Using automotive spark plug wires

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my79650
Posts: 643
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:37 am
Location: Gagetown, New Brunswick Canada

Using automotive spark plug wires

Postby my79650 » Mon Jun 24, 2013 11:04 am

Alright; just straightforward answer people: what brand of plug wires can i use off the shelf at the local Canadian Tire(canadian i am) or Napa outlets for my machine. During the day when its hot and dry the engine fires up and never misses a beat. Get home from work@3am and i went to start up my bike and it would kick and quit; kick and quit; then flooded it. Acts like the wires are shot as it's a bit damp out at 3am.

my79650
Posts: 643
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:37 am
Location: Gagetown, New Brunswick Canada

Re: Using automotive spark plug wires

Postby my79650 » Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:02 pm

Went out to do some testing; went to start it up; kick and quit. Tried my spare ignitors and nothing. Tried the spare ignitor i got for a kawasaki and it only works on the 1-4 plug outlet. Gues i have to check the harness for breaks or change it and the ignitors; or both; damn it!

MiGhost
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Re: Using automotive spark plug wires

Postby MiGhost » Tue Jun 25, 2013 12:06 am

Normal automotive style plug wire is a carbon thread resistance based wire used to help correct RFI, and EMI in automotive applications. That little whirirng, and buzzing you hear in the radio also affects the cars electronics.

These bikes use a solid core wire that should not need replacing unless they have become to short to reach the plug. What would cause this is the fact that both the coils, and plug caps have a small threaded barb inside that the plug wire is threaded onto. The bite of these small barbs into the wire will eventually work loose from heat, and vibration in normal use. This will give the symptoms of a bad plug wire.

Removing the wires from the coils, and plug caps you can trim a small amount (approx 1/4", 6mm) off each end of the wire to allow the barbs to get a new bite into fresh wire.

If you wish to give your bike a touch of color to your plug wires. You should use solid core 7mm - 8mm wire designed for racing/perfomance applications. Manufacturers such as mallory, or accell should work good.

Ghost
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my79650
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Re: Using automotive spark plug wires

Postby my79650 » Tue Jun 25, 2013 1:33 am

Just going to trim the current set back 1/4" for now; got other troubles; damn thing won't start at all. I swapped both ignitors and now i got no fire at all. It would attempt to fire on a few cylinders then it didn't want to kick over at all, this was yesterday before i went to work. Has a pulser set ever gone bad? Asking because after i finally got the floats set right it did run and still had a flat spot that i spent months blaming on the carbs. If the pulser go then the ignitors get no signal telling them to open or close or whatever the electrial does for circuit control. Ch. 17 of the honda shop manual explains to test the spark units but not the pulsers....i want to test them before i pull the known working set from the parts bike.

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Volker_P
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Re: Using automotive spark plug wires

Postby Volker_P » Tue Jun 25, 2013 1:36 am

Pulser coil resistance should be around 530 Ohms.
Also they should make your voltmeter display "something pulsed" :roll: if you crank the engine.
Cosky's great (free) online manual: http://cosky0.tripod.com

forum links to common technical issues

If you really like this site and you would not like to see it vanish soon, have a look there: Urgent: Future of HondaCB650.com Forum

my79650
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Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:37 am
Location: Gagetown, New Brunswick Canada

Re: Using automotive spark plug wires

Postby my79650 » Sat Jul 13, 2013 7:44 am

I got this mess sorted out, seems i had a bad ignitor. I used my kawasaki spare i had on hand. Trimmed the plug wires at both ends and sealed up the cap side with a little silicone as the rubber seals had some cracks in them. Working fine no missing now.


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