Choosing the Right Spark Plug Wires Based on OHMS of Resistance

Spark plug wires are simple; or are they? With tons of options to choose from, selecting the right one for your application is critical. OHMS of resistance is a big factor in selecting the best wire and you can test your current wires without a lot of fancy tools.
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[@axleratio]

Great test, thank you ! My first car back in the early 70s (64 Dodge 383) I ran Accel plug wires,dual point distributor and their Super coil . I look back now and that was way too much yellow in the engine compartment. My current small block Chevy I am using a D.U.I HEI style distributor and MSD plug wires. Times have changed over the years !

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Sure have!

[@hutchhiperf]

Great video per usual. Makes me feel better about my MSD selection.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Thankfully the quality hasn’t taken a dive after they were purchased.

[@MikeWolf-427]

Thanks for the video. Just ordered a set of Fast wires for my 427.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Easily my favorite!

[@user-hi2ev7ug4l]

Great topic and content and thanks

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@juangalvez8594]

Great comparison, will consider on my next purchase. Thanks !!

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

For sure! Always good to know what it is you’ve actually purchased. This has been a reminder for me to get back to checking the details!

[@hybridmusclegarage4590]

Great Video. I needed this info for the K20!

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Thanks bud. Enjoying the k20 videos! Keep ‘em coming!

[@brocluno01]

Funny, I have been running Moroso Spiral Core for decades. Good radio suppression and great conductivity. To bad they didn't make it into the comparo ... 🙃

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

I spent quite a bit to make this one. I didn’t know individual wires would be so much! I’m fairly sure some of those Moroso wires were pretty high ohms when I looked at them, but not uncommon when they add a ton of insulating properties for those boosted or high cylinder pressure engines. Go put a meter on them and see if they are in spec and let me know!

[@SteveP-vm1uc]

I was hoping FireCore would make the test list.... Great video.... The Taylor shocked me..... Accel didn't surprise me at all...

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

I had to keep the cost down so I ordered brands that offered single replacements. If I hadn’t, I can’t imagine what this video would have cost to make! Thanks for watching!

[@johnweaver8470]

Been using standard wires from Napa with no problems, maybe I could upgrade, keep the videos coming

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

On a mostly stock engine they’ll be fine. Thanks again for stopping by!

[@danmello4176]

Great video. I used Accel plug wires back in the late 70's when in high school because they looked cool along with their super coil. But I've been using MSD plug wires for a long time now and they seem to last much longer with headers and heat cycles. I would like to a comparison of the spark plug boots? They seem to fail before anything else. My two cents worth. Thanks for your video's.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

I think most folks have had a yellow set of Accelerator wires on something! Testing boots might be challenging. Let me think about that one. Thank you!

[@jsimmonstx]

I have all Fords, and I use the Ford Racing 9mm (spiral-wound) cut-to-fit wires. They're fairly inexpensive (less than $60), and beyond being Ford branded, I've verified their advertised 9 ohm resistance, and they work great with the sniper EFI I have installed on one of my cars.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Assuming you meant they were 9mm wires. What is the ohm rating on them? What measurement did you get?

[@jsimmonstx]

@CarSolutions - 9mm wires, AND 9-ohm resistance. I tested them back in 2014, and don't remember exactly what the resistance was, but I seem to remember 9.1 ohms - close enough to 9 to not quibble.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

You sure about that? What part number are you using?

[@jsimmonstx]

@@MuscleCarSolutions - M-12259-M302

[@mckenziepictures]

"I forgot the Accel wire was so awful." That says a lot about a company.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

It’s understandable in some way. Just advertise it and let us know. That’s what’s irritating.

[@Dr_Reason]

Given the rise time of a spark, you need to measure reactance instead of ohms. The reason why I bring this up is some wires have low ohms at dc but have a lot of reactance when a spark is transmitted. I do not like spiral core wires for this reason. Suprisingly though, most anything will work at least for a while. ( Magnecore is somewhat unique in this area as they have a good rise time.)

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

What performance spark plug wire company publishes that measurement?

[@Dr_Reason]

@@MuscleCarSolutions I do not think they publish this, I had to test with an oscilloscope and I did not test more than the three types I had on hand.

[@russellbroadwell]

Thanks for taking the time and spending the money. My turbo SBF is breaking up I suspect ignition. All the wires are old and the boots are showing some heat damage. On the car now are 7 Bosch Ultra - Premium (parts store?) and one Accel. I also have an old ford Motorsport coil wire to compare. 24" Bosch 950, 25" Ford Motorsport 2,060, 41" Accel super stock 13,300! Wow!

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

This is exactly what I was hoping for when I made this video. Folks to go out and take their own measurements. I appreciate you sharing that data! Remember to convert those lengths down to 12” so you’ll know what the measurement is at the standard. Still some unimpressive numbers! Yikes! The more you know….

[@russellbroadwell]

@@MuscleCarSolutions there seems to be a pretty big price jump from the 350 ohm wires to the 50. Trying to spend wisely. How to tell if it's worth the money?

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

@@russellbroadwell I’m a bad one to ask. I’ll always go with Fast first on any performance application. If it’s something mild? Really anything under 500 is very acceptable. I always make my own wire sets too. Not really for any other reason than I can get the lengths I want without any additional wire and I enjoy doing it. Keeping the resistance down would be an additional benefit. But that’s also why I’ll choose Fast at 25 ohms per foot. The longer the wire, the better they perform over other brands. That’s just how I think through it.

[@broke_dongle]

MSD street fire currently but they measure the same as my Bosch AZ parts store wires .

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Street fire is their price point, chain store wire set. I would have liked to had a set for the video. What did yours measure to per foot?

[@VinoRatRodbuilds]

So much 2 consider an understand. Yep I'll just run down to the auto parts store and grab me some plug wires It ought to be good. 🤔 I have to admit that's the way most of us think.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Yup. I’m sure that’s probably the case. Honestly on my GMC I could probably run a 7mm, high ohm wire and it would likely be fine. But I’ve been making wire sets for quite a long time to get lengths I want. Mostly because I like the under header look on distributor ignition systems.

[@pacbrian3809]

Fast for the win!

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

They’re great wires that won’t break the bank.

[@kellyd887]

I decided Accel was not worth the extra cost, junk 30 yrs ago. Thanks for proving that nothing has changed.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Never knew what you’ll find till you start measuring!

[@maxhorner2409]

Wonder how ngk would do

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Don’t know. Someone out there has a set. Throw a meter on it and tell us the resistance number per foot! I’d love to know.

[@JayMalone26]

I've never tested the ohms but in Mercedes ignition systems, they require non-resistor plugs as the resistors are in the wires themselves. Another reason why its so important to use genuine Mercedes replacement parts.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

I for sure couldn’t see a set of Accel plug wires under the hood of an e class! 😆

[@TheRolfano]

Use a 4 wire test set up (look it up). Don’t hold the terminals when measuring.

[@Moparmatty]

What spark plug wire crimpers are you using?

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Link is in the description

[@Moparmatty]

​@@MuscleCarSolutionsthanks. Not sure how I didn't see that when I first watched the video a month or so ago. 🤦🏻

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

@@Moparmatty it happens!

[@larrywarren1049]

I thought Taylor was made in Texas did uou say Missouri. Disappointed in accell had just replaced my wires with the 9mm on my fe390

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Taylor is in Grandview MO. Just outside of KC. Lived there for close to 30 years.

[@SMOBY44]

I've been using Taylor for years. Never an issue. And keep in mind that electronics need a resistance wire to created a magnetic field around that wire to stop inductance on adjoining wires, including the 12 volt primary wires in your car. Little to no resistance will fry your fancy electronic ignition and/or fuel injection.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Yup. Which is why this video wasn’t about comparing the suppression abilities or any other technical detail. They are all suppression wires. All we concentrated on were the two things that they all advertise to see how they measure up. I run the Fast wires on everything, including EFI. They’re extremely capable of that but deliver more spark. I’ve used Taylor stuff my entire life. Grew up in KC and that’s their hometown. Great wires and great company. The numbers are there. It’s up to the user to decide what they want and what the product will deliver. In Taylor’s case, they over delivered.

[@garyhosier4765]

Great review. I’d say Summit and Taylor are the same wire. So if your budget dictates, try Summit. Be interesting to see the difference between a good crimped connector and a backyard crimp without the correct tool. That’s where I would have saved money in the day. No crimping pliers.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

It’s really not that expensive of a tool. But even if you used the MSD crimp block, they’re still better than trying to make a good crimp with basic hand tools. It’s a good investment for the right tool!

[@garyhosier4765]

I agree. I have the right tool now. But when I was 24 I didn’t and I didn’t know what tools existed, I didn’t have YT and google to learn. I may not have had 10$ extra to buy a tool. 57 now. It’s all different. Kids raised. Retired from AF. Have a good job. Now I have to much stuff!

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

@@garyhosier4765 yeah I don’t wanna think about how I did stuff as a kid. 😆 Broke and bad decisions! Thanks for your service brother! My Dad was AF. I should have gone that route. The girls were prettier!

[@garyhosier4765]

It’s been great for me as a person. Thank you.

[@csj9619]

Only a guess, but MSD is my pick to win (at beginning of video).

[@mopartony7953]

17:23 0.028-inch is hardly out of tolerance for plug wire OD. Not a concern.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Red flag! What else did they not make to spec?

[@mopartony7953]

@@MuscleCarSolutionsThey are to spec. Dimensions have tolerances. Advertised size is a nominal marketing model identification. Same thing as engine and motorcycle models that are both the actual displacement of the engine.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

@@mopartony7953 all depends on what you’re willing to accept.

[@timweb1510]

I went with “good rated” Taylor wires and they were complete junk. The amazon no names I had prior performed better than the expensive Taylor garbage. Taylor doesn’t stand behind their products either

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Tried to think if I ever had any problems with a Taylor wire. Don’t know that I have. What was wrong with the set you got?

[@alphaghost1633]

Wow really well done testing - surprised by the Accell that was the go to wire back in the day. For us old school guys its sad to see China buy up quality products and ruin them I really appreciated those Fast wires I had no idea they were so good i will be using those now -- My wire was the Taylors for years -- Now what about making sure they are cost effective? Another words some of these companys have a high quality line and a lower quality line of wires. Did you take that into account? Are we comparing apples to apples here?

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

That’s the standard accel offering. On par (allegedly) with the Fast and MSD. I didn’t test the cheap MSD street fire wires because they are the bottom of the barrel. Doesn’t really matter. The whole point is to test your own and make a decision on what will effectively deliver the power.

[@Doc_Fischer]

8.8 ‘s all day long . Never ran into any major issues

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

It begs the question, did you measure them, or just install them and assume they were performing as advertised?

[@58sportsuburban]

How about a Dyno test, where you use the best and worse ohm wires, to see what difference it makes…

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

I’d love to. Who’s going to pay for that? 😂

[@lollipop84858]

I'm sure if you find it for the guy he would.

[@jamestregler1584]

So can we get the old wires that interfere with everything 🤣

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

If that’s what you’re after!

[@james10739]

I just wrap a 12 gauge wire around my plug

[@pacbrian3809]

great. i have accell wires🤬🤬🤬

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Get that multimeter out!

[@atomicgarage5606]

Solid core for life

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

😆😆

[@scottsherrard]

The numbers you showed have msd far ahead of the taylor wire, yet you rate it on par or higher than the msd. You obviously dislike msd for some reason. I don’t have a dog in the hunt but it seems disingenuous.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Not at all. I have no dislike for MSD or Taylor. I have used both and installed both. If someone asked if the MSD is a good wire, I’d say yes. Was the best in this line up? Nope, but being at 2 is still a good wire. What is your ranking on these based on the data collected?

[@totalyep]

Be careful here. Static resistance measurements are not the right way to measure a wire. These wire run at high frequency and high voltage so it is more about low impedance and high frequency. Otherwise people would just make copper wires.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

Completely acceptable in this situation. Like I mentioned in the video, this wasn’t about a complete discussion about the technology that goes into spark plug wires. Two of the simple things that are the most talked about; size and ohms.

[@davenorman8251]

Racing and vintage wires are just copper or alloy wire.

[@totalyep]

@@MuscleCarSolutions if that were true MSD and Pertronix would just make their wires out of braided copper and make them very low resistance vs 200ohms per foot.

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

@totalyep sure, but they’d not sell any of them for street use as they for sure wouldn’t work with EFI and I’m sure generate lots of interference with stereos. Again the point of this video wasn’t to discuss all the technology in insulation, windings to suppress those RFI waves, etc. Just looking at two of the most common marketed specs from the manufacturer to see how they are actually delivered.

[@lasskinn474]

it really should be in conjunction with the other stuff like the ballast resistor, plug resistors. it's not really a high frequency as such it's more of a short dc spike every now and then. similar to hf(in that very limited time window) but not quite. the current let on the plug wire is limited on purpose to not fry them.

[@jameshall4906]

Moroso

[@MuscleCarSolutions]

What part number do you have and what did they measure?