I have had the antiquated screw on plug wires on my 65 4.2.
Considering switching to a more modern style plug wire.
The present ones have worked well but have aged and ready for replacement.
I installed an electronic distributor body and presently took off the conventional cap to put my screw on style cap in place.
I have only heard that the newer style gives a more uniform spark.
Is there anything else to consider for switching over to push on?
I don’t use the car for shows and drive it regularly for many miles at a time.
Do you mean ditching the old bowtie screw on plug caps for wires with molded plugs? I changed mine out the first week I had my car. The other benefit is that you can use better suppression core wire rather than stranded copper. I switched to Pertronix wires.
Unfortunately you still have to rely on the screw in caps for the Lucas dist cap unless you upgrade to a newer style distributor, but I haven’t had any issues with those connections.
Yes,
I recently installed a whole new electronic ignition another fellow E owner friend had given me. I removed the old Lucas distributor without too much trouble
I believe it’s Petronix.
It already had the newer style push on style cap so and I already have a sport coil to install.
I found little information online outlining the differences between the screw on style I appreciate your insight.
An interesting topic - with not much chance of resolution. We take our Series I to local, nearly 100% US car shows and a Harley guy indicated that our Harley shop cloth style, solid core wires were not too good in his experience. So there 'ya go, only hear say evidence about a possibly interesting issue.
I think it is true that Petronix don’t like the solid core (maybe the ‘new’ model is OK with them).
Nothing intrinsically wrong with the screw-on wires, but, as mentioned, a Pertronix or other modern ignition requires suppression wires, which really aren’t compatible with the non-suppression wire core material.
a note on spark plug wire supression: …older points/distributor systems use rather low supression, sometimes zero: with electronic no-points…but not computer-engine management a bit more suppression is ok, but many new wire sets are for todays’ very hi volt electonic/computer systems and can run as hi as 30,000 ohms or more resistance. You don;'t want those., Nick