Installed my new Spark Plug Wires this evening. Had to drill out the holes(too small) and found out the wire ends are just copper coated. My old ones are brass. Bought them 30 yrs ago and don't remember having to drill them out. CHEAP
Where'd you get them?
While I don't particularly like folks talking bad about a supplier because of one bad experience, it is helpful to the rest of us to know when a given piece of goods is not what we expected it to be.
I suspect, given the general quality of the Model T parts suppliers, they will want to know as well.
Call me a tight wad,but when I can,I gently remove the old wire ends and clean and reuse.much better than the new 1's.
Richard,
I would send those back for a refund. The steel terminal ends will corrode and cause trouble soon. Who ever is making those will hopefully go out of business if we spread the word about the rotten quality of their product.
The guy I know who makes the wire sets his terminals are made of solid brass or solid copper. I know he make alot of brass/copper terminals for all makes models of cars/trucks/tractors and stationary engines. He won't use steel coated terminals for those applications
A magnet won't stick to the wire end, but when I had to drill out the holes(too small) the shavings sure stuck to the magnet.
Another thing to watch for. One of our club members bought a new set of plug wires and the heat from the exhaust system caused the outer covering to swell. The covering LOOKED like an original style woven material but was just plastic that looked like woven.
Ron Dupree
Me again, checking closer I noticed the wire is not soldered to the wire end.
I wonder what the price of these wire sets might be? If you're shopping based on the cheapest price, you're getting what you ordered. Of course there's at least one vendor where that doesn't exactly hold true. They have a habit of substituting a quality made hobbyist's product with a cheap copy and keeping the same price or near to it.
Competition is a good thing but the quality shouldn't suffer. As long as folks keep buying based on price alone, sub-standard parts will continue to be made.
I was looking in the catalog I ordered my wires from and just ordered the wrong set.(CHEAPO'S) My mistake. The real ones, with the brass ends, are about $8.00 more.
Problem solved. Thanks for all the input.
Richard
The most recent set I got with the brass ends was not soldered. I had to solder them myself.
I do like Mack says too. I save the old ends, and solder them on new wires. Works for me.
Have found this this fellow makes the best, they fit right, and look good, soldered terminals, brass. Got another set at Hershey for the parts cabinet.
He'll make these black and red, or the varnished looking yellow, or plain solid tan-brown for the early T's.
In 6 and 12 volt systems the current doesn't flow down the center but rather the outside surface. That's why in buying aftermarket wires for today's cars they come in 6,7,8,etc mm wires. Also, it explains why corrosion on the battery ends will cause such a problem in not having a fully charged battery. It took me some time in getting this info from some car racers when I was building up customs and rods.
RJ&L Vintage Wiring will also make custom wire sets to your specs.. Just give him the center-center distance color of wire and terminal brass or copper and he'll make up the set with soldered terminals.
Great for speedsters or custom built cars/trucks
Dan;
That email address on RJ&L card is bouncing back.????
web site is www.rjlautofasteners.com
or their e-mail is rjlfast@gmail.com
Thanks Robert.
My T was "missing" every now and then.
This is what I found.
Poor connection to the terminal
That'll do it.
You can buy the wire by the foot on eBay as well as the terminal ends it could be the same person ( R.J &L) ...?
I also think I've seen it in restoration supply, the same way already cut and made up or by the foot. They too have the terminal ends.
RJ&L sell it already made up with soldered brass or copper terminals..or you also can but the terminals and wire by the foot and do it yourself. The only thing is crimping the terminals cleanly and soldering the wire onto the brass terminal. You can download their wire catalog.
One of these days I plan to make up a set of plug wires made of barbed wire. I've seen pictures of this, and think it's amusing.
I'll be sure to solder the ends!
I'l bet the barbed wire cables would make a nice electrical display. It would be neat to see the corona discharge off the pointy ends, especially at night!
Just don't reach in the hood while she's running.
Susanne;
Sounds like you found out the hard way. LOL
Richard,some guys you can teach,some you can show,and there's always the guy who has to pee on the fence...
Maybe, but that was Susanne with the warning...did her brother tell her?
Corona under the hood!?
Nah. I like my beer cold! :-)
You got that right, Jack.
A shocking experience.
Electrifying!
No, it was me, about 3 weeks ago... I had just started Angel and saw the headlight terminal was loose... instead of walking to the toolbox, I grabbed this big screwdriver on the shelf behind me (only one close) and leaned in, and brushed the top of the #4 plug with my arm...
(Glad it wasn't something *else* that brushed the plug instead!!! AI YI YI YI YI!!!! )
It took me back to when I was a kid, leaning on an electric fence on a damp day... on steroids!!!
Good thing is, I won't have to pay to have my hair curled ever again... --grins--
I made up a set of barb wire spark plug wires for our 1925 TT. We were out in western MN at a friends place and cut some old barb wire that was growing between two trees. Formed the wires, cleaned them up, used small ground strap connectors at both ends and then painted them up. The following is the "brand" of spark plug wires named after the lake our friends are on. They work great and have had a lot of fun with them.
Torgerson
“True-Fire” Sparkplug Wires
with Hands Off Security feature
Is that the same Torgerson that lives in Lake Wobegon?
Here's the lake where the barb wire grows http://goo.gl/maps/nrkjQ
Thanks, Roger. I may have spelled it wrong: Lake Woebegone. It's a mythical town in Minn the subject of storyteller Garrison Keillor. Torgerson family is a frequent subject. The Catholics drive Fords, and the Lutherans drive Chevies. (Or is it the other way round?) He ends each story with, ".. where all the men are good looking, the women are strong, and the children are above average."
I would sure like to have some of those red plug wires.
Oh yes, I should hav recognised that one I can't get the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion" here, but I liked the film http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05AfA24Q-eo
Here you go, Roger:
http://www.scpr.org/programs/prairie-home-companion
Also, Car Talk is entertaining, and sometimes just as mythical.
"Car Talk is a weekly car talk show hosted by brothers Ray and Tom Magliozzi (aka "Click and Clack, The Tappet Brothers"), who are long-time mechanics. They chat about cars, dispense advice to callers, and give their weekly Puzzler."
They would love a question about barbed sparkplug wires.
You should be able to listen to Prairie Home Companion anywhere in the world. Go to Prairie Home Productions for a list of various links and websites that carry it. The easiest may be to go to MTPR.org -- (Montana Public Radio dot Org)and listen to the live broadcast at 6 PM US Mountain Time on Saturday. You can also listen to me on the first Tuesday of the month at 2:06 PM as part of the Folk Show. I'm into my 17th year of hosting this show that I record in my studio and mail to them. I'll be on next Tuesday unless the election pre-empts me.
Roger
You are correct that is the lake. A very quiet and peaceful spot and our friends own a lake home on what use to be a "Shy Norwegian Bachelor Farmers" farm. I guess I can say it is official Prairie Home Companion barb wire
i like the barbed wire look, i should get some my plug wires are one of the few actual ford parts and get cooked in the manifold.
Will you look at all those lakes around there!
No wonder the mosquito is the State Bird of Minnesota.