Spark Plug Wire Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

[Perry M.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

I installed a set of LL spark plug wires on my '57 some 20+ years ago. After sitting for 10 years, I can't get the car started. I have gone through everything from a new gas tank, fuel lines, fuel pump, fresh non E gas, carburation and ignition timing. The plugs are new but the wires are not. My question is can the wires go bad simply from sitting? I have removed and installed them several times. The car tries to start but only backfires. The timing is spot on.

[Mike M.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

i've had lectric limited plug wires die after just one removal of plug wire from plug. good luck with the 57. mike

[Mark E.]

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

Bob, I'm flattered you asked me the question. I'm not a plug wire expert. With that said, I don't know why spiral-core technology wouldn't be a good way to go with aftermarket and/or electronic ignitions.

Donald Harris' post in this thread also points to another possible good option...

[Mark E.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

I installed a set of LL spark plug wires on my '57 some 20+ years ago. After sitting for 10 years, I can't get the car started. I have gone through everything from a new gas tank, fuel lines, fuel pump, fresh non E gas, carburation and ignition timing. The plugs are new but the wires are not. My question is can the wires go bad simply from sitting? I have removed and installed them several times. The car tries to start but only backfires. The timing is spot on.

Perry,

After 10 years, there's a long list of possible culprits. When you say "can't get the car started," what do you mean?

Won't crank?
Cranks, but won't fire?
Fires, but runs poorly?

[Paul C.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

I would try the following since you never know what decided to go bad on any given day.
1. check the coil
2. check the ohms resistance of the plug wires with a multimeter. If one is bad, you should pick it up.
3. Check all you ground wires--rust builds up over the years especially in winter with great temp changes in a garage. Plug the grounds off, clean them with wire wheel & apply dielectric grease.
4. Replace or check your distributor cap and rotor and points if you car has them.

This will eliminate alot of easy fixes. Thats what I did and it turned out to be the ground wire(s). I'm no expert but do the simple, inexpensive things first.

[Donald H.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

If you want to eliminate the plug wire from possible cause, refer back to my post #14. The K&B wires I got from paragon fit and look stock. They are also priced reasonably

[Perry M.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

It cranks fine but won't fire. It sputters and backfires. I used an MSD plug wire I have and placed a spark plug in it. The other end was placed into the distributor cap in the number 1 position. The plug was grounded using a jumper wire from the plug to the neg. battery post. Using a remote starter, I was able to watch the spark of the plug while watching the timing marks on the balancer. They were in sync so the distributor is not 180* off and the timing is in the range where the engine should start.

[Perry M.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Help me out here guys. With my multimeter set at 20k, my 45'' long #1 plug wire reads between 16.90 and 17.10 ohms while my 38'' MSD wire reads a steady .38 ohms. Is that telling me the MSD wire has 380 ohms of resistance and the LL wire has 17,000 ohms. WOW

[Paul C.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

Another thing I forgot to mention was mine wouldn't start either but the battery seemed to run down quicker than what I thought was normal. It was a 2 year old AC Delco--which turned out to be bad. It put out some voltage but maybe not enough.

I'm no expert of plug wires but the LL carbon core wires have a much higher resistance (mine varied from 13K-30K ohms resistance depending on the length) than braided or solid core copper plug wires which average around 50 ohms per foot for their 8.5mm wires.

[Perry M.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

My battery is also brand new. I am going with Don's advice and purchasing a new set of wires from K and B.

[Gene 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).

AFTER READING THE POSTS IN THIS THREAD THIS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT MAKES SENSE FOR A FLIGHT JUDGED CAR. I’ve done exactly as Mike suggests here on my cars and never got call on it. No issues with missing or cross fire for years now. Ink stamp is a bit tricky to perfect on the wires but practice makes for a better job. Keep in mind ink will wipe down with lacquer thinner so one can redo it over and over if necessary. A strong running engine is the only way to have it. I would find it embarrising having an engine that’s hard starting, spits and farts as seen often at meets.

[Perry M.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

I thought I should give you guys an update on my no start issue. I purchased a set of wires from K and B. My '57 is supposed to have red 90* spark plug boots and black 90* distributor boots. The set I received had black straight boots with a date code of 3rd quarter '67. Ken graciously took them back. I then purchased some Packard 440 wire from Ebay and with the boots and terminals from my LL set, a new set was created. After installing them, the car started, although very rough. It would not continue to run or idle. I then changed my newly installed plugs with a set of AC 44 plugs. The car started and ran perfectly. Could the LL wires have caused my plugs to foul? The car has never run this good.

[Mike M.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

yes, if the plug wires carbon cores were disrupted , hence no voltage to one or more plugs will result in fouling. mike

[John D.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

A couple of days ago I asked Joe Lucia to look up a Delco "Wire and Cable" aka spark plug wires to see if they would fit my '63 LWC. (FI car)
#2987482. They are the real deal for my car except for the date which I don't care about. Black all the way. 90Degree distr. cap terminals.
Straight black boots for the plugs.
Won't hurt the radio either. I bought a set on Ebay. Paid $100 plus shipping.
Joe said they are absolutely perfect for my car, etc. John D

[Mike M.]

Re: Spark Plug Options for 71 Other Than Lectric Limited

take an artists paint Bruch, dip it into your jar of silicone dielectric grease, and smear it on both ends of the plug wire boots. you won't have to pull as hard to remove them from the plugs, which is the reason for carbon core separation. mike.