Re: Plug wire anatomy...

[Elliott Potter <epotter@abraxis.com>]

<<
Cough, cough, hackk, cough, wheez...
"spark plug wires are *how* much?..."

  Now that I've BTDT, I'm getting devious. After all, this is rural
Vermont,
not Oman or Switzerland. I'm sure that this has been dealt with before,
but
my blessed little computer and that mega-junk server AOL, can't seem to
bring
up anything too much as far as FAQ's and tech hints at the Quattro site.
So
maybe you guys will have the patience to help me?
  Since I'm short of funds, but not ingenuity, I'd like to fabricate a
set of
wires myself. I've salvaged quite a collection of cap and plug ends, and
will
reuse the best of the lot. The stumbling block is the crimped metal
connector
that is afixed to the wire itself and then screws into the cap or plug
terminal. Is that piece available anywhere? If not, I'm tempted to
remove
one, hammer it out flat, and use it as a template to fashion a stamp
that
would produce just what I'm after. I'm sure I can come up with a slight
improvement or simplification to avoid any patent infringements. The
price of
new wires is totally ludicrous and absurd! 
  One thing I did notice- all the wire sets I took apart had the same
spark
plug end, part #401 160 (5K ohm). One set, from a VW Synchro, has pretty
blue
ends at the cap end, so I'll most likely use them (ends only w/new
wires),
just to 'brighten up' the engine bay a bit. The most interesting thing
about
that wire set, though, is again the crimped piece. It is present at the
Dist.
end, but absent at the plug end. The wire just screws onto the interior
stud
of the plug terminal. (which explains a lot about proper removal of
wires on
these! i.e.: don't remove wire from plug by pulling on wire).
Experimenting,
I tried to replace that wire with one that had the crimped piece in
place,
but the plug terminal would not accept it. Etternal wire diameter is
identical. What I seem to have are two plug terminal ends that are
different
internally, but have the same part number. So, are there variations that
use
the same part number? Maybe the fact that one set is from a VW and the
other
from an Audi is the answer? The wire used in the odd VW set was
manufactured
by Belden. Is that an OEM supplier?
  What I wound up doing was taking apart the wires that had no crimped
piece
at the plug end. I then trimmed 1/8" to remove corrosion/oxidation. A
very
small amount of di-electric grease (available from Chrysler, maybe
others)
was then put on the sides of the wire (only that part that actually
enters
the plug terminal) for lubrication and sealing, and the wire was
re-assembled. And that's how it will stay until I find those little
crimped
pieces... 
  Or is this all just a 'flare up' of cabin fever? If its absolutely
necessary that a new wire set be installed, there's a 'light show' that
starts here at dark and only costs 25 cents....
cheapo Jim in Vt.  '89 80q
jdolan2109@aol.com 

>>
Plug wires may be overpriced, but my first reaction would be to stick
with prefab wires.  You have to understand that spark plug wires go
through quite a lot of stress, mainly:
heat
vibration
high voltage