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David
Dodge Dakota
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1/25/2002
11:38:38

Subject: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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Hello to all...

I notice that Speedtweaks offers both a 8mm and 9mm set of spark plug wires. What's the advantage of the 9mm as opposed to the 8mm? I have a 2000 3.9L with no current mods applied But with hopes that will change in the future), so I am wondering if I should spend the extra $5 for the 9mm, or just stick with the 8mm wires.

Thanks for your comments in advance.

David




Joe E.
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1/25/2002
15:46:44

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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David, help yourself and go with the 8mm. If you increase the wire size to 9mm, on a Dak, you will actually hurt your power and HP. And with no ignition mods it will be even worse. See the ing. control moduals send out X amount of spark electricity. If you increase wire size, this enegry flows better. And with the better quality wires, interfearence is eliminated too. But if you increase the wires too much, it will spread out the enegry so much that is will actually slow down the rate of the energy transfer. which is bad!

I recently upgraded my stock 7mm wires with 8.5mm jacobs wires. I also installed a Jacobs Omni Mag Ignition system. works great. Hope you understand all this jumbul.
Good Luck
Joe E.



Tony
Dodge Dakota
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1/25/2002
16:14:33

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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im getting the msd off road ignition, vibration coil, and rev control.... would 9mm be ok then?

tony



Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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1/25/2002
16:21:37

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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Again, I think 9mm is too big. I know ford uses 9mm wires for higher perf. but I have not seen any Daks with them. the largest wires I would go with would be 8.5mm. But its up to you both. I am just relaying advice I was given in the past month.
Good Luck.
Joe E.



NJQCDak
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1/25/2002
20:12:45

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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David,

I'm no expert on spark wires and I never cut them up. Yes, wires transmit the electricity or spark from the distributor to the spark plug. I think the high performance wires have the conductor spiraled around a core (non conductive, I think) The spiral helps elinimate EMI for the radio. Old (or OEM) wire used to have the spark travel through carbon laced core (hence suppression wires). A straight solid wire would emmit EMI. All right, enough of the engineering. I think the only diference between 8 & 9 mm wire is the insulation. The thicker the insulation the better heat resistance. I think the electrical resistance for the wires are measured per foot. That will how much spark gets to the plugs. So if you have all out performance mods that produce bookoo heat then get the 9mm wires. That's just my opinion. Maybe someone could shed better light on the subject. I hope this helps.

'01 QC Sport, 3.9L V6, 5spd, 2wd, Volant Intake,
SS Gibson exhaust, MSD Wires, Accel Super Coil, NAPA Cap, Flometrics Billet 48mm TB
Soon: Autolites 3923s

NJQCDak
GenIII
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1/25/2002
20:12:46

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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David,

I'm no expert on spark wires and I never cut them up. Yes, wires transmit the electricity or spark from the distributor to the spark plug. I think the high performance wires have the conductor spiraled around a core (non conductive, I think) The spiral helps elinimate EMI for the radio. Old (or OEM) wire used to have the spark travel through carbon laced core (hence suppression wires). A straight solid wire would emmit EMI. All right, enough of the engineering. I think the only diference between 8 & 9 mm wire is the insulation. The thicker the insulation the better heat resistance. I think the electrical resistance for the wires are measured per foot. That will how much spark gets to the plugs. So if you have all out performance mods that produce bookoo heat then get the 9mm wires. That's just my opinion. Maybe someone could shed better light on the subject. I hope this helps.

'01 QC Sport, 3.9L V6, 5spd, 2wd, Volant Intake,
SS Gibson exhaust, MSD Wires, Accel Super Coil, NAPA Cap, Flometrics Billet 48mm TB
Soon: Autolites 3923s

cbsdakota
GenIII
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1/26/2002
02:20:45

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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Increasing the wire size decreases the amount of resistance in a good quality set of wires. This allows for more spark. There is no such thing as "the energy speading out too much"!

Airaid Cold Air, Flowmaster 50 Series Delta Flow, Lund Elite Bed Cover
Project QUIKV6

Tony
Dodge Dakota
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1/26/2002
03:02:19

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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thats what i thought... and im majoring in electrical engineering haha ah, only a freshman =)



Joe E.
Dodge Dakota
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1/26/2002
12:27:01

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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Hey, I am just relaying what i have been told. Differing members of THIS site told me that very thing. If there were no differnece in 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, etc. why would so much emphasis be put on spark plug wires? Come on electrical eng's. How can a 9mm wire send more energy than a 7mm wire if there is no difference? My mind must be playing tricks on me then. Between the time I replaced my 7mm wires with 8.5mm wires, I noticed a definite increase in power.

Joe E.




Tony
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1/26/2002
14:31:07

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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Well, there would be less resistance cdefinately in a bigger wire... Not an energy loss by any means... The electricity needs somewhere to go. It doesnt just disappear. The bigger the wire, the less resistance. Same with a bigger water pipe... the bigger, the easier it is to flow water through. Basic Physics. Energy is conserved, not craeted or destroyed



bernd
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1/26/2002
18:55:10

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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Whoa...9mm wires do NOT decrease performance. The only difference between 7, 7.5, 8, and 9mm wires is the insulation...not the conductor.

The thickness of the insulation is for heat protection and arc prevention on high output systems.


1997 Dodge Dakota SLT - V6
Supercharged/Intercooled @ 10# w/Nitrous
14.55 @ 96.01mph

Tony
Dodge Dakota
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1/26/2002
19:56:07

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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Or if its the insulation, it doesnt matter lol




NJQCDak
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1/26/2002
22:57:12

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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Thanks Bernd,
Nice and simple. I used too much EE Mumbo Jumbo. Now if I could only figure out how to stop the double posts. LOL

BTW. Just tried (and almost done) to install headers on my '01. What a pain! Those pre-cats make removing and installing those nuts tough. I don't know how 4.7L do it.

'01 QC Sport, 3.9L V6, 5spd, 2wd, Volant Intake,
SS Gibson exhaust, MSD Wires, Accel Super Coil, NAPA Cap, Flometrics Billet 48mm TB
Soon: Autolites 3923s

Lesley
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1/26/2002
23:03:24

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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Bravo NJQCdak, I chose the easy way out and paid someone else to do it!

97 3.9 CC Sport. Black. Auto 3.55
Quick D Intake, JBA Stainless headers, Autolite 3923s, stainless Borla Turbo XL, V8 R/T TB,
FMS fuel injectors

cbsdakota
GenIII
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1/27/2002
15:33:36

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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Now I know that the spark plug wire size refers to the insulation. Cool. The wire conductor size is what affects the resistance which is what I was talking about. I am an electrician on the F-15. We can always increase wire (conductor) size if necessary but never decrease.

Airaid Cold Air, Flowmaster 50 Series Delta Flow, Lund Elite Bed Cover
Project QUIKV6

David
Dodge Dakota
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1/28/2002
07:36:17

RE: JBA wires: 8 or 9MM
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Thanks everyone for a very interesting thread. I'll go with the 8mm having this information in mind--thanks.

David




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