Ignition wires.

Does the ignition wires from the coil to the plugs have to be copper core. ?
I can't seem to find 7mm copper core wire anywhere.

 

The factory wires actually have stainless steel wire core (zero-resistance wire)..........

 

So would any ignition wire work or should it be one of these two. Copper or stainless steel?

 

They have to have a wire core. You can't use a carbon-impregnated fiberglass core plug wire.
Copper core plug wire is easy to find, but it won't likely be at your local auto parts store. You'll have to order it from somewhere...

 

SPARK PLUG WIRES:

spw2) Aftermarket SPARK PLUG WIRE, BOOTS, TERMINALS, and SHEATHING allow you to replace your old wire on your original coils, or create new wires for use with your replacement Dyna coils.

Available in a variety of colors, all of our wire is silicone-jacketed, stranded core, non-resistance wire just like the original plug wire....but it's available in a variety of colors and in both the original 7mm size and the more modern 8mm diameter. Note that the larger 8mm wire will fit (tightly!) into the stock plug caps.

Plug wire is sold in 18" lengths, which is more than enough to any of the four plug wires on all XJ models (whether you are splicing the wires onto an existing wire "stub", or going deep inside the coil). You will need to order 4 lengths to do a complete bike. If you wish to use these wires with aftermarket coils, then you can also choose from our selection of plug wire Terminals and Boots to complete the job.


Introduction:

If you've never really fiddled around with spark plug wires before, the terminology and the design of the replacement components can get a bit confusing, especially on these bikes, because what is termed a "coil" in Yamaha-speak is really a Coil Pack, and actually contains a variety of individual pieces all wrapped up together into one happy little black package. When creating your own system from the basic component pieces (as listed below), it really helps if you can visualize the separate, individual components of the system.......so here goes:


Your stock factory "coils" are really:

- a COIL,
- with integrated PLUG WIRES,
- and where the plug wires enter the coil body, there is a small, tightly-fitting insulating rubber BOOT,
- and attached to the business end of each plug wire (and what actually fits onto the top of the spark plug) is the resistive PLUG CAP,
- and unfortunately, many people call these resistive plug caps "BOOTS",
- which is not really correct, since that object is both an electrically resistive CAP with removable upper and lower, water- and electrical-proofing, protective molded rubber BOOTS,


On all engines besides the X models, the plug caps do come with small, black rubber insulating "boots", but for all practical purposes, the "cap" and the "boot" appear to be one and the same part (and the cap is the physically and visually larger part). On the water-cooled 700-X and 750-X models, there is no mistaking that there is a black CAP and a huge orange BOOT at the base of the cap.


Confusion is likely to set in when trying to understand the component parts list below if you are used to visualizing and referring to the original spark plug CAP and it's little water-proofing BOOTS by the single term BOOT, because when you get into the "components" world, the word BOOT means just that, just the "boot", and they are now the large objects that cover and insulate the plug (and the coil output terminals), but there is no CAP involved anymore!

If you study an original "coil" carefully, you will obviously note the actual coil, and exiting from the coil body thru a tightly fitting black rubber boot (the coil boot) is the spark plug wire, which runs down into the plug cap (thru a small, black rubber insulating boot at the top of the cap), and then at the bottom of the same cap, is another rubber insulating boot.


Finally, there is one other thing in the component world that you don't have in the "integrated" world, and that is the wire end METAL TERMINALS....which are made from either brass or plated steel. On your original factory coils, there are metal terminals that are fixed into the coil body (internally) and into the top end of the resistive cap. These terminals are either pointed "spears" or "sheetmetal screw" type terminals, and the plug wires are pushed into the spear point (inside the coil body) or screwed onto the screw terminal (inside the resistive cap). In the component world of aftermarket wires, the wire-end terminals are attached to the wires......think of the wire at the end of your toaster at home; at the end of the wire there is a "plug" with two or three metal terminals sticking out of it. The terminals are made onto the end of the wires!. Not so on your original coils!! The wire has no end terminals on it; the wire is pressed onto and into fixed metal terminals inside the coil and the cap.

If you cut off the plug from the end of your toaster, stripped the wires bare, and forced each wire into the wall sockets by hand.......well, now you have a better understanding of how Yamaha did it!


The big questions that you'll have to answer when purchasing aftermarket plug wire components are the following:

a) Will I be using the original or replacement spark plug CAPS at the spark plug end of the wires? If you do use the original or replacement CAPS, then you do NOT need to purchase the spark plug boot or the spark plug boot terminal.

b) If you will not be using your original or replacement spark plug CAPS, then you will need to purchase replacement spark plug BOOTS and the metal [/b]TERMINALS[/b] for those boots.

c) At the coil end of the spark plug wire: if your are still using factory coils, are you going to run the plug wire all the way into the body of the coil (in which case you'll be performing "coil surgery")? If so, then there are no other component parts that you'll need.

If you don't want to perform surgery, then you will be cutting off the original plug wire after it exits the stock coil body, and then you will have to splice the new plug wire onto this existing "stub" of original wire. In this situation, you will need a way to join the "stub" wire to your new wires, and you'll need the HCP2789 plug wire joiners or "splicers".


If you are using aftermarket coils (like the HCP245 Dyna coils), then at the coil end of the wire you will need a coil-end metal PLUG WIRE TERMINAL and a black rubber water-proofing BOOT.


Finally, original plug wires had an external black RUBBER SLEEVE that ran almost the entire length of the plug wire, from where the plug wire enters the coil body, to approximately 2-3" before where the plug wire enters the spark plug cap. This tough, flexible, heat-resistant sheath provided additional protection and security for the plug wire against temperature and wire insulator damage.



Typical Scenarios:

When replacing the wires on an original coil, you have two choices of how to proceed:

a: cut the original plug wire off just before it enters the coil body (leaving a 1" long "stub" to splice onto!), and splice the new wire onto this stud using the HCP2789 plug wire splicers listed further below, or.........

b: perform coil surgery, which allows you to replace the entire length of the plug wire (the preferred solution), but it's a somewhat tedious process:

http://xjbikes.com/forums/index.php?threads/11221


Of course, you should only replace the wires on original ignition coils if the coils are still within electrical resistance specs; otherwise, you're wasting time and money! Please read the section further above on COILS to determine whether your coils are electrically sound, before you even consider replacing the wires.



For the above reasons, we recommend either the use of the factory-style NGK plug caps, or, if you eliminate the plug caps from your system, then always use resistor plugs!

It really all comes down to WHERE in the entire wire, cap/boot, or spark plugs will the circuit resistance be created?

Most modern spark plug WIRE is resistance wire; each foot of wire has about 5,000 ohms of resistance in it because of the type of wire used. All of our wire is non-resistive wire (zero ohms of resistance----as is the original plug wires used on these bikes).

So the circuit resistance can be either in a spark plug CAP---this is how the original system is configured, and also what the replacement NGK plug caps offer.........or, the resistance can be in the SPARK PLUG itself (non-resistive or resistive plugs).

Of course, the total circuit resistance can actually be split up between any or all three of those components: the wire, the plug "cap" or "boot" (if it's resistive, it's typically called a "cap"; if it's non-resistive, it's usually called a "boot", but basically they are the same thing), or the spark plug.

For most many engines, the circuit specification is for 5K total resistance, and it is accomplished via:

- non-resistive wire
- a 5K resistive CAP (boot)
- non-resistive SPARK PLUG

but you could do this:

- non-resistive wire
- a non-resistive CAP (boot)
- a 5K resistive SPARK PLUG

or this (although we don't offer resistive wire):

- a 5K resistive wire
- a non-resistive CAP (boot)
- non-resistive SPARK PLUG

you could actually do it this way, too, if such components were available:

- a 2K resistive wire
- a 2K resistive CAP (boot)
- a 1K resistive SPARK PLUG


Some of the XJ700-X and XJ750-X models, for instance, use:

- non-resistive wire
- a 10K resistive CAP (boot)
- a 5K resistive SPARK PLUG

for a total circuit resistance of 15K.


Spark plugs are generally limited to being either non-resistive (zero ohms) or 5K (= 5,000 ohms) of resistance, and plug CAPS (boots) are either 0K, 5K, or 10K.

One last insight: since the spark plugs are the most commonly replaced item in the entire wire > cap/boot > spark plug run of components, some people prefer to use zero-ohm wire, zero-ohm caps, and 5K plugs---since the plugs have to be replaced periodically anyway, and that way, the resistive level of the system gets automatically "refreshed" periodically also, with every plug change........


By the way, all of our replacement spark plug resistive caps use the original style internal metal "threaded screw" method of retaining the plug wire to the spark plug cap......you simply "screw" or "spear" the central core of the plug wire onto the screw threads, making a simple yet effective and durable connection (we recommend a small amount of lubricant----our HCP1714 or HCP20861 silicone grease is perfect for this task-----or similar lubricant on the outer wire jacket end to simplify this procedure!).



When creating or replacing the wires for use with an aftermarket coil, you again have two choices of how to proceed:

a: buy a set of pre-made plug wires, such as our HCP4014 or HCP4015 sets, listed further below, or.........

b: roll your own, baby!: buy the wire, and 4 of the coil boots and their metal terminals, and use either your existing plug caps (or OE-style replacement plug caps), or aftermarket plug boots and their terminals (we recommend that you stick with the original OE-style plug caps, for reasons outlined above).

This illustrated guide can help you understand better what you'll need to do.......the plug wire creation instructions starts on page 15:

http://www.xj4ever.com/dyna coils install.pdf

All of the plug wire components below fit all XJ550 - XJ1100 coils and spark plug caps.


Spark Plug Wire Components a/k/a Build-Your-Own Plug Wires:

Zero-Resistance Spark Plug Wire:

HCP10694 Aftermarket original type BLACK SPARK PLUG WIRE, 7mm silicone-jacketed stranded stainless steel core wire, non-suppression (0 ohms), 15" length. Each:

HCP10694SET4 Aftermarket original type BLACK SPARK PLUG WIRES, 7mm silicone-jacketed stranded stainless steel core wire, non-suppression (0 ohms), set of 4 pieces, each 15" long:



HCP10671 Aftermarket high-performance BLACK SPARK PLUG WIRE, 8mm silicone-jacketed stranded stainless steel core wire, non-suppression (0 ohms), 15" length. Each:

HCP10671SET4 Aftermarket high-performance BLACK SPARK PLUG WIRES, 8mm silicone-jacketed stranded stainless steel core wire, non-suppression (0 ohms), set of 4 pieces, each 15" long:



HCP10672 Aftermarket high-performance BLUE SPARK PLUG WIRE, 8mm silicone-jacketed stranded stainless steel core wire, non-suppression (0 ohms), 15" length. Each:

HCP10672SET4 Aftermarket high-performance BLUE SPARK PLUG WIRES, 8mm silicone-jacketed stranded stainless steel core wire, non-suppression (0 ohms), set of 4 pieces, each 15" long:



HCP10673 Aftermarket high-performance RED SPARK PLUG WIRE, 8mm silicone-jacketed stranded stainless steel core wire, non-suppression (0 ohms), 15" length. Each:

HCP10673SET4 Aftermarket high-performance RED SPARK PLUG WIRES, 8mm silicone-jacketed stranded stainless steel core wire, non-suppression (0 ohms), set of 4 pieces, each 15" long:



HCP12636 Aftermarket standard-performance YELLOW SPARK PLUG WIRE, 7mm silicone-jacketed stranded copper core wire, non-suppression (0 ohms), 15" length. Each:

HCP12636SET4 Aftermarket standard-performance YELLOW SPARK PLUG WIRES, 7mm silicone-jacketed stranded copper core wire, non-suppression (0 ohms), set of 4 pieces, each 15" long:



HCP10701 Aftermarket high-performance YELLOW SPARK PLUG WIRE, 8mm silicone-jacketed stranded copper core wire, non-suppression (0 ohms), 15" length. Each:

HCP10701SET4 Aftermarket high-performance YELLOW SPARK PLUG WIRES, 8mm silicone-jacketed stranded copper core wire, non-suppression (0 ohms), set of 4 pieces, each 15" long:

 

Awesome thank you.

 

Next on my to-do list is electrical. I read the above article about replacing wires, etc. I'd rather get a complete package of coils, boots, caps and wires. Any suggestions ?
I'm trying to stay around $ 75USD budget. I haven't ohmed my coils yet, but being they are original and in wet weather, I do get noticeable mis-fires, I think it's time. I see lots of used for sale, but I suspect I'd be trading one problem for another.

 

For less than $75 you can clean the coils and wires, epoxy over the outside of the coils. and use self-amalgamating tape to cover the plug wires. That will buy you time to save up enough to get new coils and wires (or not; the repair lasts for a long time)

The next cheapest option are CB 750 coils , you want a new-replacement set for a 78-82 model (search Ebay). They will come with wire, and plug boots (not sure if the boots have the correct resistance or not) for a little less than your budget.

 

What should my coils Ohm out at ?
If I check the complete assembly, any idea what ohm i should get from plug cap to power feed into the coil ?

 

I replaced the caps with new NGK. They each ohm'd at 4.3-4.9. Trimmed wire 1/4", added dielectric grease and sprayed coils & wires with waterproofing rubberized clear paint. It will be interesting to see if this makes a difference when I ride tonight. I did notice corrosion internally on a few of the old caps. I'm going to look into the CB750 coils as two of the wires are a little short (probably trimmed a few times over the years) and I like the removable wire option on the CB coils. We're doing a run to North Carolina in a few weeks and need her running well.

 

New caps, $35.
Rubberized waterproof aerosol spray, $ 25.
Dielectric grease $ 5
Good advice...priceless.
Bike is now idling better, smoother low to mid range power and much smoother. Thank you.

Next,, tackle the mid to high rev hesitation in power.