Plug Leads

[fieryfred]

Measure your plug cap it needs to fit over them. Mine are 20 or 25mm. The ends will fray as seen on the photo.
All you need to do is fold the ends in. my doubling up is over the top, a single layer is enough.
Normal socks are 150mm long so 1200 lg for 8 socks. So get a 2M length & make them 250 lg.
Or 1M & make them 125 lg.

Thats £12.18 per M for the 25mm dia.

http://www.textiletechnologies.co.uk/silex-silica-...

!000 deg C

[Pete Mac]

fieryfred said:

Measure your plug cap it needs to fit over them. Mine are 20 or 25mm. The ends will fray as seen on the photo.
All you need to do is fold the ends in. my doubling up is over the top, a single layer is enough.
Normal socks are 150mm long so 1200 lg for 8 socks. So get a 2M length & make them 250 lg.
Or 1M & make them 125 lg.

Thats £12.18 per M for the 25mm dia.

http://www.textiletechnologies.co.uk/silex-silica-...

!000 deg C

1st May, I've unSORNed the Green Meanie, new MOT and I've junked the plug extenders and put on Mr Retro leads with the the Textile Technology sleeves






I have to say the transformation is astounding. Tractability at low revs is fantastic, tickover steady, driveline shunt as good as gone, acceleration hugely up and no missing at high revs - I think I'm back in love again. I have to say, if you are suffering the symptoms I was, consider junking those extenders....!

As Fiery Fred says, the sleeves fray a lot and I tucked them in. I bought 2m of the sleeving and made each sleeve 200mm long but strangely I only just had enough for the last sleeve...... Hmmm, 8 cylinders x 200mm makes 1.6m.......!

Pete

[jimed]

I've been looking at heat boots from the UK; plenty on fleabay which look ok but do they actually work? They seem to be fibreglass with some having a "special coating" (?) and all claim to be ok to 6/700c so ...whilst the much more expensive basalt socks may be better are they or the material to make your own any better in practical terms in terms of protecting the leads to give them a reasonable life.
(Not trying to get overly cheap here but I won't be able to use the car much this year and might get grief for spending again ...)
Jim

[Classic Chim]

I think most socks will discolour overtime right by where they almost touch the headers but crucially in my case the Plug caps have been protected very well by the socks over a good 15,000 miles since use so they do work.
Mine were provided by Powers when they installed MBE but I don’t think they are anything special or overtly expensive.

[Pete Mac]

jimed said:

I've been looking at heat boots from the UK; plenty on fleabay which look ok but do they actually work? They seem to be fibreglass with some having a "special coating" (?) and all claim to be ok to 6/700c so ...whilst the much more expensive basalt socks may be better are they or the material to make your own any better in practical terms in terms of protecting the leads to give them a reasonable life.
(Not trying to get overly cheap here but I won't be able to use the car much this year and might get grief for spending again ...)
Jim

Jim, £24 for 2m. of silica braided material, good for 1000C ain't too bad, I cut the sock with scissors and it probably took me 45 minutes in total to fit 8 sleeves. Pete

[rev-erend]

I also recommend Mr Retro Leads.

He just build me a bespoke 8.5mm leads set, as my coilpacks are on the wings to keep them away from the heat. All custom made to length, with angled plug caps. All in £80. Very reasonable. He also sells lead separators.

[fieryfred]

When i got my Chim the posts pushed us towards £100 MSD super conductors, £100 DEI boots & fancy spark plugs. The super spark plugs are not required in standard cars.
I did get a cheap set of socks of fleabay, they turned black in no time.
The car came with magnecor leads & i replaced them with standard Rover leads 5 times cheaper.
So for £24 i took a punt on the textile technology material.
Being as daft as a brush i thought why not test them.
So i put an old lead in both types of socks & laid them on the manifold.
The fleabay socks turned black & started smoking, the new one looked at me & said call that hot you wimp.
The smoking sock burnt the lead, the other was un-marked.
So you will do for me Tommy.
I treat the spark plugs & leads as servicable items. The leads do last a few years & for £20 carry a spare set along with 1Lt oil, spanners, sockets etc.
Well you never know when another breed of car breaks down you can always offer your tools.

[Zener]

rev-erend said:

I also recommend Mr Retro Leads.

He just build me a bespoke 8.5mm leads set, as my coilpacks are on the wings to keep them away from the heat. All custom made to length, with angled plug caps. All in £80. Very reasonable. He also sells lead separators.

A no brainer for that cost thats my kind of RV8 loving that breathing solution