Topic: Today's issue....spark plug wires - HELP

[IndyFour]

Wow....this is becoming a daily event now.  I'm finding a new issue about everyday.  Maybe I should just get on this thing and ride it and not touch anything?!

Anyhow....I decided to pull at least one of the spark plugs to see what kind of shape they are in.  Only had the bike a few weeks and am kind of learning about it as I go.  Not knowing when the plugs were installed, I wanted to check their condition.

The plug wires were a bit of a mess.  Two of the wires appear to be original and fine.  One of the wires was original, but had a new boot (screw-on type) installed on the end.  The fourth wire had a splicer with a short piece of carbon-type wire, connected to a replacement boot (also screw on type).

Well, one of the replacement boots really was too short to fit on top of the plug and seat properly.  I got it off, but could not get it back on for the life of me.  In trying, the screw-connector stripped out the end of the wire and would not stay on....and there was no wire to spare.

So, now the bike sits in the garage not running until I can get this plug/wire thing straightened out.

The coil seems fine.  The bike runs (well, ran...) pretty well, so I'd like to avoid getting a whole new coil set.  I think I'm planning on getting a section of 7mm plug wire (copper strand type) and new boots and making new wire extension.....using the following parts and splicing using splicers made for this purpose.

http://www.parkeryamaha.com/ngksparkplugcapxb05f.aspx

http://www.parkeryamaha.com/sparkplugwire7mm.aspx

http://www.parkeryamaha.com/ngksparkplugwiresplice.aspx

Thoughts?  Foresee any problems?  I did a forum search and a couple of people eluded to doing it this way.

Also, I have a question about spark plugs......(sorry i'm a newbie)...

I have one with this sort of threaded terminal.  Is this what you all have? Having trouble finding boots to fit on these.


Can I use ones with this type of top terminal.....seems like all the boots I am finding are made for these.  I haven't bought new plugs yet, so I don't know how motorcycle plugs typically come....


Again, thanks for your help!

[bikebitzofvt]

You need caps with resistors inside, you standard issue automotive or power equipment caps wont work.  NGK XB05FP caps are the way to go.  You can get them from any powersports shop that deals with this distributor:

http://www.powersportrider.com/CGI-BIN/ZLOCZIP  (Tucker Rocky)

or this one:

http://www.parts-unlimited.com/dealers/   (Parts Unlimited)

or this one:

http://www.marshalldealers.com/  (Marshall's)

among many others.  If you insist on getting them from the web go right to the source:
 
http://www.ngk.com/results_appOther.asp?otherMotiveID=225118&mfid=1

Good luck!

[gane]

Indy.  Looks like your' on the back side of at least 1 PO's game. offer this. NGK offers plug caps in many configurations. for your' instance would look to their longer offerings. it's possible that  a long cap would eliminate need of mod'ing wires.  PS the cap on most plugs screw on/off. allowing either cap use. g

[IndyFour]

Thank you for the help, guys.  It is much appreciated.

I searched around on the web this evening and it so happens that CycleRecycle carries NGK stuff and has the plug ends.  Also, I see that they have new coil sets with wires (no ends) for about $45 a piece.  I'm thinking that rather than go botch up the wires even more, I may just get new coils and caps and be done with it....at least that way I know it's all new and I won't get stranded somewhere because of a bad splice or something. 

It so happens that CRC is just down the street from me (I literally could walk there....if I carried my pepper-mace with me, that is...), so I'll head down there on Tuesday when they open up and hopefully get what I need.

Thanks again for the guidance!  U guys are great. 

[IndyFour]

Seeing as I'm impatient, and wanting to get the bike running....and CycleRecycle doesn't open until Tuesday....I've been piddling with the bike to see if I can get it running again.  No go.

I got ahold of some 7mm copper plug wire today and did a splice to make the wires long enough and switched the mismatched plug cap to another spot where it would fit.  I'm getting voltage (haven't determined how much) at the end of each wire.  The bike just cranks and cranks....no go.  I even resorted to a bit of starter fluid in the air box to see if I got any reaction.  Nothing.  Just crank crank crank.

Prior to my pulling one plug wire off yesterday and then not being able to get it back on because it really was the incorrect one, this bike ran like a top....started right up on the first or second kick...now nothing.  Any ideas?  Could my starting/running the bike inadvertently on three cylinders (because I didnt have one of the caps on) wreck the coil or something?

[Hush]

You def shouldn't run a bike with no plug in the cap, they don't like it, worse for new bikes where you can completely screw the electric ignition doing that...so stop it!
Try changing the plug leads around, you may have the wrong ones on the wrong plug, I think it's #1 and #4 from one set of coils and #2 and #3 from the other, after that recheck your points, they are the weakest link in the chain apart from user error.

[IndyFour]

O.K....my final installment in today's play-by-play.  decided to go ahead and replace the plugs since that was kind of my goal all along.  Replaced the NGK's with Champions.  Cranked it.....started right up.  Apparently that was the issue.  The old plugs were quite carbon-covered.  Not sure why they decided to give up the ghost all of the sudden when this plug wire issue just happened to take place, but they did.  She idles great now.  Still need to address the wire issue, but for now it is running at least.

Thanks again for the help.