>What should plug wire resistance be on an MGA ignition system? My coil
>wire is stranded (copper?) but the other wires are resistor type. If I
>order new wires from Moss or VB will I get copper or carbon? Someone
>posted a couple of days ago that resistance should be <8 ohms/foot. For
>copper wire I assume. Do I have the wrong wires on my car? They were
>recently replaced.
>
>Kevin Sullivan -- 1960 MGA
>Nichols Research Corp.
>Shalimar FL USA
Kevin,
My advice was 8 Ohms per foot for any high tension leads. If they are
copper (and you can forget having a radio if they are) they should give no
resistance. The resistance is designed into the silicon or fibre leads to
achieve radio suppression and a lack of intereference with electronic
components in your car, cars you pass or adjacent homes. What happens is
that the material in the leads deteriorates and the continuity reduces.
However, much of the problem may be in the connectors at each end of the
lead and do not forget the coil to distributor lead.
In many new cars replacement of all ignition leads is a 20,000km
requirement. As an aside the more recent practice of direct ignition ie
ther is a 'coil' on the top of each spark pug thus ther is only low tension
power being distributed around the engine. Examples you might have in the
US are what we call a Toyota Camry (2 litre 4 cylinder) and the new 2 litre
V6 Suzuki engine.
regards
Graham McCann Rivett, ACT. Australia
gmccann@pcug.org.au
06 2889055
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