Tested all major spark plug wires. My results...

myk02k · 10-16-2006, 10:18 PM

My hopes are to get this as a sticky. It took some time to get ahold of all these wires. Pics will be up soon. Please give me props for doing this...

After reading 100 threads about spark plug wires and who has the best one, I've decided to do my own test on aftermarket wires. I've got ahold of 8 aftermarket wires, all 12.5 inches long (LS1 plugs are smaller).

So why do people upgrade their wires? The theory goes that because race wires have less ohm resistance, they will reduce the amount of electricity lost in the process of being transferred through the wire. The average car transfers 30,000 volts through the spark plug wire, so every little resistance counts.

OEM plugs were created with a significant amount of ohm resistance to supress RFI interference. Aftermarket wires supress this interference while claiming to supply lower ohm resistance than stock.

There are many people who disbelieve that aftermarket spark plug wires will gain you anything. After swapping out my wires, I noticed a HP gain and smoother acceleration. My guess is that a stronger spark (not hotter) allows for a faster combustion. I cannot find anything to disproove this, so for now this theory will stay in this write-up.

So here's my test. All wires were tested at least 3 times to be sure I have accurate numbers here. Remember, they were all 12.5 inches long. I tested next to a radio but did not pick up any static from any of these wires.

stock LS1 6 in. - 351 ohms

Granatelli 8mm Steel Solid Core Cable - 0.1 ohms
MSD 8.5mm Super Conductor - 71.6 ohms
Accel 8.8 300+ Ferro-Spiral Race Wire - 166.1 ohms
Jacobs Electronics EnergyCore 8.5mm - 178.3 oms
Taylor Spiro Pro 8mm Silicone - 301 ohms
Mallory Pro Sidewinder 8mm Silicone Suppression Wire - 313 ohms
Moroso Blue Maz Spiral Core 8mm - 661 ohms
Magnecor KV85 Competiton 2.5mm - 2053 ohms

I'll write some more, but I'm tired of playing with spark plug wires. So for now here's just the facts.

KM02SS · 10-17-2006, 04:55 AM

Thanks and good job, I appreciate the data since I'm planning on replacing my wires.

BlackLT1Z28 · 10-17-2006, 08:41 AM

I like the write up, very informative, but your control group (LS1 stock wires) are different from the experiemental groups. If you are going to measure one thing against another, make sure they are the same. 12.5" wires are different from the shorter 6" wires. One of the factors of resistance is wire length. The longer the wires, the more resistance they accumulate.

But overall, major props. Good to see a third party test shit for themselves. Maybe someday, someone will take it a step further and get some before/after dyno numbers or maybe test the longevity of all these wires. Like test the resistance of all the wires after 50K/100K miles to see how they hold up lifespan wise.

SSTODD · 10-17-2006, 09:27 AM

I agree, my MSD'S for the LS1 measure 25 ohms and at half the cost of granatelli I need to see the H.P. difference in about 25 ohms to justify the cost.

***mrr23*** · 10-18-2006, 09:22 PM

for comparison, i tested my GMPP wires and they were just over 300 ohms. when i replaced them with beldon wires you can get from a parts store, they measured 102 ohms.

Roastem · 10-19-2006, 10:01 AM

Lower resistance=higher current

Current is the flow of electrons.

Ohm's Law
V= I x R
voltage= current multiplied by the resistance

or reworked to be
I = V/R

The length of the wire does come into play if the conducting material has a constant resistance value.

But, if a 12" wire has less resistance than a 6" one, then the 12" will give your biggest current flow.

NHRAMAN · 10-19-2006, 11:16 AM

good info----thanks...

SSTODD · 10-19-2006, 12:21 PM

Correct about ohm's law. Do the stock LS1 coils put out a specific voltage or does it vary depending on the plug or wire condition and is there a maximum current or voltage available from the coils?

AKIRA · 10-19-2006, 04:13 PM

Ok heres a newb question..

The higher the ohm the better or worse?

Just confused frm the feedback and the results of the stock wires vs. aftermarket.

502ci · 10-19-2006, 04:45 PM

Higher the ohms the worse it gets.

Lower number good, higher number bad...

nofearracing28 · 10-19-2006, 04:46 PM

my msd's were about 30 ohms

DarthD · 10-22-2006, 03:49 PM

I just recieved a set of Crane Fire Wires. They were only $40 from Summit and Crane claims they are 25 ohms per foot. Well, they lied! The Crane Fire Wires measure anywhere from 550 - 850 ohms! Not only are they a lot higher than they claim, but they are all over the place. Also, Crane does not have email. I wanted to complain to them but all they have is a phone number. I like to use email so I have proof of anything they tell me. Once I find out a company does not have email, I will no longer do business with them.

I sent an email to Summit telling them I want to send them back. I think I will buy the MSD wires.

Also, when I was removing wires a few weeks ago to check my plugs, I ripped one. I purchased a replacement wire from GM for $18.00. The new wire is an AC Delco that measured 730 ohms. The original wires are Packard and measure 324-370 ohms.
It looks like the GM replacment wires are nowhere near as good as the factory origianals.

Why would they not sell the Packard wires for replacement?
How can Crane get by making false claims?

Steve Crowe · 10-22-2006, 05:22 PM

but I won't be the bearer of the truth about plug wires. I'd suggest anyone interested take time to read through the Magnecor website and decide for themselves. All I know is I've had perfect luck with them for decades and they seem to last forever.

I'd post a link but I see I need to make a few more posts before I can do that, easy enough to figure out the link to magnecor. though.

Ripper415 · 10-22-2006, 06:37 PM

wow discussions involving ohms law on this board....never thought i'd see that haha. anyone here who could help me with my calculus homework?

Roastem · 10-23-2006, 05:59 AM

I cannot share my infinite wisdom young Paduwan. You are not ready.

Phlash_riot · 10-23-2006, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roastem

I cannot share my infinite wisdom young Paduwan. You are not ready.

What about me? I wan to know how to use the "force".

Roastem · 10-23-2006, 10:25 AM

Lesson 1:

Put it in first, floor it, let off the clutch, HOLD it to the floor until she stops spinning.

Phlash_riot · 10-23-2006, 11:18 AM

ok i tried it but something is wrong. Ok ok let me get this straight. 1st gear, get on the floor let off clutch and spin around....

All i did was get dizzy and a bunch of bruises...

ahh forget it.. the force is too weak with me i guess.

Roastem · 10-24-2006, 07:16 AM

OK, let's skip the spinning part...

DarthD · 10-24-2006, 11:35 PM

Here is my reply from Summit about the Crane wires:

Response (Jim) - 10/24/2006 09:17 AM
David , per Crane . You need to install the wires and run them for
awhile and then measure . There is some type of metamorphisis that the the
wires takes on to change the resistance .

10-16-2006, 10:18 PM	#1
myk02k Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rutgers (New Brunswick), NJ Age: 22 Posts: 534 2002 Camaro Z28 6-spd Black	Tested all major spark plug wires. My results... My hopes are to get this as a sticky. It took some time to get ahold of all these wires. Pics will be up soon. Please give me props for doing this... After reading 100 threads about spark plug wires and who has the best one, I've decided to do my own test on aftermarket wires. I've got ahold of 8 aftermarket wires, all 12.5 inches long (LS1 plugs are smaller). So why do people upgrade their wires? The theory goes that because race wires have less ohm resistance, they will reduce the amount of electricity lost in the process of being transferred through the wire. The average car transfers 30,000 volts through the spark plug wire, so every little resistance counts. OEM plugs were created with a significant amount of ohm resistance to supress RFI interference. Aftermarket wires supress this interference while claiming to supply lower ohm resistance than stock. There are many people who disbelieve that aftermarket spark plug wires will gain you anything. After swapping out my wires, I noticed a HP gain and smoother acceleration. My guess is that a stronger spark (not hotter) allows for a faster combustion. I cannot find anything to disproove this, so for now this theory will stay in this write-up. So here's my test. All wires were tested at least 3 times to be sure I have accurate numbers here. Remember, they were all 12.5 inches long. I tested next to a radio but did not pick up any static from any of these wires. stock LS1 6 in. - 351 ohms Granatelli 8mm Steel Solid Core Cable - 0.1 ohms MSD 8.5mm Super Conductor - 71.6 ohms Accel 8.8 300+ Ferro-Spiral Race Wire - 166.1 ohms Jacobs Electronics EnergyCore 8.5mm - 178.3 oms Taylor Spiro Pro 8mm Silicone - 301 ohms Mallory Pro Sidewinder 8mm Silicone Suppression Wire - 313 ohms Moroso Blue Maz Spiral Core 8mm - 661 ohms Magnecor KV85 Competiton 2.5mm - 2053 ohms I'll write some more, but I'm tired of playing with spark plug wires. So for now here's just the facts.

10-18-2006, 09:22 PM	#5
*mrr23* The Multiple Moderator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: orlando, fl Age: 41 Posts: 7,043 1999 & 2000 formula white & black	for comparison, i tested my GMPP wires and they were just over 300 ohms. when i replaced them with beldon wires you can get from a parts store, they measured 102 ohms. __________________

10-19-2006, 11:16 AM	#7
NHRAMAN Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Vancouver,B.C.,Canada.W.Coast Posts: 513 '99 T/A WS6 M6 Navy Blue Metallic	good info----thanks... __________________ 99 WS6 M6 NBM !Cags,!Cats,Vinci/Crane,Hurst,Detroit TruTrac,3:73,31 Splne,Edel.Race LT's,ORY,QTEC,Flow,ARP,Percy,MSD,SLP,AC/DELCO,Bosch,GMPP,Cntrfrce DF,Htchkiss,Susp.Tech,Lakewood,285's,Bilstein,Pro-kit,SLP,RK Sprt,A/Meter,Red Optima,Magnaflow S/S Tips,Hd Pins,Tint,Fire.Ex,[4 Hot Rod Power Tours]

10-19-2006, 04:13 PM	#9
AKIRA Rollo Tomassee Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outside the box Age: 29 Posts: 2,881	Ok heres a newb question.. The higher the ohm the better or worse? Just confused frm the feedback and the results of the stock wires vs. aftermarket. __________________ 99 T/A M6 LS6 intake, Hooker Coated Long Tubes, Y-pipe w/1 carsound cat, Hooker Catback, MTi Clear Lid, FRA w/ Holley Power Shot, ASP crank pulley, 1.8 RRs, 3.73s w/TA girdle & Eaton Differential, Granatelli SFCs, Pro 5.0 Shifter, LS6 Clutch, Diablo, TByrnes Maf Ends (in winter), All the Free Mods

10-22-2006, 05:22 PM	#13
Steve Crowe Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 282 96 & 98 GTPs, 64 'Cuda 00 LS1, WS6, V8 Gremlin	Hate to inform you but I won't be the bearer of the truth about plug wires. I'd suggest anyone interested take time to read through the Magnecor website and decide for themselves. All I know is I've had perfect luck with them for decades and they seem to last forever. I'd post a link but I see I need to make a few more posts before I can do that, easy enough to figure out the link to magnecor. though.

10-17-2006, 04:55 AM	#2
KM02SS FAS02SS Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Greenwood Indiana Posts: 93 2002 Camaro SS Pewter	Thanks and good job, I appreciate the data since I'm planning on replacing my wires.

10-17-2006, 08:41 AM	#3
BlackLT1Z28 Pathelogical Liar Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Missouri Age: 22 Posts: 1,476 94 Camaro Z28 Black	I like the write up, very informative, but your control group (LS1 stock wires) are different from the experiemental groups. If you are going to measure one thing against another, make sure they are the same. 12.5" wires are different from the shorter 6" wires. One of the factors of resistance is wire length. The longer the wires, the more resistance they accumulate. But overall, major props. Good to see a third party test shit for themselves. Maybe someday, someone will take it a step further and get some before/after dyno numbers or maybe test the longevity of all these wires. Like test the resistance of all the wires after 50K/100K miles to see how they hold up lifespan wise.

10-17-2006, 09:27 AM	#4
SSTODD MOTOR CITY MARO' Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: LIVONIA,MICHIGAN Age: 43 Posts: 690 2000 CAMARO SS #3821 PEWTER	I agree, my MSD'S for the LS1 measure 25 ohms and at half the cost of granatelli I need to see the H.P. difference in about 25 ohms to justify the cost.

10-19-2006, 10:01 AM	#6
Roastem Evr sena bdgr killa snak? Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Research Triangle Park, NC Age: 32 Posts: 1,812 '99 Z28 M6 Pewter	Lower resistance=higher current Current is the flow of electrons. Ohm's Law V= I x R voltage= current multiplied by the resistance or reworked to be I = V/R The length of the wire does come into play if the conducting material has a constant resistance value. But, if a 12" wire has less resistance than a 6" one, then the 12" will give your biggest current flow.

10-19-2006, 12:21 PM	#8
SSTODD MOTOR CITY MARO' Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: LIVONIA,MICHIGAN Age: 43 Posts: 690 2000 CAMARO SS #3821 PEWTER	Correct about ohm's law. Do the stock LS1 coils put out a specific voltage or does it vary depending on the plug or wire condition and is there a maximum current or voltage available from the coils?

10-19-2006, 04:45 PM	#10
502ci Here for entertainment Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 271 97 6-speed corvette black	Higher the ohms the worse it gets. Lower number good, higher number bad...

10-19-2006, 04:46 PM	#11
nofearracing28 Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Leon, IA Age: 22 Posts: 17	my msd's were about 30 ohms

10-22-2006, 03:49 PM	#12
DarthD Member since 1998 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Seguin, Texas Age: 39 Posts: 95 2001 Trans Am WS6 Black ASC#7564 May11,2001	I just recieved a set of Crane Fire Wires. They were only $40 from Summit and Crane claims they are 25 ohms per foot. Well, they lied! The Crane Fire Wires measure anywhere from 550 - 850 ohms! Not only are they a lot higher than they claim, but they are all over the place. Also, Crane does not have email. I wanted to complain to them but all they have is a phone number. I like to use email so I have proof of anything they tell me. Once I find out a company does not have email, I will no longer do business with them. I sent an email to Summit telling them I want to send them back. I think I will buy the MSD wires. Also, when I was removing wires a few weeks ago to check my plugs, I ripped one. I purchased a replacement wire from GM for $18.00. The new wire is an AC Delco that measured 730 ohms. The original wires are Packard and measure 324-370 ohms. It looks like the GM replacment wires are nowhere near as good as the factory origianals. Why would they not sell the Packard wires for replacement? How can Crane get by making false claims?

10-22-2006, 06:37 PM	#14
Ripper415 Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: NY Age: 24 Posts: 367 2002 Camaro SS Pewter	wow discussions involving ohms law on this board....never thought i'd see that haha. anyone here who could help me with my calculus homework? __________________ http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2209146

10-23-2006, 05:59 AM	#15
Roastem Evr sena bdgr killa snak? Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Research Triangle Park, NC Age: 32 Posts: 1,812 '99 Z28 M6 Pewter	I cannot share my infinite wisdom young Paduwan. You are not ready.

10-23-2006, 10:25 AM	#17
Roastem Evr sena bdgr killa snak? Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Research Triangle Park, NC Age: 32 Posts: 1,812 '99 Z28 M6 Pewter	Lesson 1: Put it in first, floor it, let off the clutch, HOLD it to the floor until she stops spinning.

10-23-2006, 11:18 AM	#18
Phlash_riot Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego Age: 31 Posts: 396 1999 T/A Midnight Blue	ok i tried it but something is wrong. Ok ok let me get this straight. 1st gear, get on the floor let off clutch and spin around.... All i did was get dizzy and a bunch of bruises... ahh forget it.. the force is too weak with me i guess.

10-24-2006, 07:16 AM	#19
Roastem Evr sena bdgr killa snak? Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Research Triangle Park, NC Age: 32 Posts: 1,812 '99 Z28 M6 Pewter	OK, let's skip the spinning part...

10-24-2006, 11:35 PM	#20
DarthD Member since 1998 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Seguin, Texas Age: 39 Posts: 95 2001 Trans Am WS6 Black ASC#7564 May11,2001	Here is my reply from Summit about the Crane wires: Response (Jim) - 10/24/2006 09:17 AM David , per Crane . You need to install the wires and run them for awhile and then measure . There is some type of metamorphisis that the the wires takes on to change the resistance .