I decided to treat my mini to some expensive new spark plug leads... i wanted some with the right angled ends on them so they could be shorter and look neater.



I think they're awesome except i stuffed up the measuring with one of them and when i fitted it found it was too long. Soooo, what i did was try and pull the rubber boot off to expose the connection to see if i could cut and re-solder it at the correct length... and that's the point where i think i stuffed up.

As i was twisting and pulling at it i heard a crack. I assumed it may be the rubber starting to move but i now think i may have snapped the cable inside. The reason i think that is because the car runs like crap until i play with the cable and bend it straight.

Has anyone made their own leads? if so, how the hell do you get the rubber boots off the ends without busting the lead?

I'm kind pissed now because these 4 cost me $70 and it'd be really embarassing to go back and have to order another one to be made because i busted it being a dumbarse. Not to mention it's another $17.50 down the drain.

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- Simon -

These leads are not copper down the middle, they are spiralled carbon filaments. The crack you heard was the fillaments parting ways as the silicone stretched and the filament did not...

I have made my own leads before, but they used copper high tension leads and special lugs available from auto electrical suppliers. They play hell with stereos unless you use large suppressed caps. Your carbon leads won't solder at all, solder doesn't take to carbon. Instead they are specially lugged at the end onto the metal caps.

Throw it out and replace it with a new one - try not to tug to hard with this one

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

What he said ^^^^^....But once you get the right selection of right angled leads stick with them and treat them gentle like.....they really are quite fragile..so be kind to HT Leads

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"Show me the Mini!"

can i ask what the difference between your leads ($17.50 each) and the ones you get from supercrap for $5 is?

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Inconspicuously Conspicuous
Appreciation without Depreciation
forever chasing clearer skies...

Silicon....just like Pammie Anderson

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"Show me the Mini!"

$70 for a set of top gun leads is a bit rich, last time I bought a set they were $30-$40. And mine came with blue caps

Well, i have to say i didn't shop around for the best price... were yours an off the shelf kit made for a mini? I measured what i needed and got them to make them up, maybe that's why they cost more. I'm running the Nissan dizzy and couldn't be sure that it's the same distance from the plugs as a standard one.

If i took the broken one back could they fix it, i mean it has to be shortened anyhow.

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- Simon -

They could shorten it. Or you could do it yourself. crap, it is not rocket science!
You just slip the rubber end up the lead and pry off the metal end, a bit of work with the pliers to open up the metal end so that you can fit the lead back in.
You cut the lead to the length that you want BUT VERY IMPORTANT.... The core of the lead must be left longer than the outer insulation, about 2cm longer.
You fold the thin core over and push the lead back in to the metal end and crimp it with pliers. Push the insulator back down over the metal end.

The leads on my car are Holden V8 leads that I cut down to fit! And I still have 4 spares!

Well, i think you'll find that i said i broke it when i tried to get the rubber end to slide up the lead. That's when i broke it, when i was trying to do that. And, are you talking about these carbon type leads or copper cored ones? I'm not sure that what you are suggesting is going to work. Folding the core sounds similar to what made it break in the first place.


EDIT:
This is the description of what i have... it doesn't seem to mention carbon at all... i'm confused now...

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- Simon -

Oh well, just take it back and tell them it dosent work!

I've used both, I found the Bosch $5 ones from Supercrap last longer.
The Top Guns used to break down in wet weather after a couple of years.
OK.. yeah I realise it hasn't been raining much here lately..

Seriously, the Bosch ones are good. Good enough to race with.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I concur with the Doc, The bosch ones are great for the price. "Good, Better, Bosch!"

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

I don't mean to rain on your parade ( I like your HT leads)
I know little about HT leads SO SOMEONE CORRECT ME IF IM WRONG,

width wise:
6.0mm -good for stock mini's cause weall know how average our old dizzy's are getting.
about 7.0mm good for a really well maintained dizzy making good spark bite
8.8mm overkill on anything less than electromic ignition with multiple coil packs.

I would stick with the Bosch and buy a coil pack and breaker's (good better BOSCHER increases to be made)

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-doing a Degree in Mechanical Engineering,
and a few conversions:
13B Extend in a 1600
4EFTE in a mini ute (all slowly)

i got the same ones from autobahn and they cost me $40.... and i think one of them has shagged itself already. i have to have the lead hanging on the end of the plug about 10mm for it to spark properly

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real men race downhill - keiichi tsuchiya

I wanted a new set of leads for my Subaru WRX. The guy told me it would cost 230 dollars, so I told him to blow it up his bum I'll get a set of five dollar Bosch leads to suit.

He got kinda antzy and said " No you need the special lead kit for 230 dollars", I asked him why and he said he didn't know but that I most certainly needed the special leads. Something about the special spark that Suabru used...

I bought four leads of equal length to teh ones that came out, had a little problem fitting them inside the narrow recessed spark plug passages on the head but ran them for 60,000 klms until I sold the car.

Spark plug leads are more about marketing than anything else I feel.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.