Listen to an AM station on your truck radio. If you have a specific pattern
interference,you may have ignition breakdown. Again look at the engine in
the dark for grounding and jumping sparks between insulation, Don't forget
cracked porcelain on one of the sparking thingamijiggers.
Jim, 91 Dak 318LA 4x4, unlike Shelby :-)
----- Original Message -----
From: <jon@dakota-truck.net>
To: <dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net>
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 2:58 PM
Subject: Re: DML: Spark plug wire life span
>
> "ctandc" <ctandc@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> Spark plug wires are a maintenance item.
>
>> They need to be replaced after so many miles / time
>
>
> Yes, but the information I am looking for is *why* they are a
> maintenaince item. Speaking from a strictly logical standpoint,
> unless there is some sort of wear to the item which impairs its
> ability to function properly, then there is no real reason to replace
> it. I have already mentioned the fact that the insulation will
> degrade, but I'm wondering about the electrode itself. Does it get
> eaten up or changed in any way so as to increase its resistance or its
> ability to transmit the spark? If not, then it would seem that if
> someone were able to recondition a plug wire or modify it in a way so
> as to repair the insulation, then the wire would still be serviceable.
>
> Although people "say" to replace the plug wires every X years or Y
> miles, I am a stubborn git and loathe to do anything for no more
> reason than "because I said so". I want to understand *why* I am
> doing what I am doing, rather than to just blindly go through the
> motions.
>
> There may be a parallel here between spark plug wires and engine
> oil. Most people change their oil every 3,000 miles, however the oil
> may still be perfectly fine and they are basically throwing away
> perfectly good oil. A fleet operation with trucks who measure oil
> fills in gallons rather than quarts is more likely to draw a sample of
> the oil, test it, and only change it when it actually *needs* it.
> Granted, the cost of the test versus the cost of 5 quarts of oil does
> not allow the average consumer to save money by following the fleet
> operator's example, but the analogy still holds.
>
> If one were to know the reason *why* a spark plug wire should be
> replaced, then one might be able to test the wires for this condition
> and thus only replace a wire when it is "all used up", as they say. :-)
>
> --
> -Jon-
>
> .- Jon Steiger -- jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com -.
> | '96 Kolb Firefly, '96 Suzuki Intruder, Miscellaneous Mopars |
> `-------------------------------- http://www.jonsteiger.com --'
>
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