spark plug wire problem

I usually make new spark plugwires using new caps on the plugs. What I am finding is that the wires abrade easily when they touch anything especially the head steady. I tried drilling a 1/2" hole through the head steady flange and fitting a grommet but the rubber-on-rubber friction was still abrading and leaving rubber dust on top of the head. Next thing I tried was to use a short piece of adhesive shrink tube in the problem area but that too wants to abrade but not so fast. Then tried to make a wire doo-dad that wraps around the wire and anchors to one of the head steady bolts. The problem is the motor bouncing back and forth while the coils don't move. The reasonable question is "why isn't this a problem with OEM stuff?" My question is...does anybody make 7mm spark plug wire with abrasion proof materials? The stuff I bought on ebay, copper or steel core wire, was "inexpensive" and is the next suspect. I want to use the original routing where the wire tucks neatly up under the tank. Also a possibility is to use 90 degree coil boots.

I have been able to route them so they don't rub - but have been pleased with the cotton braid sheathed wire (7mm copper) that I bought from the Green Spark Plug Company (UK based)
Cheers
Rob

Plug wire I bought recently is not, it seems, as large of diameter as the original, which I still have and as you've stated is not as robust material. The old ones could be pushed into a coil without a cap and fit snugly, but the new wire falls out because it's slightly smaller OD..... As to installation I permit them to go directly from coil to plug with just enough play to cope with the vibration. Never thought of tucking up and concealing.

robs ss said:

I have been able to route them so they don't rub - but have been pleased with the cotton braid sheathed wire (7mm copper) that I bought from the Green Spark Plug Company (UK based)

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Cheers
Rob

Click to expand...

Just route them better so that they don't rub, I have a roll of cotton braid copper wire for vintage cars that I brought from a swap meet over 35 years ago have used them on my old Triumph with the JH maggie, the roll only cost me $20 all them years ago and have enough plug cables for 10 bikes with long leads, mine are yellow cotton with black and red patten, the same in the pic from Rob.

Ashley

Worst case in general I just find a suitable rubber hose and cut a section, split it and put that over the HT lead.

The Pazon copper core leads are quite HD though. (if not a little spendy)

#
Off on a tangent.

Is it bad to run a resistor spark plug with a 5k resistor cap or should you change to a non resistor cap.
Maybe they are not the same thing ?

Time Warp said:

Is it bad to run a resistor spark plug with a 5k resistor cap or should you change to a non resistor cap.
Maybe they are not the same thing ?

Click to expand...

Resistor one or the other, not both. Since resistor plugs are the norm nowadays, I'm using straight caps.

maylar said:

Resistor one or the other, not both. Since resistor plugs are the norm nowadays, I'm using straight caps.

Click to expand...

I will admit I don't really understand that 'stuff (bar suppression to avoid electrical interference, is that the resistor? )
Someone elsewhere likened the resistor in a spark plug to partially holding your finger over the end of a garden hose (A longer more concentrated spark ? or something like that)

I do wonder to some degree how many bikes are out there with dual resistors.
The Pazon kits come with 5k caps but that it seems limits you to non resistor (copper core ?) spark plugs ? when a reasonable amount of people could be running a modern resistor plug (I bought new Denso's which I believe are resistor but have the 5k caps and finding non resistor caps has not been easy to date locally, NGK anyway)

It is certainly one area where things are murky for me in general.

I use some clear tubing from the hardware store slipped over each plug wire where it is routed under the tank. Invisible, and it is another layer of electrical insulation, besides protecting the wires from abrasion.
There have been some reports of owners not strictly following the "only one 5K" rule and getting some improvement reducing electronic ignition kickbacks on a Pazon Altair. I went from Altair to Tri-Spark this past summer and used 5K plug caps and inductive suppression wires (only about 150 Ohms per foot). The coil is a RevTech HD type. I know straight wires and plugs make a lot of RF noise, like the old spark gap transmitters. I used to watch my neighbor's TV picture start rolling when I fired up the G80CS scrambler.

Time Warp said:

I do wonder to some degree how many bikes are out there with dual resistors.

Click to expand...

I'm sure there are some. Example, people with dual output coils and two resistor caps. The resistance reduces RF interference which can wreck havoc on digital electronics (ignitions) and some voltage regulators. It also reduces spark energy, though I don't know by how much, and that's why it's not recommended to have it in both plugs and caps.