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Better spark plug leads?

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General_Failure Use your head, don't abuse it!

1,036 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#723842
G'day. I'm back from the dead again, or more specifically have the internet connected after starting the process of moving house again.

I've tried searching for info on this but there are no straight answers I can find.

I want to know where I can get or how I can make a set of better than battle-worn OEM spark plug leads.

Please don't give me the line of "VW knows best." as spark plug lead technology has advanced significantly since they were built.

I guess what I want to know is this:

Is there anything stopping me from getting standard car leads in the correct, or close enough lengths?

Can I get the little rubber air plug things without buying a set of standard VW leads (A couple of my old ones have gone hard so I can't put them on over a lead plug)?

Does anyone make said leads all prepared (for a Type4, carb motor)?

Is it worth going for stainless inductive core?

Do I need a different coil and / or rotor? Presently I have a GT40 (not the GT40R), and a non-governed rotor because I was sick of the governor disintegrating and leaving me stranded with a shredded rotor.

Because I'd be running leads with the connector that accepts the knobby bit and not the threaded bit, which spark plugs would I use?

i think that's it for questions.

When I get around to it I'll finish my project of having the coil powered straight from the battery via the tachometric relay like all the other components in my bay. I'll explain what is difficult about this if anyone is interested.
Simple version is the alternator light becomes your enemy and the regulator takes the day off allowing free admission to all interested electrons, while the engine keeps chugging with the ignition barrel turned off until an 'on only' accessory is used like the indicators, which instantly stops the motor. Fun, eh?
If at first you don't succeed. Build, build again.
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based LCA pop-top camper. Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#723848
For what it is worth i use Magnacore leads
Yeah - i got them from V Force

These are used with a Scorcher electronis ignition and Beru 4 tip plugs
Futue te ipsum!!!

VWCOOL 23 Windows of Awesome

5,158 posts · joined Jun 2003 ·

#723849
nothing wrong with OE... as long as you look after them and replace them before they go cruddy
Pay your debts, CxxT

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#723860
General_Failure wrote:I want to know where I can get or how I can make a set of better than battle-worn OEM spark plug leads.

Please don't give me the line of "VW knows best." as spark plug lead technology has advanced significantly since they were built.

I guess what I want to know is this:

Is there anything stopping me from getting standard car leads in the correct, or close enough lengths?

Can I get the little rubber air plug things without buying a set of standard VW leads (A couple of my old ones have gone hard so I can't put them on over a lead plug)?

Does anyone make said leads all prepared (for a Type4, carb motor)?

Is it worth going for stainless inductive core?

Because I'd be running leads with the connector that accepts the knobby bit and not the threaded bit, which spark plugs would I use?

i think that's it for questions.

When I get around to it I'll finish my project of having the coil powered straight from the battery via the tachometric relay like all the other components in my bay. I'll explain what is difficult about this if anyone is interested.
Simple version is the alternator light becomes your enemy and the regulator takes the day off allowing free admission to all interested electrons, while the engine keeps chugging with the ignition barrel turned off until an 'on only' accessory is used like the indicators, which instantly stops the motor. Fun, eh?
HI
I have run the original type wire leads and VW resistor connectors on the W8A Bosch spark plugs.
with no problems..
YES You can buy the rubber seals that fit near the spark plugs seperately..

I have just fitted 4 new ones plus I cut down a set of TOP GUN 8mm hi temp suppressed silicone leads to fit My beetle.
I cut the large rubber ends in half so I could fit the vw rubber seals..

Just be careful of the silicon leads as twisting them can break the conductor in the centre...
it happened to My coil lead..

SPark Plugs... same ones.. I just had to screw the tops on them that came in the boxes...
so the new leads would push on...
was a bit fiddly thats all...

cheers

LEE
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

General_Failure Use your head, don't abuse it!

1,036 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#723989
Mm. Very interesting indeed!

I think the main reason I have cracked it with the OEM leads is because of the many failure types I had. Had a couple of tips lose the will to hang on entirely, or just go open circuit at random.
Had another set with insulation that broke down, looked pretty at night tho. The current would track along the outside giving the leads an eerie dull blue glow. That was on the beetle.
And now the motor runs on three cylinders at random. Partially due to leads. Did a brief experiment with carbon leads borrowed from another car, and some random used sparkplugs with the molded lumpy connector (lost my tips ages ago) and it helped.


Bizarre, thanks for that link. Those sparky leads really aren't too different in price from bog standard new ones, are they.
Can I use them on a type4 motor without needing some sort of occult ceremony to align and plug them into the back plugs successfully?

The motor also needs new plugs. but I know my leads are pretty ancient and bodgey too. A total refresh is necessary. I think I've swapped everything on that motor except the bottom end and the plugs and leads and it still doesn't run properly.
It even got a new electric fuel pump last week after a very unfortunate series of events, which left me wet, sick saturated with petrol and mud, out of pocket and hating the world in general.

Why didn't I do the plugs and leads first? Because they weren't the major problem. But now the other issues are under control enough that I can see the effect of more minor ones. And all it took were two (well, 3 and two sets of pistons but I won't go there) head swaps, replacing the entire fuel system (including fuel pumps twice), rewiring the engine bay in a more headlight load friendly way if you know what I mean, replacing the plastic vacuum lines with the rubber brake booster lines (they fit if they are heated and lubed), and countless hours of tinkering.
If at first you don't succeed. Build, build again.
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based LCA pop-top camper. Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#723997
Just tell Richard they are for a Type 4
Futue te ipsum!!!

Carter Seriously Crusin Dubber

104 posts · joined Oct 2008 ·

#724009
pertronix

66deluxe Custom Title Time!

1,593 posts · joined Aug 2005 ·

#724019
I get my leads custom made by queensland ignition leads (yes it's in qld) and they are great, i've had over 15 sets made and i use the original sealing boot if i can, they are a stainless spiral wound wire and the leads come in many different colours, and last night i witnessed via dyno results just how good they are over stock bosch units, i'm currently in the USA working for Jake Raby, we were testing his 912E on his rolling road dyno, dialling in the AFR and noting hp and torque numbers from his 2056 type 4 engine we were getting good AFR ratios, then we switched to my leads which i bought over for him to test on the first run with them we saw an immediate increase in tq and hp by 1-2 hp and tq not much but the afr ratio was way better these leads provide a fattermore powerful spark and burn the fuel better. So for $60 for a custom made set you cant go wrong.

Damo.
This is my Volkswagen, there are many like it, but this one is mine. Without me my Volkswagen is useless, without my Volkswagen, I am useless.

61 Karmann Ghia 2110cc type1 w Los Panchito's
66 Deluxe Beetle 2270 type 4
10 Subaru WRX Impreza

mnsKmobi Wolfsburg Wizard

589 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#724181
66deluxe wrote:I get my leads custom made by queensland ignition leads (yes it's in qld) and they are great, i've had over 15 sets made and i use the original sealing boot if i can, they are a stainless spiral wound wire and the leads come in many different colours, and last night i witnessed via dyno results just how good they are over stock bosch units, i'm currently in the USA working for Jake Raby, we were testing his 912E on his rolling road dyno, dialling in the AFR and noting hp and torque numbers from his 2056 type 4 engine we were getting good AFR ratios, then we switched to my leads which i bought over for him to test on the first run with them we saw an immediate increase in tq and hp by 1-2 hp and tq not much but the afr ratio was way better these leads provide a fattermore powerful spark and burn the fuel better. So for $60 for a custom made set you cant go wrong.

Damo.
http://www.qldignitionleads.com/ 😵‍💫

djnee Officially Full-On Dubber

341 posts · joined Mar 2009 ·

#724263
lol

Reading this has just reminded me of something i did once!
It was 1992, i was 17 and had my first car (a Beetle).
I noticed in all the vw mags that everyones engine bays looked really good....all shiny and colour coded etc
Anyway, i bought a new set of nice blue leads, and being a newbie to cars i thought they were all the same length. I put on the first one and it was way too long, so i thought i'd be clever and cut it shorter and join it with electrical joiners and electrical tape. Then i realised that the last one was then way too short.....i ended up cutting and joining 3 out of 4 of them.
😂😂😂😂

Obviously it ran like a bag of shite...and you should have seen the local vdub mechanics face when i finally gave in and took my "poorly" car to him.
Apparently all of them were arcing on the engine..

Oh to be young and stupid again! 🙅
It May Never End