HT lead help

[Swiss_Toni]

I was hoping someone had some good ideas on stopping my spark plug wires getting cooked.

They're MSD wires with DEI titanium heat boots. The heat boots are in good shape but wires and boots are damaged on most of the cylinders.

If some has a source for custom wires it would be helpful as I may try to use longer wires and reroute things.

Does anyone know if different length wires will cause any issues.

[V8Dom]

I run 90 degree ends and never had problem but exhaust come upwards from head and plugs downwards

[Swiss_Toni]

I was thinking about that though as it's an LS7 the wires would have to go down, around towards the the back, up around the back of the heads to the coil packs on top of the valve covers.

This of course would make the wires longer (especially the front ones) and I don't know if there would be any adverse affect?

What engine to you have installed and might you have any pics?

[Storer]

Greg

How many miles have those leads done? Did the sleeves cover the rubber boots?

Not seen this on mine. Are your headers zircotec coated under the wrapping?


Paul

[BogBeast]

V8Dom said:

I run 90 degree ends and never had problem but exhaust come upwards from head and plugs downwards

Ditto me. Never come close to roasting them.

[ROWDYRENAULT]

Accel makes a very nice universal plug wire kit for LS motors. Not cheap, but enough options to get the wires where you need them. Nice quality boots. I just moved my coil packs from the back of the motor above the bell housing to a bracket off of the engine mounts in both instances the plug wires came in from underneath the spark plugs and avoids a lot of problem you are looking at. I like the coils mounted off of the engine mount holes it makes for very short wires that are nowhere near the headers, it keeps the weight of the coils low in the car and I like the fact that it makes the engine compartment a little less cluttered. The coils are being moved to make way for the 8 into one header system that I hope to have built by the end of the year. Lee

[Swiss_Toni]

Thanks for the input.

I'll look into today getting some custom wires with 90° boots made up. Just looking again, what I may do is get the wires made a bit longer and then route them through the headers where there is more clearance than routeing them all down and around to the back and then up to the top.

It would be great if anyone had some pictures to give more ideas.....

Does anyone have any experience with Magnacor wires? I've got a set on my Elise which has worked well, but granted a lot less of a extreme environment.

The have their R100 racing range which looks quite robust and they'er made in the UK so I hope delivery time will be quick.

[Steve_D]

On my SBC I am using the MSD leads but with a 90 degree lead end. This brings the leads down low and well clear of the exhaust.
You can buy the MSD leads as a kit and make up your own leads to length which means you can make them very tidy.
The extra length will not cause issues.

Steve

[Swiss_Toni]

These where MSD leads and I have to say I'm not terribly impressed as they had boot heat shields and the shields are fine (one slightly abraded) but the lead boots are crispy.

Thanks for the note on the length, and it looks 90° is the way to go.

[macgtech]

Swiss_Toni said:

Thanks for the input.

I'll look into today getting some custom wires with 90° boots made up. Just looking again, what I may do is get the wires made a bit longer and then route them through the headers where there is more clearance than routeing them all down and around to the back and then up to the top.

It would be great if anyone had some pictures to give more ideas.....

Does anyone have any experience with Magnacor wires? I've got a set on my Elise which has worked well, but granted a lot less of a extreme environment.

The have their R100 racing range which looks quite robust and they'er made in the UK so I hope delivery time will be quick.

Yes - we run Magnacor custom made HT leads and never had a problem. Amazed that you have burnt through the heat shield and the lead even with the headers wrapped.

[Swiss_Toni]

I'm amazed to! They only have a few hours running time and I was troubleshooting, funny enough, a misfire. Pulled the leads to change the plugs and check the wires and I was shocked when I removed leads and found things to be nice on the outside and crispy on the inside (there's a food ad there if anyone wants it).

On the Magnacor did you go with the KV85 or the R100 leads?

What routing did you go with (any pics)?

[Nabbott]

I have Magnacor KV85's on my SBC car and for additional protection they also added some heat sleeving to the ends of the plugs. They appear really well made and the dimensions were perfect (just as I measured them). The downside? - probably the worlds most expensive HT lead set.....

[Swiss_Toni]

After everyone's advice here and from the engine builder and Phil at Magnacor I've ordered a set of custom leads.

I've gone the Magnacor R100 (10mm) route with 90 deg and the down and around and back up to the coils. We're adding the heat sleeving on top. I'll start off without heat socks on the boots and go from there.

As the engine builder said, it's a problem area on LS's and down and round is slow roasted like a lamb shank and up and through (standard routing) is fast cook.....