What kind of plugs & wires should I use for my 454?

[JetboatJon454]

I just swapped over from a points distributor to an HEI very simple swap might I add. Now I'm trying to find what the best wires, and spark plugs without an outrageous price for my 1975 Apollo with a 454ci running 11:1 compression, and pushing over 500 horses. Any suggestions?

[1quickjet]

Jon, I have always been a big fan of Taylor wires. I can't count how many plug wires sets I have installed, and Taylors are my favorite by far. They seem to work the best in the boat for me. Sorry, can't help you with the plugs though, I haven't found any that work extremely well. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif

[DickDanger]

Taylor wires. -DD out

[Duane HTP]

A set of J12YC champoins set at .044" gap would be a good place to start. Make sure you have enough clearance for the projected core nose.

[Duane HTP]

Forget the last post. I made a mistake. I was thinking Olds when I posted that. For the Chevy, I would start with a RV9YC or a RV12YC set at .044", if it's using a taper seated 5/8" plug. The 12's would work best IF you watch them and make sure they're not to hot. use N9YC if it's a long reach. Same setting.

[Taylorman]

MSD wires are the best. Use the red ones. Can't remember the name. If they are good enough for top fuel dragsters and funny cars, they have to work on our little engines.

[Cas]

Jacobs Electronics are hands down the best wires I've used, lifetime warranty too.

[HBjet]

Jacobs is what I use. Couldn't be happier. Hey, there blue too.
HBjet

[beached1]

I have Jacobs with porcelain tips. They came with a lifetime warranty too.

[bajaruner]

MSD heli-core wires and NGK #YR5 v-power plugs. There's nothing else better.

[DEL51]

All the wires mentioned work well.I would stay away from ACCEL. I purchase a set of their 300+ wires and had only 7 wires come in the box.No problem,I'll just call their customer service dept and get this taken care of,right? WRONG! i called on 3 seperate occations with excuses and inaction.This was a universal set,cut to fit,and they wanted me to measure the length of the wire I would need,bullshit.I measured the wire,from an old set, and then was told to call back cause it was lunch time.You get the picture.There are 4 guys in this "shop" that deal with unique customer requests and they suck.I had a friend call and he could not remain on the phone long enough to be taken care of,he was driving truck at the time.If anyone has a 7 cylinder chev big block that needs some plug wires, E-mail me.I believe ACCEL is part of the Mr Gasket company.

[JetboatJon454]

Now I know we have a buncha' different opinions here but has anyone ever used the accel superstock spiral 8mm? As for the Taylor wires.....which model(s) would be decent for my setup, I'm not looking for anything like top fuel material?

[1quickjet]

Jon, I believe the ones I always use are the SpiroPro (8mm?). They come in lots of different colors, very affordable (about $50-$60) and work very well. The MSD is also a good wire, although I have found that they are slightly more difficult to install, because the metal boot doesn't stay crimped very well, and they faded quickly on my open engine boat. Don't like the Accel's either. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif

[Tinkerboater]

Been using TAYLOR spiral pro wires for years - work great no problems.

[cyclone]

Nology makes an awesome set of wires that have capacitors built into them. the capicitor stores up energy and produces a spark that is supposedly 300 times greater than any other wire on the market. I've only ran them on my turbocharged toyota tacoma, but they worked awesome for me. my two pennies in the bucket.

[Seth Livzz]

You asked an opinion so here goes. NGK plugs are hands down the best, most consistent plugs on the market.
Using an Ohm Meter, we tested the resistance of a number of different makes of plugs. The NGK's were ALWAYS very close together, not much variation at all. The worse you ask? Champions.
Does this all add up to much? Maybe not. But if you've sunk tons of cash into an engine, blueprinting it and what not, having 8 spark plugs of equal resistance only makes sense.

[JetboatJon454]

Originally posted by Seth Livzz:
You asked an opinion so here goes. NGK plugs are hands down the best, most consistent plugs on the market.
Using an Ohm Meter, we tested the resistance of a number of different makes of plugs. The NGK's were ALWAYS very close together, not much variation at all. The worse you ask? Champions.
Does this all add up to much? Maybe not. But if you've sunk tons of cash into an engine, blueprinting it and what not, having 8 spark plugs of equal resistance only makes sense.
Thanks for the info Seth......as for the NGK's are there specific models that are particularly better than such and such. I know your not a big fan of the Champion's but I'm trying to decided between whatever is voted by popular demand or the Champion Copper plus. Let's start a good debate here, c'mon I wanna hear some feedback!!

[bakerman]

NGK BR6FS Best plug for 454 chevy! best place to buy (cheapest price)I've found is Pep Boy's price $1.09 each

[DEL51]

Seth is right on about NGK.I had called several manufacturers regarding there plugs for my application.NGK took the time to listen and make a sound recommendation.They asked many questions and explained why they thought their plugs manufactuing process was the best.Call them and theywill always be willing to assist.

[JetboatJon454]

Hey DEL51 you wouldn't happen to have the # would ya? =)

[mister460]

Jacobs wires, definitely. Although all the aftermarket wires out there work pretty well. As for plugs, NGK's are good, Autolite copper cores are good. Don't even waste your money on those "platinum" plugs. They're just a marketing ploy. Heat range selection will depend on a lot of variables. Pick a plug in the middle range, run it for a while, then pull 'em and read 'em. Then make a decision on heat range. There's really no way to accurately "predict" what range would be best. Trial and error is the way to go. Besides, at 8 bucks a set it wouldn't hurt to try a couple different plugs!

[DEL51]

I got the number out of a car magazine article listing a bunch of plug makers and their phone numbers.Unfortunately,I don't have it any longer.You may try a web search.I called all of them listed in the article and they were the best by far.

[HighRoller]

This may sound silly,but I installed an MSD 6 in my boat with a 330hp 454 and have had the best luck with Autolite platinum plugs!!The throttle response and idle is great.I use MSD wires but have used Jacobs in the past and can say they are both good brands.The only thing different I would recommend than everyone else is the gap.With a high voltage system like an HEI you can easily run .050 gap.I gap mine at .053 and got a full season out of them using the boat once a week.

[1quickjet]

High Roller, I am running the same engine, same ignition, and same plugs. What I don't get is how my plugs ALWAYS look the same. No matter how the carb is jetted or what type of plugs. I been ok at reading them in the past, but this motor is trippin me out. Can someone give a quick "How to read spark plugs 101?" Maybe I need a refresher course, in case I am forgetting something. I know tech help is relly lagging in the jet forum lately, but I would appreciate the help. JBJ, don't mean to throw off your topic, but I'm sure you would be intersted too. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif

[JetboatJon454]

Originally posted by 1quickjet:
High Roller, I am running the same engine, same ignition, and same plugs. What I don't get is how my plugs ALWAYS look the same. No matter how the carb is jetted or what type of plugs. I been ok at reading them in the past, but this motor is trippin me out. Can someone give a quick "How to read spark plugs 101?" Maybe I need a refresher course, in case I am forgetting something. I know tech help is relly lagging in the jet forum lately, but I would appreciate the help. JBJ, don't mean to throw off your topic, but I'm sure you would be intersted too. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif
Heck ya I'm interested, let's hear it! Hey anyone from the Chicago area that goes to Fox lake?? (channel lakes)

[Oldsquirt]

Here's the NGK website. There is some good reading material there as well as contact info. http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/

[Racing Ray]

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[This message has been edited by Racing Ray (edited March 18, 2002).]

[Blown509Liberator]

JetboatJon454
I live in Ingleside (fox lake area) I am on ReadHead lake right off of Pistakee lake. You can find me any time on the Chain o lakes.
MikeW

[Blown509Liberator]

JetboatJon454
I live in Ingleside (fox lake area) I am on ReadHead lake right off of Pistakee lake. You can find me any time on the Chain o lakes.
MikeW

[JetboatJon454]

Originally posted by Blown509Liberator:
JetboatJon454
I live in Ingleside (fox lake area) I am on ReadHead lake right off of Pistakee lake. You can find me any time on the Chain o lakes.
MikeW
OOoops! Guess I messed up the name usually when someone says it that's the way it sounds "channel lakes". I've actually never heard of Readhead lake....I'll have to look it up on the map. I've been there once but only launched at fox lake at this little waverunner place it's very close to a West Marine store.

[Blown509Liberator]

I know you cant find RedHead Lake on the map and we like it that way---lol.
Here is a map
http://www.lake-online.com/chainolakes/pislake.jpg
more info here http://www.lake-online.com/chainolakes/chainolakes_maps.html

[Bense468]

MSD 8.5 mm wires are good wires. I had taylors put the 8.5 mm MSD wires on and it ran better. They are expensive but worth it I think.

[JetboatJon454]

By the way......I know I really should check this while I'm in the water but I want to get everything set before dropping it in. Does anyone know what I should set the timing to running 11:1 compression?

[1quickjet]

Thanks RacingRay!

[Racing Ray]

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[This message has been edited by Racing Ray (edited March 18, 2002).]

[JetboatJon454]

Originally posted by Racing Ray:
Your welcome 1Quickjet. I thought this thread switched to a local lakes thread and no one found that of any use. BTW JBJ454 I would say play it safe with the 11:1 and keep the timing at 30* until you read the plugs.
[This message has been edited by Racing Ray (edited February 25, 2002).]
Racing Ray, isn't 30 a bit up there, or is that the overall timing? I've never really done any other timing adjustments on any other motor except my old supercharged mustang and I remember keeping it around 8 or 9 degrees. And 14 when it used to be in stock trim.

[Racing Ray]

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[This message has been edited by Racing Ray (edited March 18, 2002).]

[Blown509Liberator]

JetboatJon454
Set you timming at full advance like RR was saying. You should be at full advance by 3000 r's. Here In IL we can still get 93 octane. should be ok
MikeW

[JetboatJon454]

Originally posted by Blown509Liberator:
JetboatJon454
Set you timming at full advance like RR was saying. You should be at full advance by 3000 r's. Here In IL we can still get 93 octane. should be ok
MikeW
Ok how do you set it to full advance? I know this might be a tid difficult since I will need 2 ppl to set the timing. Everything looks similar to a car just want to make sure I'm doing it right. And how do I figure the overall timing out?

[1quickjet]

JBJ, to determine total advance, set the timing light dial to, say, 30 degrees, where you want it. Rev the engine to at least 3000 rpm (where they recommend it should be fully advanced). If the mark comes back to exactly 0 degrees, then you have 30 degrees of total advance. When it is fully advanced and the mark comes back to exactly 0, then your total timing is the number that the dial on your timing light is pointing to. Sorry if my wording is confusing, I'm not as technical as some such as RacingRay is, but like I said tech help has really been slow in here lately. Im doing what I can to help a brotha out. Racing Ray is a big help. BTW Ray, what is the best and most accurate way to find TDC? I have a few different marks on my balancer, I have to figure which one is correct. Thanks 1QJ

[JetboatJon454]

Originally posted by 1quickjet:
JBJ, to determine total advance, set the timing light dial to, say, 30 degrees, where you want it. Rev the engine to at least 3000 rpm (where they recommend it should be fully advanced). If the mark comes back to exactly 0 degrees, then you have 30 degrees of total advance. When it is fully advanced and the mark comes back to exactly 0, then your total timing is the number that the dial on your timing light is pointing to. Sorry if my wording is confusing, I'm not as technical as some such as RacingRay is, but like I said tech help has really been slow in here lately. Im doing what I can to help a brotha out. Racing Ray is a big help. BTW Ray, what is the best and most accurate way to find TDC? I have a few different marks on my balancer, I have to figure which one is correct. Thanks 1QJ
Hmmm... what if your timing light doesn't have a dial? All I have is the freakin' craftsman and I have to turn the dist. and look at the balancer to figure it out boy does that hurt my eyes! Thanks for the info 1quickjet I really appreciate it. I'm hoping I can find a timing light with a dial or find some way I can use mine. It's 38 degrees today and we are expecting snow tomorrow, so maybe if it warms up a bit say to about 42 over here I can sit outside in my t-shirt and work on the boat lol.

[JetboatJon454]

Hey everyone finally got the new wires put in and got it on TDC. It was so close to cranking over, it ran for about a second and died it constantly. I wonder if the weather had something to do with it because it was about 28 degrees out??