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Jul 21st, 2025 | | | | Joined: Sep 2015 Posts: 56 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2015 Posts: 56 | I have a Pertronix ignitor 1168LS and a 40,000 v 3.0 ohm coil to insrall.. I need compatible plug wires for the electronic ignition conversion I am using the stock distributor.. .. The plug wires need to have male connectors for the distributor cap and of course, female connectors for the spark plugs. The wires need to be compatible for an electronic ignition ln a 12v 216 6 cylinder engine. I wasn't able to get a plug wire set recommendation from NAPA or Advance Auto. My stock wires may not be compatible with the electronic ignition..
Pertronix ignitor ck
Pertronix coil ck
Last edited by jameschevypu50; 02/05/2023 4:53 AM.
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 214 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 214 | I am interested as to what our experts also say! Thanks for posting. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2019 Posts: 2,249 Herder of Cats, Goats, and Sheep (moderator) | | Herder of Cats, Goats, and Sheep (moderator) Joined: Jan 2019 Posts: 2,249 | You won't get a lot of love for pertronix around here. I would recommend asking pertronix for specs on what they recommend as far as core material and diameter. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 | Get the least expensive set of generic wires you can find. None of the fancy, expensive ones will make a nickel's worth of difference when it comes to lighting the fire on a stovebolt engine. Neither will a junk-tronics, for that matter. Super high voltage ignition systems on a 100 year old engine design don't make good nonsense.
Would anybody like to earn a fresh, new $100.00 bill? Just show me 40K volts applied to a clean, properly gapped spark plug running in a stovebolt engine! It's a safe bet, since it's impossible for that to happen.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2023 Posts: 35 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2023 Posts: 35 | My stock wires may not be compatible with the electronic ignition. As long as you use carbon or suppression type spark plug wires.....just no solid core(Pertronix puts that in all caps)
1958 3100 Fleetside w/235 4spd
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2001 Posts: 775 Bondo Artiste | | Bondo Artiste Joined: Jun 2001 Posts: 775 | I’m running the pertronix #706180 7mm plug wires in my 12 volt trucks.
~ Phillip
1949 GMC Suburban - 10 year project
1952 Pontiac Chieftain Convertible straight 8 hydramatic
1945 GMC half ton truck - Driver
1946 Chevy COE - Might restore one day...
1959 GMC Half ton long bed NAPCO
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2021 Posts: 157 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2021 Posts: 157 | As long as you use carbon or suppression type
spark plug wires.....just no solid core(Pertronix puts that in all caps) But Why? Do you know the reason for this? Doesn't make any sense to me. Would anybody like to earn a fresh, new $100.00 bill? Just show me 40K volts applied to a clean, properly gapped spark plug running in a stovebolt engine! It's a safe bet, since it's impossible for that to happen. Again - why wouldn't that spark? | | | | | Joined: Sep 2015 Posts: 56 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2015 Posts: 56 | Definitely enjoying your responses both negative and positive. Good to hear from both sides.
Additionally interested in the benefits, if so, of increasing the plug gap. And also a recommended gap setting from experienced electronic ignition users. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 | [quote=Stovebold6]
But Why? Do you know the reason for this? Doesn't make any sense to me.
The resistance of a metal core wire is so low that there's enough current flow to damage the secondary windings of a "high voltage" coil. For a few milliseconds there's the equivalent of a dead short across the secondary until the inductive reactance of the windings kick in to limit the current[b]
Again - why wouldn't that spark?
[b]There will be plenty of spark, but the voltage cannot rise above the 8KV to 12KV that's required to ionize the gap, no matter what the "open circuit" capacity of a high voltage coil might happen to be. Once the spark starts to flow across the gap, the voltage cannot rise any higher. Therefore, it's IMPOSSIBLE to get 40KV applied to anything other than a disconnected spark plug wire that's hanging out where there's nowhere for the spark to find a ground.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 | Additionally interested in the benefits, if so, of increasing the plug gap. And also a recommended gap setting from experienced electronic ignition users. The standard plug gap for several decades was .035". ("A thin dime") Wider gaps raise the firing voltage slightly due to the increased resistance of the bigger air space. The only reason for an increased gap like .040, .060, or .080 was on the "lean burn" emission control engines that came around in the mid-1980's. The wide gap was there in hopes that a few molecules of rich enough mixture to light off might be between the electrodes when the spark happened. Most stovebolts run rich enough that a wide gap isn't needed. I was running a shop, and later teaching a professional level trade school course when all those "improvements" were dumped on an unsuspecting driving public. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2018 Posts: 2,451 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2018 Posts: 2,451 | jameschevypu50 While I am at the junkyard I watch for clean 8 mm plug wires,long ones,usually one end has what you need. Trim it to your length then ( I use NAPA plug wire pliers) put a boot and fitting like you need on the other . Make it a nice fit on your engine, the napa pliers do a pro job on that,important to lube them with ignition grease and if they are new need a little break-in. Done right you can't hardly rip em off of there !!! 4 or 5 sets running around here now. I use homebuilt HEI in all of my 216,235,261 engines they start hot,cold, doesn't take long. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2021 Posts: 157 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2021 Posts: 157 | The resistance of a metal core wire is so low that there's enough current flow to damage the secondary windings of a "high voltage" coil. For a few milliseconds there's the equivalent of a dead short across the secondary until the inductive reactance of the windings kick in to limit the current
There will be plenty of spark, but the voltage cannot rise above the 8KV to 12KV that's required to ionize the gap, no matter what the "open circuit" capacity of a high voltage coil might happen to be. Once the spark starts to flow across the gap, the voltage cannot rise any higher. Therefore, it's IMPOSSIBLE to get 40KV applied to anything other than a disconnected spark plug wire that's hanging out where there's nowhere for the spark to find a ground. Ahhh - now it makes sense - you learn something here every day. Thanks, Frank | | | | | Joined: Dec 2018 Posts: 2,451 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2018 Posts: 2,451 | Stovebold 6 Those solid core wires will make your neighbors cross by causing radio signal interference. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 | I don't have any neighbors who have a habit of listening to AM radio. Most of them aren't even old enough to know what "AM" or "FM" even means!
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
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