plating. I’ve used stainless core wires in the past with good results also. But I’m fairly sure the Packard 440’s are copper.

**Mike M.** · February 26, 2018, 10:40 AM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

gary and mike: i cut a piece of parkard 440 and although the outside finish of individual core wires looks silverfish, my old eyes interpret the individual wires (on their cross section) as being copper with a silver coating. when on cuts a piece of an individual core wire in two, its soft like copper. learn something every day. mike

**Leif A.** · February 26, 2018, 11:13 AM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Originally posted by Mike McCagh (14)

gary and mike: i cut a piece of parkard 440 and although the outside finish of individual core wires looks silverfish, my old eyes interpret the individual wires (on their cross section) as being copper with a silver coating. when on cuts a piece of an individual core wire in two, its soft like copper. learn something every day. mike

Packard 440 wire " 7mm Packard 440 Original Type OEM General Motors Product, Same as Previously Sold by AC Delco. Made with tinned copper core & EPDM, Silicone Insulation with CPE Jacket) MANUFACTURED IN THE USA."

**Chris H.** · October 15, 2018, 05:42 PM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

I'm resurrecting this thread. I have the original spark plug wires from my '69 L71 and I'm thinking of putting them back on the car to replace the LL ones that are on there now. My question is what, if any causes original Packard 440 plug wires to "go bad". Assuming that all the wires are within the resistance spec, are they ok to use? Do they breakdown with age/mileage? (the car has only 16k miles). Or should I just make up a new set with a roll of Packard 440?

Thanks, Chris

**Terry M.** · October 15, 2018, 09:59 PM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Originally posted by Chris Hewitt (33863)

I'm resurrecting this thread. I have the original spark plug wires from my '69 L71 and I'm thinking of putting them back on the car to replace the LL ones that are on there now. My question is what, if any causes original Packard 440 plug wires to "go bad". Assuming that all the wires are within the resistance spec, are they ok to use? Do they breakdown with age/mileage? (the car has only 16k miles). Or should I just make up a new set with a roll of Packard 440?

Thanks, Chris

If the resistance values are within specifications the insulation can still deteriorate. Heat, oil and time will all attack the insulation. When the insulation deteriorates the electrical energy will jump to another spark plug wire or to ground. This can happen when humidity is high or in the rain, and still be good in dry low humidity atmosphere. Spraying salt water on the wires at night can reveal the faults, if the wires are not shielded as they are in your case. There is a tool for testing the insulation, called a "megger", but I believe the cost is out of reach unless you intend to start a business to help all of us out. Some of us have access to such a tool through our employer(s).

I like to coat my spark plug wires with an insulating silicone grease. This prolongs the life of the wires quite a bit. However, I am not blessed with a fat motor with shielded spark plug wires.

I use Dow Corning 111. The most recent tubes I have acquired are labeled Molykote. Just any old silicone grease from your FLAPS is not the same. There is lubrication silicone grease and insulating silicone grease. For this application you want the latter item. Again though your shielded wires will make this operation labor intensive

**Dan H.** · October 15, 2018, 10:09 PM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Parkard 440 wires are solid wire core, not OEM Parkard resistance wires, am I missing something here?
Dan

**Terry M.** · October 16, 2018, 09:31 AM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Originally posted by Dan Holstein (1440)

Parkard 440 wires are solid wire core, not OEM Parkard resistance wires, am I missing something here?
Dan

Dan,
Much nearer the beginning of this thread Dr Mike #14 told us how to make 440 wires look like the original wires, That solves the fragility (is that a word?) of the carbon core, but does nothing for the deterioration of the insulation. Nothing, including my method, will stop that deterioration. What I do only slows the process.

**Chris H.** · October 16, 2018, 03:05 PM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Thanks Terry, guess I'll buy a roll of the Packard 440.

**Ken A.** · October 17, 2018, 09:29 AM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

GM stopped using solid core wires for more than just radio interference. First the coil rise time is slowed to O and second, any nearby electronics
are interfered with, such as TI components. Today's race teams use Delcore II 100,000 mile wire with a Kevlar inner core which has enough resistance to make the coil "work" harder than "solid core" plus copper corrodes. GM specs no copper components in the ignition system.

**Dan D.** · October 17, 2018, 11:46 AM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Ken, why do you say the coil rise time is slowed to 0? Until the plug fires it is open circuit, thus there is no current flow. The rise time is the result of the magnetic field in the coil collapsing.

-Dan-

**William F.** · October 17, 2018, 02:21 PM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Some electronic point replacement triggers, such as Pertronix specifically state,"do not use solid wire core spark plug wires." They do recommend and make spiral core wires. Don't know about the "single wire" electronic trigger recommendations.
Concerning rotors, some say that the rounded end of the current long end rotor can cause misfires as opposed to the sharply squared end of original long rotor since electricity prefers sharp corners, like on spark plug side electrode. Comments??

**Dick W.** · October 17, 2018, 02:21 PM

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Originally posted by Dan Dillingham (49672)

Ken, why do you say the coil rise time is slowed to 0? Until the plug fires it is open circuit, thus there is no current flow. The rise time is the result of the magnetic field in the coil collapsing.

-Dan-

Dan, you are thinking backwards. The coil rise time is before the ignition fires, i.e. from 0 to ? volts. The current flows to the cap all the time.