Spark Plug Wire help!

289 - 351 cid Small Block Performance
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anoNY42
Posts: 93
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 1:34 pm
Location: Central Florida

Spark Plug Wire help!

Post by anoNY42 »

I have a 1971 302 with a Mallory HEI distributor. The spark plug wires are Accel Super Stock Hi Temp Radio Suppression Core 8mm. I measured resistance of 5.4-6.78k ohms per foot for the wires. I believe these are solid core since the prior owner generally bought cheaper stuff on Summit.

Looking at the Summit listing for new Accel wires (4000 series, the cheapest yellow ones), the solid core ones state resistance is 500 ohms per foot. However, other websites have said that generally 6k ohms per foot is ok for resistance (thought they may not have been talking about HEI).

1.) Is a 6k ohm/foot wire ok for HEI?
2.) Are all of my Accel wires fine, or are they all having really bad resistance issues?

I ask because the engine generally runs a bit rough and the vacuum gauge wanders slowly between 19hg and 18hg at idle. I have a comp cams XE256H cam that states it should have good idle, and 1.7 rockers.

Comechero65
Posts: 1870
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:37 pm
Location: Santa Clara, Ca

Re: Spark Plug Wire help!

Post by Comechero65 »

That's way too much resistance for each wire. sounds like the old carbon noise suppression wires. They always break internally. Not very durible.
I use the MSD wires #31199, 8.5 mm spiral wrapped, 50 ohms per foot. Universal style meaning you custom cut to length then install one end on each wire. Comes with the tool to crimp them. By you cutting them to length you get a perfect fit hard to get with other sets. Wires not cheap but you won't be replacing them soon or have failure problems.

I also use the MSD cap-adapt which is a large cap like the fox fords use. It's made to fit the original Autolite dist.

Wires:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/msd-31199

MSD cap-adapt ford:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/msd-8414/overview/

My 5.0 in Comechero:
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Ron
Last edited by Comechero65 on Thu Jan 26, 2017 12:06 am, edited 8 times in total.
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anoNY42
Posts: 93
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 1:34 pm
Location: Central Florida

Re: Spark Plug Wire help!

Post by anoNY42 »

Comechero65 wrote:sounds like the old carbon noise suppression wires
They do seem old, definitely not the current generation of Accel wires judging by the name. I might go steal my neighbor's wires off his Mustang to see the difference, since he likes to leave his garage open and his hood up!

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