Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: bbrock Apr 18 2021, 03:19 PM

In the home stretch toward first start of my engine and hit a snag. I think I have solid core wires which is a no-no with Pertronix. I bought this set in the 1980s (probably from Tweeks) and unscrewed the connector just to check and found this.



Those are copper strands, but does that mean this is a solid core wire? The coil wire is labeled "suppressor cable" and looks to be carbon, but the plug wires are not labeled as such.

If I need to buy another set of wires, how do I know what I am getting? Karlyn/STI makes a wire set with all short connectors that would be preferred for my carb setup, but their description is vague:

Product Features

- Unique Tinned Copper Core
- Greatly Exceeds O E and Competitor Specifications
- Double Extruded Silicon-Over-Silicone Wire
- Contains 19 Strands Of Tinned Copper Core
- Super Conductivity w/Superior Corrosion Resistance
- Limited Lifetime Warranty

What wires are people running with their Pertronix Ignitor II or III? Apparently the Ignitor I isn't as sensitive to RFI/EMI as later models.

Posted by: johnhora Apr 18 2021, 03:26 PM

Brent...that wire is fine...that's stranded wire...solid would be like something you would use for a house electrical outlet....just one wire.
The Karlyn/STI wires are good with very nice connectors.

Posted by: bbrock Apr 18 2021, 03:39 PM

Awesome! Thanks for the quick reply. Google has not been my friend figuring out how to identify a solid core wire.

Posted by: Red72 Jul 20 2021, 08:44 PM

Do the STI wires have the terminations for the pertronix billet distributor male connections? Or what else might be suitable? Right now, the only option I see is to buy unterminated pertronix wires.

Posted by: bbrock Jul 20 2021, 09:27 PM

Based on help from another member, I wound up buying a set of Pertronix 704101 Flame-Thrower Black Custom Fit 4 Cylinder Spark Plug Wire. I cut the spark plug terminals off and screwed on the standard bake-lite terminals from my copper set. Worked great.

EDIT: Whoops, just noticed you need terminals for the billet dizzy. The ones I got won't work.

Posted by: stownsen914 Jul 21 2021, 08:07 PM

I always thought the point about not using "solid core" wire with electronics was that you need "suppressed" wire like MSD so you don't get the RFI noise. I wouldn't think simple stranded wire would be offer suppression?

Posted by: bbrock Jul 21 2021, 09:04 PM

Here is a quote from John Connolly at aircooled.net : "Copper wires are NOT compatible with Flamethrower 3 products" According to Pertronix, the Ignitor III is particularly sensitive to EMI. They recommend non-metallic wires for all Pertronix but only the Ignitor III seems to be really picky about it. At any rate, switching to Pertronix wires didn't help my problems. I tried my ignitor III in 3 different dizzies. It worked great in a Bosch 050 but misfires like mad after warmup on a brand new SVDA dizzy and the stock Bosch dizzy. My best guess is the no-magnet sensor that supposely detects the lobes on the dizzy shaft does not always align well. I've read of others that had the same experience with the III.

Posted by: windforfun Jul 22 2021, 12:00 PM

Stranding increases surface area which increases high frequency signal flow (surface Eddy current). Analogous to loudspeaker wiring - monster cable & flat designs. High frequency noise components also get conducted which is good if to ground. Ergo highly stranded shields on all the SOTA electronic cabling in the car. Static magnets too. RF coax on the other hand is a waveguide.

Posted by: larryM Jul 26 2021, 03:34 PM

simple answer - use a VOM - if the wires check with almost no resistance they are "solid core" - makes no difference if that is stranded cuz MOST are so

- it would be RARE to find a wire with a single solid wire as core since it would not be flexible - it would hold whatever shape you bend it to -