Spark Plug Wires / Extenders

Ok I think it is time to change wires. Decisions to make on what fits best. I've seen many threads in the past but can not find them. What is the wire set and extenders that will work on an '81 308? I have replaced the rotors and caps but feel I want to complete it with wires also.What make and model fits as a pseudo wire set?

 

Hiya Brian. There are some Bosch & Taylor numbers about halfway down the list:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=135024646&postcount=1

A good Extender thread:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=353020&highlight=spark+extenders

 

Give me a PM I have the correct Taylor 8mm red set 73251 unused. Any reasonable offer.

 

Dave Helms has the bulk cable to remake your wires, send them in.

Stock extenders are cheap enough...TRutlands sells them on eBay regularly.

 

I replaced my OEM extenders that all had arc-through pin holes with replacements from Kingsborne; they have a small clip that substantially increases the gap to its shell.

Actually, I'm not clear on the function of the extenders. Are they merely to "extend" the plug attachment with something rigid so the wire doesn't extend into the plug tube?

 

Does anyone know the crossover part number to eliminate the extension?

 

see this thread for OEM look with upgraded wires.

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=295632&highlight=trim

IIRC, AW Auto Parts . com has the best price on extenders..

 

There was a post where the member listed a bunch of part numbers from Kingsborne where you can buy them and make your own wires eliminating the extenders all together. I did and the wires work just fine, and they cost less than $75. I can't seem to find the post now despite all my search efforts. Shame....

 

I just bought mine from Dave. Awesome service and they fit. I bought some 8MM Taylor wires (and returned them) and they were going to be too tight. Dave has about 5,700 ft of 7MM wire left (they aren't making it anymore). He can completely rebuild yours, but you have to send the old ones to him.

If you want to try it yourself, get some WD 40 and a few bottles of beer bc it will take some time to shove them into the red silicone covers according to my mechanic. Still cheaper and better than factory.

 

the 8mm wires fit right in like this...with a little dialectric grease (comes with the spirocore)

bending the inner element back on itself for double penetration (did i say that?)
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I wonder if outrageous costs and outlandish complexity of Ferrari ignition wiring is the overkill legacy of the old days when a heavy dew was the bane of Marelli ignition systems.

 

It would certainly seem so. Why the heck is it so complex on a Ferrari? The electrons don't know or care what type of car it is. All the same electrical rules apply. It shouldn't be that difficult or specific.

 

Let's see. Dual ignition systems with variable ignition curves, depending on the engine vacuum.
That's was pretty high-tech in the early 1980's. An ignition system that could deliver nearly 40kv at 8,000 rpm. Pretty state of the art back then. And with two independent spark boxes, with three crank triggers, the issue of EMI is a real one. Although the quality of the OE wires is marginal at best, Ferrari used a type of shielded wire to address EMI concerns. When non-shielded wire is used, all sort of driveabilty issue arise.

 

I bought my extenders at Kingsborne where you can also get pre cut wires. I did buy a set of wires on ebay that were from Kingsborne and got them for a steal from someone getting rid of them. Nothing special about the wires and you should be able to get a set of V8 wires at a speed shop. Just cut and fit.

 

You guys are getting way too conspiratorial -- virtually every engine design with the spark plugs down a hole, even Honda, use spark plug extenders (to deal with the higher temp, keep the wire more than just the wire insulation distance away from metal ground, and to not allow contact between the wire insulation and the hot metal hole):
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Of course, the whole Honda wire set with the extenders only costs ~$30

 

I only gripe about the system from the crazy expensive distributor caps to the plugs. It seems to be a very weak, unnecessarily complicated link in an otherwise superb engine system.

 

+1

And in my 2005 2.4L iVTEC, each plug has an individual coil sitting on top of it. Darned brilliant and a really easy to service system.

 

What Honda is that set for? Do you have a part number? Leave it to Honda to do the right thing and build in the extender. Oh, and why is this not in the xref for 3x8s?

 

It's for my 1989 Honda Civic 3dr 1.5L -- if you go to www.rockauto.com, they've got sets for as low as ~$10; however, I have no idea if they could be easily adapted to a 308 (the extender actually fits over a "normal" spark plug end and might be longer than a 308's extender, and the wires are definitely too short and too high of a resistance).

 

Thanks, still an interesting bit. I wonder if others are out there that might work? Time to search out some parts catalogs.

 

I'd be less critical if it wasn't such royal PITA to loosen the bottom screw on front distri cap.

 

Oh my gosh; I still have nightmares about that.

By the way, one winter I sent the distributor caps and wires as a complete octopus to Dave Helms. He sent it back with all new wires installed in the caps, ready to put back on. I am very happy with his service and the product.

 

Thanks to all of my F Chat friends. Always a wealth of info.

 

Someone a while back posted a wire set that fit better than Ferrari OEM with built in extenders. Does any one remember, I keep thinking Dodge hemi but using brake cleaner to keep the F Car clean underneath has eroded my memory! Maybe Nissan?

 

Didn't see anything that eliminated the extenders, just sets to work with the OEM.