In a message dated 6/3/00 10:55:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time, jkk@adams.net
writes:
<< Just put a set of Nology wires and Beru plugs on my HD with a dual coil
single fire ignition. They have a capacitor built in the wire that ampifies
voltage by some massive amount. Of course at $95 a set [2 wires] they'll get
you drummed out of the "We Tight Club". [I like the Bumblebee wires on my
LBCs, work great, look really cool, use Accel plug boots and terminals to
eliminate that loose problem] >>
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Here is what Magnecor has to say about capacitive discharge wires.
""CAPACITOR" EFFECT WIRES with grounded metal braiding over jacket
The most notable of exaggerated claims for ignition wires are made by Nology,
a recent manufacturer of ignition wires promoted as "the only spark plug
wires with built-in capacitor." Nology's "HotWires" (called "Plasma Leads" in
the UK) consist of unsuppressed solid metal or spiral conductor ignition
wires over which braided metal sleeves are partially fitted. The braided
metal sleeves are grounded via straps formed from part of the braiding.
Insulating covers are fitted over the braided metal sleeves. These wires are
well constructed. For whatever reason, Nology specifies that non-resistor
spark plugs need to be used with their "HotWires." In a demonstration, the
use of resistor plugs nullifies the visual effect of the brighter spark.
Ignition wires with grounded braided metal sleeves over the cable have come
and gone all over the world for (at least) the last 30 years, and similar
wires were used over 20 years ago by a few car makers to solve cross-firing
problems on early fuel injected engines and RFI problems on fiberglass bodied
cars — only to find other problems were created. The recent Circle Track
Magazine (USA, May, 1996 issue) test showed Nology "HotWires" produced no
additional horsepower (the test actually showed a 10 horsepower decrease when
compared to stock carbon conductor wires).
The perceived effect a brighter spark, conducted by an ignition wire, encased
or partially encased in a braided metal sleeve (shield) grounded to the
engine, jumping across a huge free-air gap (which bears no relationship to
the spark needed to fire the variable air/fuel mixture under pressure in a
combustion chamber) is continually being re-discovered and cleverly
demonstrated by marketers who convince themselves there's monetary value in
such a bright spark, and all sorts of wild, completely un-provable claims are
made for this phenomena.
Like many in the past, Nology cleverly demonstrates a brighter free-air spark
containing useless flash-over created by the crude "capacitor" (effect) of
this style of wire. In reality, the bright spark has no more useful energy to
fire a variable compressed air/fuel mixture than the clean spark you would
see in a similar demonstration using any good carbon conductor wire. What is
happening in such a demonstration is the coil output is being unnecessarily
boosted to additionally supply spark energy that is induced (and wasted) into
the grounded braided metal sleeve around the ignition wire's jacket. To test
the validity of this statement, ask the demonstrator to disconnect the ground
strap and observe just how much energy is sparking to ground.
Claims by Nology of their "HotWires" creating sparks that are "300 times more
powerful," reaching temperatures of "100,000 to 150,000 degrees F" (more than
enough to melt spark plug electrodes), spark durations of "4 billionths of a
second" (spark duration is controlled by the ignition system itself) and
currents of "1,000 amperes" magically evolving in "capacitors" allegedly
"built-in" to the ignition wires are as ridiculous as the data and the
depiction of sparks in photographs used in advertising material and the price
asked for these wires! Most stock ignition primaries are regulated to 6
amperes and the most powerful race ignition to no more than 40 amperes at
12,000 RPM.
It is common knowledge amongst automotive electrical engineers that it is
unwise to use ignition wires fitted with grounded braided metal sleeves
fitted over ignition cable jackets on an automobile engine. This type of
ignition wires forces its cable jackets to become an unsuitable dielectric
for a crude capacitor (effect) between the conductor and the braided metal
sleeves. While the wires function normally when first fitted, the cable
jackets soon break down as a dielectric, and progressively more spark energy
is induced from the conductors (though the cable jackets) into the grounded
metal sleeves, causing the ignition coil to unnecessarily output more energy
to fire both the spark plug gaps and the additional energy lost via the
braided metal sleeves. Often this situation leads to ignition coil and
control unit overload failures. It should be noted that it is dangerous to
use these wires if not grounded to the engine, as the grounding straps will
be alive with thousands of volts wanting to ground-out to anything (or body)
nearby.
Unless you are prepared to accept poorly suppressed ignition wires that fail
sooner than any other type of ignition wires and stretch your ignition system
to the limit, and have an engine with no electronic management system and/or
exhaust emission controls, it's best not to be influenced by the exaggerated
claims, and some vested-interest journalists', resellers' and installers'
perception an engine has more power after Nology wires are fitted. Often,
after replacing deteriorated wires, any new ignition wires make an engine run
better."
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