[BlackDeuceCoupe]

Originally posted by sheany_91accord
im running Taylor 8mm with NGK V powers or whatever on my accord...is that ok?

Well, as I stated earlier, I like copper core plugs. The graph on the last page shows why. NGK V-Powers are fine. So are Champion Copper Plus plugs. That's what I'm running now, and I actually prefer them to the NGK's. Just remember to change them every 15-20k.

As far as 'wires' are concerned, it used to be a simple matter. You used to go out and buy solid-core Belden wiring and put Raja terminals on them. Bada-bing, bada-boom! You had the same setup as Don Garlits.

With the advent of RF-sensative electronics under the hood, this is no longer an option. Have you ever been listening to your AM radio and someone pulls up next to you at a stoplight with a modified VW bug, or whatever, and they're putting out so much RF you can't even hear your radio through the clicks and 'white' noise they're putting out? RF plays havoc on your sensors and ECU, et cetera. So, the first thing is you need wires that don't radiate RF, e.g. electronic noise.

How do 'they' do this? Basically they replace the solid-core wire of old with fiberglass twine (string) that is impregnated with carbon dust. Then, 'they' wrap the fiberglass twine with a loosely wound, hair-thin coil of wire.

With this 'new' technology, your spark is actually traveling down a piece of string. As the carbon particles break down with age, the spark starts taking the path of least resistance. It jumps over to the hair-thin wire sheathing --- it starts shooting out the wire to your engine block, or over to the spark plug 'wire' next to it, et cetera. This is why you need to replace MOST spark plug 'wires' just like you do batteries and tires. They 'wear out' at about the same rate.

In order to make a long story short, very few companies actually make their own spark plug 'wires'. They just buy it from some vendor who marks it with their company's name, yada, yada, yada. In fact, there is very little difference in most spark plug 'wires'. A few companies strike out on their own, like Nology and Magnecor, to name a couple, but 99.9% are basically all the same, i.e. POS. Personally, I put the fabled NGK 'wires' in this category. Taylors, I am sorry to say, are probably the same. I haven't checked them out, but if I did, I am sure that's what I would find.

Until I find something better, my recommendation stands. IMHO, there is no better 'wires' for your Honda than Magnecor KV85 Competition (8.5mm) Cables (their term, not mine). Don't waste your money on R-100 Magnecors. It is same 'wire' inside with a 10mm jacket (this is true of ALL 'wires' BTW), making installation a PITA. Go with KV85's.

http://www.magnecor.com/

A word of warning here, since I mentioned Nology: DO NOT BUY NOLOGY HOTWIRES!!! I know you don't hear a lot about these 'wires' lately, but if you're checking out spark plug wires, sooner or later you will be tempted by their hype. These 'wires' are extremely dangerous to the health of your motor.

For those of you that are considering Nology HotWires, or are running them on your car now, read and heed!

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.

Anyway, once again, I recommend bending over and forking out the dough for Magnecor 'wires.' If you don't feel like spending the extra money for a 'lifetime' solution, just go down to your Honda dealer and spend $50.00 every year or two on the OEM Sumitomo and Nichiwa Kiki 'wires.' They'll work just fine, but, like the copper core plugs mentioned above, you'll have to replace them more often...