Ignition wires conduct the maximum coil output energy to the spark plugs with a minimum amount of radiated electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI). On most street applications using digital computers for engine management control, excessive EMI and even RFI can interfere with ECUs and cause poor running problems.
Some amount of resistance is required along with proper construction to achieve high suppression levels. Resistance is also important to avoid damaging some types of coils and amplifiers due to flyback and coil harmonics. I am always leary of wires claiming to have very low resistance. These wires can't have good suppression qualities.
Beware of any wires claiming to increase hp. Ignition wires won't increase hp. As long as the wires that you have are allowing the spark to jump the gap properly, installing a set of $300 wires to increase hp is an absolute waste of money.
Some claims of wires seen in the market claim to not only increase power but also to shorten the spark duration. Spark duration is determined primarily by coil inductance and coil resistance so these wires can't shorten the spark duration by the amount claimed. The wire resistance has a minimal effect on discharge time because of the high voltage involved. Once again, a very short duration spark is in fact detrimental to ignition because of lower probability.
These same wires claim to increase flame front propagation rates and the ability to ignite over-rich mixtures for more power. Once ignited, the mixture undergoes the flagregation (spelling?) process and that the progression rate of the flame front is totally independent of the spark. In many cases, gasoline's will not ignite nor burn at air fuel ratios richer than 11 to 1 AFR.
Other claims for these wires include current flows of up to 1000+ amps. The current flow in the ignition circuit is determined by the coil construction and drive circuits, not by the ignition wires. Most ignition systems are current limited to between 5 and 15 amps. The most powerful race systems rarely exceed 30 amps.
MSD makes low priced wire sets which work well in performance and street applications however the terminal ends tend turn soft and spongy.
Magnecor makes excellent quality spiral type cores (most common with today's ignition systems) with high suppression qualities. They are reasonably priced for the quality and endure under extreme conditions.
The factory Viper wires are decent quality but be very careful not to allow them to rest against header pipes for any period of time, they will in fact melt or burn very quickly and cause ground interference problems. This would make for one of the negative attributes for protection against overexposure,
one of the main reasons I would opt for 8.5 or 10 mm wires for their extra protection against extreme conditions.
Regards,
Doug
