Is there really a 'better' set of wires for our cars?

95Vert

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Jun 21, 2006

#1

• Jun 21, 2006

• #1

I've used the FMS, MSD, and Livewires and wouldn't mind using anyone of them again. I stil haven't used Taylor, tho. Do they all conduct the same spark or is one better than the other?
Thanks

 

95BLKGT5.0

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stangnet.cardomain.com

Jun 21, 2006

#2

• Jun 21, 2006

• #2

Did you have any problems with the FMS, MSD, and Livewires? And did you change anything else like the coil?

 

95Vert

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Jun 21, 2006

#3

• Jun 21, 2006

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Nope.

 

M

Monsterbishi

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Jun 21, 2006

#4

• Jun 21, 2006

• #4

Asthetics aside, aftermarket wires for low-compression NA cars have no point.

 

95Vert

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#5

• Jun 21, 2006

• #5

So you're saying that if I buy a stock set of wires, it would be the same thing?

 

M

Monsterbishi

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#6

• Jun 21, 2006

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Not quite, I'm saying that the factory wires are more than ample to provide a good spark for applications up to and beyond what even the block can handle.

I have a history of building small turbo engines, mostly 2.0L Mitsubishi 4g63t's (You have them in your USDM Eclipses/Talons/etc) on a tame build, 300-400whp we use the factory 7mm leads, and standard NGK plugs, running 20+psi@8500rpm with no blow-out.

Larger leads can affect ignition too, electricity has a tedancy to travel along the outside of a wire, so when you start increasing the surface area of a wire, you increase the distance that it has to travel, and in extreme cases, the voltage itself will drop.

Best thing you can do for your ignition system, is to invest in some thermal sleeving for the wires, and some lead holders to keep them off any hot surface, otherwise heat will bring the resistance up.

 

95Vert

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Jun 21, 2006

#7

• Jun 21, 2006

• #7

So in that case the Livewires would be the best route. They have these thermal sleeves.

 

P

Pennywise2

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Jun 22, 2006

#8

• Jun 22, 2006

• #8

The MSD plug wires have the least resistance and give the
most voltage output.

 

BlackVert

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Jun 22, 2006

#9

• Jun 22, 2006

• #9

Pennywise2 said:

The MSD plug wires have the least resistance and give the most voltage output.

Click to expand...

not calling BS but how do you know this for a fact?

 

tmoss

Gettin Wired

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Jun 22, 2006

#10

• Jun 22, 2006

• #10

Taylor makes a very good wire.........

 

F

fiveohh94gt

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#11

• Jun 22, 2006

• #11

Pennywise2 said:

The MSD plug wires have the least resistance and give the
most voltage output.

Click to expand...

I Ohm tested all of my MSD wires before putting them on the car and they had significantly less resistance than the FMS wires i took off and the old stockers i had laying around. wish i had of had some livewires to test at the same time

 

Therian

The Highlander

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Jun 22, 2006

#12

• Jun 22, 2006

• #12

livewires all the way...LTs eat many other wires

 

FlyBy763

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Jun 22, 2006

#13

• Jun 22, 2006

• #13

Yeah, I like my Livewires.

 

M

mackey

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Jun 22, 2006

#14

• Jun 22, 2006

• #14

I love the taylor race wires. I think i paid 40 bucks for them from summit. You really shouldn't worry about resistance on wires especially with the amount of voltage going through them....

It really doesn't make that much of a difference.

I had the MSD red wires for a while, my car developed a miss after a while and the fit was bad. I wouldn't go back.

 

P

Pennywise2

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Jun 23, 2006

#15

• Jun 23, 2006

• #15

BlackVert said:

not calling BS but how do you know this for a fact?

Click to expand...

In auto shop for one of my tests in my senior year in high school
I had to test the resistance and output voltage of different spark
plug wires and see witch spark plug wire had the least resistance
and the most output voltage.I tested the Taylor 409's,Livewires,
MSD's,FRPP's,and stock Ford OEM plug wires.Here is what I found
was the best in numbered order.
1.MSD spark plugs (best output voltage and least resistance)
2.Livewires (almost as good as the MSD's but,more resistance)
3.Tayor 409's (close in voltage to the Livewires)
4.FRPP plug wires ( just a little best than stock in resistance and output voltage.
5.Stock Ford OEM plug wires (Alot of resistance and output voltage was
horrible)
After the test I returned all the other plug wires and keeped the MSD spark
plug wires and my auto shop teacher gave me a A+ .

 

tmoss

Gettin Wired

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Jun 23, 2006

#16

• Jun 23, 2006

• #16

Pennywise2 said:

In auto shop for one of my tests in my senior year in high school
I had to test the resistance and output voltage of different spark
plug wires and see witch spark plug wire had the least resistance
and the most output voltage.I tested the Taylor 409's,Livewires,
MSD's,FRPP's,and stock Ford OEM plug wires.Here is what I found
was the best in numbered order.
1.MSD spark plugs (best output voltage and least resistance)
2.Livewires (almost as good as the MSD's but,more resistance)
3.Tayor 409's (close in voltage to the Livewires)
4.FRPP plug wires ( just a little best than stock in resistance and output voltage.
5.Stock Ford OEM plug wires (Alot of resistance and output voltage was
horrible)
After the test I returned all the other plug wires and keeped the MSD spark
plug wires and my auto shop teacher gave me a A+ .

Click to expand...

You may have missed an important point - which of those sets were "spiral wound" and which were straight wire sets. Was this part of your evaluation?

 

95Vert

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Jun 26, 2006

#17

• Jun 26, 2006

• #17

Moss, has a point Penny.

 

9

95ConvGT

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Jun 26, 2006

#18

• Jun 26, 2006

• #18

Therian said:

livewires all the way...LTs eat many other wires

Click to expand...

that or a set of taylor wires with a full metal jacket

 

dstanggt50

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Jun 26, 2006

#19

• Jun 26, 2006

• #19

I've used taylor, msd, and holley wires ( don't know if they still make them or not), I think its more for looks than anything else. I guess maybe on a forced induction engine might make more of a difference. I've used to change them alot because of my mac equal shorty's eating up #3 wire, but after my LT swap, don't really have a problem anymore.

 

HISSIN50

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#20

• Jun 26, 2006

• #20

I agree with the sentiment (from Dstang, et al) that for most of us (NA, kinda stockish), even parts store LLT wires will work fine. I run a set or two of those on DIS systems and even with the extra voltage (albeit in a shorter wire run), they hold up.

But wires and a coil (on a 5N95) sure help aesthetics. Oh, I cant tell a difference in the Sidewinders on the fox vert or the MSD SC's on the '94. I do need to find some nice but cheap (what a contradiction) separators.