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F355 Spark Plug Wires

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by jeffdavison, Oct 12, 2004.

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  1. jeffdavison

    jeffdavison F1 Rookie
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    #1 jeffdavison, Oct 12, 2004
    Has anyone used non OEM plug wires on the 355?
    Better yet, has anyone "rolled their own" wires from bulk?

    I really can't see what the "special material" that Ferrari uses to make the OEM's so ex$pensive. I'm more than capable of cutting wire to length and crimping terminals and installing plug boots.

    Found some wire I want to use (Moroso Ultra 40), just need to find the correct length and angle boots to make up a set.

    Thanks

    Jeff Davison
     

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  2. ferrarioldman

    ferrarioldman Formula 3
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    #2 ferrarioldman, Oct 12, 2004
    They are Beru wires and ends. Check out www.kingsborne.com You might be able to figure out how to make your own if you can get the correct ends.
     
  3. F355Berlinetta

    F355Berlinetta Karting

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    #3 F355Berlinetta, Oct 12, 2004
    Here is the $150 wire I recently purchased.
     
  4. jeffdavison

    jeffdavison F1 Rookie
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    #4 jeffdavison, Oct 12, 2004
    That's why I want to roll my own :)
    I can almost make 2 complete sets for that, if I buy bulk cable and boots off the shelf. Probably have a more robust product as well.

    Cheapest set of OEM wires I found were $650.
    Universal 8 cyl, wires from a variety of manufacturers are under $100.
    I sure would like to get 600% markup, I could sell one set of wires a week and retire early!.

    Curious if you can see the Beru part number on the connectors. Tha would give a good heads up. Maybe I could make a few sets and turn them around to other 355 owners at cost.

    Thanks for the heads up on Beru for the boots....will look into that. I just need to get the length of the boots in the head...will pull a wire out this week and measure...plenty of suppliers out there. Boots for the coil look universal as well.

    JD
     
  5. F355Berlinetta

    F355Berlinetta Karting

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    #5 F355Berlinetta, Oct 13, 2004
    Sure here ya go...
    The boot that goes to the spark plug has #0300332126 and 5k Ohm.
    The boot that goes to the coil pack has #0300513119 and 1k Ohm; it also has a reference to V1 and W1 if that means anything.

    "Cheapest set of OEM wires I found were $650." Where might this be?
    That's dirt cheap compared to $150 per wire AND THAT'S WITH MY FCA DISCOUNT!!!
     

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  6. ernie

    ernie Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #6 ernie, Oct 13, 2004
    It is the little yellow box and the horse stamp on the back of the boot that makes it so expensive. The wires are nothing special aside from what I just said. I had to get a set for my 348 and bought an aftermarket set of Beru's for $600. I took one of my old wires apart and they are no big deal. The wire is just cripped at the end and the put in the lead. Whoooopty fricking dooo! Get an aftermarket set, and if you really have to just put the old boots over the new wires. If you make your own, make sure that the boots have the seals so that water doesn't get into the spark plug holes. Look around on the internet for the leads and wires. If I remember correct I think Delphi makes the leads and you can get the wire from elsewere. Bosche also makes wires for Ferrari. Or you can go to these guys http://www.usedferraris.net/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=399&osCsid=ce5e5371df5da81ae6ccbb29f3ae0f9f their wires sell for $255 Sterling, with the current exchange rate that is about $470 US.
     
  7. FL 355

    FL 355 Formula 3

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    #7 FL 355, Oct 13, 2004
    This makes an interesting topic of discussion. Yes, the wires are a total joke for $650. I remember a thread of a guy rebuilding his TR and making his own also. Just be careful to use an ohm meter when done to check connections to the boot.

    I also will build my own when time comes. In fact might start building a set now as a back up.

    Jeff - You may want to look seriously at making a few sets and selling them here. Look at "Bubbling Dash", where about 25 of us got together to make a one of a kind piece. Instead of paying the $2K for a new A/C consol, we fixed the problem for $49 each! Yankee know how at it's best.

    F355Berlinetta - Good info...thanks.
     
  8. F355Berlinetta

    F355Berlinetta Karting

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    #8 F355Berlinetta, Oct 13, 2004
    A joke at $650? A set from the dealer with an FCA discount will run you $1200 at $150 per wire. That's totally uncalled for and it's insulting. ALSO THE WIRE I BOUGHT DIDN'T HAVE ANY HORSE STAMPED ANYWHERE ON IT. So basically I bought a plain jane $20 wire with a $130 box.
     
  9. Jimi900

    Jimi900 Formula Junior

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    #9 Jimi900, Oct 13, 2004
    the box its self would only cost about $ .30...
     

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  10. jeffdavison

    jeffdavison F1 Rookie
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    #10 jeffdavison, Oct 13, 2004
    Good news here...

    Kingsbourne lists those connectors!
    ZLE260 for the spark plug end and VESO116 for the coil end.

    I have an email in asking for pricing. According to their website, they can make wire sets. I'd like to do my own and try some high performance Moroso Ultra 40 wire.

    I'm assuming that the resistance in the boots is for RFI suppression. The Ultra 40 is suppression wire but at a very low resistance.

    JD
     
  11. F355Berlinetta

    F355Berlinetta Karting

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    #11 F355Berlinetta, Oct 13, 2004
    That's great news, if it works out for you please please and pretty please make me a set too.
     
  12. jeffdavison

    jeffdavison F1 Rookie
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    #12 jeffdavison, Oct 13, 2004
    Aint cheap, but still pretty good.

    Overnight 16 spark plug ends & 16 coil ends from Kingsbourne $645
    Overnight 100 ft roll of Moroso Ultra 40 plug wire $165

    Comes to $405 for a set of 8 wires with much left over wire for future sets.

    Those Beru boots are the dollar bottleneck in the set up. Still waayyyyy ahead of F's markup.

    Wonder what would be the effect of using non-resitor boots? How much interference would be caused? Enough to screw up the engines ecu? Who cares about radio reception. I may make up a set with out the Beru ends and use normal non-resitor ends just to see.

    JD
     
  13. ernie

    ernie Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #13 ernie, Oct 14, 2004
    Make sure you use insulated wire if you make your own. If you don't you will have problems with the ignition from the RF interference.
     
  14. jeffdavison

    jeffdavison F1 Rookie
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    #14 jeffdavison, Oct 14, 2004
    aarrgghhhh.

    Ferrari has made things difficult. The 0 300 number is good, but I just recieved connectors from Kingsborne. They sent the wrong ones. They juxtapositioned 322 for 332.

    Turns out the number is proprietory to Ferrari and that the plug end is molded onto the plug wire. They can't be seperated. So for now, the OEM connector by itself seems unobtainable from Beru. Kris at Kingsborne is checking to see if there are any off the shelf connectors I can use that have the same or close to the same dimensions. The entire connector length is an r.c.h. over 116 mm, it's diameter is an r.c.h. over 15 mm. It has an internal resistance of 5K ohms and has a right angle at the plug end. If the wire didn't have to fit under the cover over the plugs it would not be a problem to use a straight connector. They have those off the shelf for less $$. Maybe I'll just do that and get some insulating sleeves. Heck that cover is just for asthetics anyway as the plug boot has a built in lip to seal out moisture. May take another couple of days to sort out all the issues.

    JD
     
  15. jeffdavison

    jeffdavison F1 Rookie
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    #15 jeffdavison, Oct 14, 2004
    OK! this is a great educational experience. Being a "Hot - Rodder" I thought a plug wire was a plug wire was a plug wire....

    welcome to 2004 Jeff.

    European cars use copper core wire and get their RFI suppression from using resistor boots. This is what the Ferrari does as well as Mercedes, BMW, Vw etc..

    Well we Americans like to use resistor wire and non-resistor boots (and resistor spark plugs) for RFI suppression.

    Peter at Magnecor gave me an explanation that was quite clear, that it is OK to use suppresion wire for this application and not to have worries regarding RFI.

    I want to use resistor wire (The Moroso Ultra 40 is RFI suppresion wire but has an extremely low resistance of 40 ohms per foot). Since I'll have my RFI suppression through the wire, I won't need to use Beru specialty resistance boots (at around $37 plug end and $5 coil end per single cable x 8 ). I just need to find boots I can insert into the spark plug hole and use a grommet around the wire to prevent moisture intrusion. Probably costing around maybe
    $10 per wire x 8. Now this is far more reasonable than my last update.

    Luckily Kingsborne will take back the (wrong) connectors I just got without a re-stock fee. I'm just out the shipping costs, no big deal for the education recieved (and the cost difference from OEM wires).

    Will keep updating as this goes along


    JD
     
  16. 348 Turbo

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    #16 348 Turbo, Oct 14, 2004
    I made my own wires for my 348 Turbo. I'd guess the demand is much greater on my turbo engine than a "stocker" 355.
    I simply used Moroso solid silver core racing wire and then crimped on the factory boot for the coil end and used run of the mill 308 style connectors at the plug ends. Then, I covered the "submerged" part with a high heat temp sheild from summit racing.
    One thing to keep in mind on a stock car though- I HAVE MOTEC. I'd guess the shielding on the motec box is far superior to the stock computers. So, if you go this way, you're on your own. beware of excessive rmi.
     
  17. jeffdavison

    jeffdavison F1 Rookie
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    #17 jeffdavison, Oct 14, 2004
  18. FL 355

    FL 355 Formula 3

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    #18 FL 355, Oct 20, 2004
    Jeff

    Very informative post...what's the status now?
     
  19. jeffdavison

    jeffdavison F1 Rookie
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    #19 jeffdavison, Oct 20, 2004

    I've decided not to use ANY spark plug wires :)

    For less than the cost of 3 FNA wires I've decided to go coil-on-plug using and MSD DIS-4 and a set of 8 Denso "stick-coils" from a Suzuki GSXR . Posted elsewhere on this setup.

    JD
     
  20. F355Berlinetta

    F355Berlinetta Karting

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    #20 F355Berlinetta, Oct 20, 2004
    Do you have any pics of your setup?
     
  21. TTG

    TTG Formula 3

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    #21 TTG, Oct 20, 2004
    This thread is wild...I had no idea my plug wires were so expensive...looking forward to seeing what alternative you guys come up with.

    Thanks!

    TTG
     
  22. FL 355

    FL 355 Formula 3

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    #22 FL 355, Oct 20, 2004
    Just read the other thread...interesting. Please post a follow up when you're done with comments on the installation and any performance benefits you noticed after the install.

    Thanks
    Frank
     
  23. gothspeed

    gothspeed F1 World Champ

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    #23 gothspeed, Aug 28, 2006
    I bought a set of these wires on ebay. They are pretty fat, 8mm? and they BARELY fit out the back of the cover. The little seal in the back seems to be unuseable now. Has anyone installed these? What is used to seal the inlet of the wires? Thanks in advance for any insight into this scenario.

    BTW, my car 1997 F355.
     
  24. hak

    hak Rookie

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    #24 hak, Sep 10, 2006
    A complete set of wires from TOPGUN for $400AUS.
     
  25. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
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    #25 f355spider, Sep 10, 2006
    It indeed IS a tight fit with 8mm wires over the stock 7mm ones...mine worked, but was very sung...a fresh and new foam seal might help...it may compress more easily than the original one, which I would think is rather old and hard now.
     
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