Making your own HT leads

[Jamie 1]

Anyone tell me how many feet (or metres) of cable I need for a VR6?

 

Cheers :)

[Supercharged 2]

I would have thought 2 metres would be enough but you might want 3 to be on the safe side...

[Jim 2]

For a second I thought you were suggesting 3 metres per lead then.. LOL! :)

[Jamie 1]

Excellent cheers mate. It's 7mm to fit in the standard lead holders isn't it? Sorry meant to ask that as well

[Kevin Bacon 5]

500 meters. Then you can make HT sets for everyone else ;)

 

Yep, 7mm.

[Supercharged 2]

For a second I thought you were suggesting 3 metres per lead then.. LOL! :)

 

I was - if you wrap them round the car and back it will get chance to build up more speed - giving you a better spark

[Kevin Bacon 5]

You'd need to wrap it round a massive magnet to get a better spark

[Jamie 1]

500 meters. Then you can make HT sets for everyone else ;)

 

Yep, 7mm.

 

Cheers boys. If anyone wants a set made up I'll happily make them for you.

[easypops 8]

How much? Or should I ask how little? :)

[Jamie 1]

How much? Or should I ask how little? :)

 

TBH mate I've just priced up a set of decent OE quality caps and they cost pretty much the same as a set of Magnecor leads on their own, so it wouldn't be cost effective for you. I'm planning on using my existing caps though so its worth it for me.

[fla 9]

i think Stonejag made something similar, might be worth sending him a pm.

[Stonejag 10]

Yes, I bought pre-made leads from Vehicle Wiring Products (only place I could find orange 7mm wire!) and cut the ends off to length. I reused the coilpack ends from my previous set of leads and most of the spark plug connectors were still usable, but I needed a couple of extra ones so I got them from Just Kampers - their part number J10590. Be warned that they're not quite the right part - you have to file two notches in the sides to accept the OE lead removal tool - but close enough.

 

Not hard to make up at all - the carbon/silicone wires are very flexible and can easily be cut to length with a sharp blade. Then simply insert through the dust cap and keep twisting until the self-tapping screw in the lead ends bites into the core and bottoms out. Then you can slide the boot back over and you're done! I used a little WD40 to help lubricate the leads as getting them round the 90º bend in the covers can be a little tricksy.

 

Been working fine for the last six months with nary a stutter! Plus, if one ever fails you can just reuse the ends again and make a single one the right length for around £3. Think my total cost was around £30 plus a little effort :)

 

The result:

 

Stone

Edited March 15, 2013 by Stonejag

[Jamie 1]

Nice one Stonejag. I'm just planning on swapping my black cables for red and using my existing caps.

 

Funnily enough Just Kampers was where I was looking to source my plug caps (it was me that took the picture of that JK plug cap - I worked there for 12 years)

[Stonejag 10]

Wasn't best pleased with the service (and the incessant email spam after buying) since the part number was wrong on the website... At least it was easily fixable with some filing. Won't be returning though.

[Jamie 1]

Wasn't best pleased with the service (and the incessant email spam after buying) since the part number was wrong on the website... At least it was easily fixable with some filing. Won't be returning though.

 

Unfortunately the excellent service we once offered went out of the window when Mark (the owner) decided chasing profit was all that mattered...