• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Dizzy cap, HT leads

Share this page

S

sunkissedhealey

Senior Member
Offline
Greetings,

I'm planning on installing my recently acquired over-priced Lucas dizzy cap this weekend, thus I'll also be replacing the HT leads. In the 2006 Edition of the Originality Guide for Restorations and Registry Inspections on p. 22 it states: "Leads on all cars that used straight type (numbered) spark plug connectors, must have a braided wire core." Also: "High tension leads were shiny black with no lettering." "Original wires were 'just long enough' and had a tight, trim look." Nothing too special about this--I think. Anybody know of a good source for these leads? NAPA, AutoZone, etc.? Or is this an exotic item that will take some research in order to track down? I've got a good (worked for 15+ years) aftermarket cap on my 65 BJ8 right now, but the leads will be too short and are lettered (Bosch, I think) and are dull black in appearance. I installed them 15 years or so ago. Any tips on installation? I've done it a couple of times and didn't burn the car up, but there is always a first time and I want to do it right this time. Many thanks in advance.

Rob
 
Rob,

I use the Moss wire set. Order extra rotors while your at it.

Tracy
 
You can buy solid core wire in length from many bike shops (usually the Harley-type places) or Aircraft Spruce and cut and add ends (I soldered mine just to be sure).
May kill the radio and cell phone...not an issue to me.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Rob,

I use the Moss wire set. Order extra rotors while your at it.

IF you order those rotors you better order some JB Weld too!.---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Tracy

[/ QUOTE ]
 
But Keoke didn't tell you the rest of the story, although he knows.

When you get a new rotor, carefully remove the brass rivet & the brass arm. Re-seat the arm in the rotor using JB weld. No rivet. Warm the rotor & arm to help settle the JB Weld in any tiny cracks. Let the JB weld overlap the top of the brass arm a bit, & the same with the old rivet hole in the arm, to assure that the arm stays put.

It's much easier to do it before you have trouble.
D
 
I read about this preventive fix some years ago. It works! If you haven't done this already, you will wish that you had when you're stranded and your cell phone is out of area.

Rob
 
Yep SKH, been preaching this for many years now seems there are finally a few converts---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
SKH, Use the NJK screw on angle/resistor connectors and 7 MM Multistranded copper ignition wire from Aircraft Spruce.Then there will be no need to solder up the leads.They will screw together at both ends.The coil lead may differ but that is an easy one to resolve.---Fwiw---Keoke
 
I used a set of Napa 700173 stranded wire 7mm 6cyl semi-custom made by Belden. They have the spark plug connectors and boots already molded on. Just cut the distributor cap ends of the wires to the desired length and shove them into the holes of the side entry distributor cap and tighten. Consider this another option for furture reference since you said you were installing them last weekend.
 
Thanks for the link, gentleman. I didn't get around to installing the leads this past weekend. A friend gave me some wire & plug covers from British Car Specialists, but I'm not too happy with the wire's appearance nor the plug cover's stability. I'll check and see what the aircraft company has to offer. Many thanks.

Rob
 
Well SKH, if you do not like the Champion type conectors perhaps the Bosch straight ones will suit you better.They are the ones I prefer.---Keoke
 
Back
Top