[C2] Spark plug wire change?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
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From: The Golden Triangle, Florida
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St. Jude Donor '20 thru '25
Spark plug wire change?
Corvette America lists Early and Late spark plug wires for all 5 years of mid-year production. Anyone know why the change?
Steve
Steve
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The wires where dated in quarters of the year. So they are selling you dated wires with the right date on them
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
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From: The Golden Triangle, Florida
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Thanks Keith. That makes sense to me now.
Steve
Steve
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Steve:
If you are not interested in "date coded" wires, there are better options out there. LL wires may be better lately, but they went thru a problem period awhile back, with a lot of failures. I have very early LL dated wires on my 67 (from 20+ years ago) and they are still good, but back then LL likely got them from the original DELCO source........
So be aware of the issue. K&B has a decent set without the date codes...........and many here use black wire aftermarket brands from Jegs and Summitt etc which are also very good. But again, no date codes........unless you stamp them in. A thread on spark plug wire date stamping is going on right now on NCRS forum.
Larry
If you are not interested in "date coded" wires, there are better options out there. LL wires may be better lately, but they went thru a problem period awhile back, with a lot of failures. I have very early LL dated wires on my 67 (from 20+ years ago) and they are still good, but back then LL likely got them from the original DELCO source........
So be aware of the issue. K&B has a decent set without the date codes...........and many here use black wire aftermarket brands from Jegs and Summitt etc which are also very good. But again, no date codes........unless you stamp them in. A thread on spark plug wire date stamping is going on right now on NCRS forum.
Larry
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
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From: The Golden Triangle, Florida
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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St. Jude Donor '20 thru '25
Thanks, Larry. No, I have no interest in date coded wires.
As as far as date stamping wires, I don’t see how that’s much different than stamping a non-original engine. But that’s just my opinion and a subject for discussion another day.
Take care,
Steve
As as far as date stamping wires, I don’t see how that’s much different than stamping a non-original engine. But that’s just my opinion and a subject for discussion another day.
Take care,
Steve
Burning Brakes
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Lots of variables in the longevity of spark plug wires, but the number of times the earth makes a path around the sun isn't necessarily one of them. The 1983 dated wires on my '65 327 are like brand new, and test out just fine. On the other hand, five year old wires can be shot.
The age gets down to conductivity and the dielectric strength of the insulators (boots and cable insulation), and varies greatly with quality of the wire set. Insulators often fail due to age (loss of plasticizers) and heat damage. If they are cracked, they're gone. FWIW, boots can often be replaced by themselves if they're cracked and dried out. Testing insulation is difficult without specific equipment, but a good test is running the engine at night in a totally dark area and look for a faint blue glow for arcing. If you dare, grab the wires while it's running - if the insulation is leaking, you'll get a jolt. Conductivity can be roughly tested easily enough with a multimeter, just google the resistance per foot for your applicable wires (resistance vs non-resistance).
The age gets down to conductivity and the dielectric strength of the insulators (boots and cable insulation), and varies greatly with quality of the wire set. Insulators often fail due to age (loss of plasticizers) and heat damage. If they are cracked, they're gone. FWIW, boots can often be replaced by themselves if they're cracked and dried out. Testing insulation is difficult without specific equipment, but a good test is running the engine at night in a totally dark area and look for a faint blue glow for arcing. If you dare, grab the wires while it's running - if the insulation is leaking, you'll get a jolt. Conductivity can be roughly tested easily enough with a multimeter, just google the resistance per foot for your applicable wires (resistance vs non-resistance).