Why different resistance on plug wires?

[seattle_Jerry]

So I have one of the Bosch plug sets where the #1 wire is 5 ohms instead of 1 like the rest of the set.

I hear this is the wrong set for the car...because they should all be equal resistance.

My question is why would you want a different resistance on one cylinder in any car?

The only thing I could think of was compensation for some manufacturing defect or design anomaly where combustion in the #1 cylinder was different than the rest so they changed the resistance to even them all out.

[al_lieffring]

Jerry

The spark plug wire sets sold by Bosch have the 90deg cable end on the #1 cable so that the set will fit on sedans with carbureted engines. On the carbureted motor block the distributor mounts directly into the block and there is not clearance to fit a srtaight resistor. It seems to me that the mis match in resistance has to do with the manufacturer's use of pieces that they have off the shelf, instead of retooling to make pieces that match each individual application.
They are trying to make one universal set of wires fit on as many different applications as they can get.

[graphic66]

Those wires are total crap. You need the correct resistance and ends. Solid copper wire and the correct non resistor plugs. Those two items made the biggest difference in how my car ran. My car had the original Beru wire and ends. I went to a motorcycle shop and they sold me the correct wire to rebuild my set. I am running NGK BP5ES plugs gapped at .034 with the red coil and proper resistor. Get rid of those wires and find a supplier who supports our site to set you up with the correct set. Unless you have your old original ends and they are in good shape. If so they just unscrew from the wire and you screw the new wire onto them. Does anybody have a source that will sell less than a whole roll of the correct Beru brand wire? I would like to get the real deal, although my Japanese wire works great I would like to see the right wire with some little German writing on them.

[mdsalemi]

Well, I wouldn't call the Bosch wires total crap but they are certainly not appropriate for our car.  Our car has simple standards--resistor ends, solid wire.  Most of these sets have conductive silicone or carbon, and often resistor wire, too.

Beru wire, Beru ends, Bosch ends, Bosch wire--as long as the resistance is correct, and the wire is solid, you are OK.

There are plenty of places that either have them or make the sets.  Check with Dan Caron; check with sltech; I had a set made in California with all original Beru parts by some place I'd never heard of and whose name is lost to memory.

What typically happens is people are aghast at the price.  The Beru ends at the spark plug typically cost about $20 each.  So, you are at $180 just for those ends.  Add the wire, and the distributor cap ends and you are well over $200 and it's no wonder why people go to Autozone and buy a "ready made" Bosch set for $45

[Benz Dr.]

I have the correct sets for 55 - 60 dollars each. Some are Bosch and some are Beru.

The metal ones are Bosch and the bakelite oners are Beru. Metal core and 1k ends. They're what you need. You would probably have to trim the length of the wires to fit your particular application.

I'm using W9DC0 plugs which are little bit hotter than the BP6ES plugs. These are still well within a safe operating range.

[seattle_Jerry]

Thanks Dan, I'll call you Monday to order a set

[zoegrlh]

Jerry,
I had the same problem as you did, bought Bosch wire set #09023 Premium Wire Set, and like you, the #1 wire was a 90deg cable end and is 5 ohms resistance.  What I did was buy another set of the same wires, and took the first set I ordered and disgarded the #1 wire, then took out of the second set ordered the #2 wire (the next longest wire) and put it in place of the #1 wire.  Now all the wires are at 1 ohms and all cable ends look correct for the motor, and I now have spare wires too.
Bob