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MG MGF Technical - Magnicor leads and plugs ?


Hi guys

planning to order some new leads and replace the plugs this week and thinking of going for the Magnicor leads.

Looking on there web site it appears I have a couple of choice regarding size(dia.)

MGF 1.8i (VVC eng) / Rover 200 BRM (Ltd. Edit.) 95 on 8mm - 40146 or KV85 - 45146

Anyone fitted the KV85 larger diameter ones and notice any difference ?

Also whats the consensus on the best plugs to fit nowadays ? It's a 97 VVC by the way

Cheers all

STU




Stu

Fitting the larger leads is fine, except that they are very difficult to fit into the original cable guides in the head (the 8mm leads are hard enough).

As to which are the best spark plugs - not sure. There are hypothetical advantages to engine power by fitting certain types of spark plugs - but I have never seen any independently performed rolling road tests to confirm this.
Rob Bell

I have fitted the the Magnicor leads and fully support Rob that fitting the 8.5mm ones is a bit challenging into the head guides. I just managed it in the summer. Suspect it would be even more challenging in the current colder weather.

I don't suspect many people have tried both the blue and the red as these things are supposed to last for ever. The message before on this board was that their is no benefit in the red over the blue and confess I only went for the red 'cause I thought the colour looked better....After all it only has to conduct electricity and how hard is that?

On the plug front I went for the standard long life (Champion?) on the basis that it I went for anything else I would have to change them every year.

B&G provide both the leads and plugs at a very reasonable price. I also understand that Mike Satur now also does the leads very cheaply.

When I changed my leads and plugs 2 years ago a noticed improved and smoother running. It seemed to make the grazed knuckles worthwhile!

Good luck

Cheers

Patrick
Patrick Beet

I aggree with Rob and Pats comments, and can only add as have the high performance red set myself cold/winter starting can only be improved,the standard plugs fitted iv'e been told are pretty good anyway,as don't need to be changed until 60,ooo miles, but i shall look out for comments on this as well Stu as have just had 24k service done on my f,i said i wouldn't mind upgrade of plugs but they told me they are good ones and didn't change,waiting for your views guys. Dave.
DC MORRIS

For peak performance change your plugs yearly and don't waste money on the long life ones unless u can't be bothered to do the yearly change. Champion double copper are good enough for this scenario. So called perfomance plugs will not actually produce 'better performance' they may help smoother 'running'. New standard plugs and long life plugs offer the same levels of performance. Over time the 'long life' ones degrade at slower rate than the standard ones.

I change my plugs yearly - its easy once you've done it once. One of my greatest fears is having a seized plug because its been sitting in the engine block for years.

I changed to the magnecor Performance leads - they are good enough.

Gaz
Gaz R

I changed my leads when the car was two and a half years old. The amount of added work and cost in changing the plugs at the same time seemed very small so did the lot.

The plugs were changed again for the long life ones at the recent 5 year service. I noticed a slight improvement but not as big as when I changed both!

We only do 6k miles per years in the F so ave not bothered with annual changes.

If you are changing the leads this weekend suggest you remove the old leads and replace one at a time. That way you cannot plug the new leads into the wrong hole!

Cheers

Patrick
Patrick Beet

As have got high perform leads think i will get set of new double copper plugs and change this weekend,a question! is the plug gaps factory set? thanks DAVE.






DC MORRIS

No. The correct gap is spec'ed in the manual and a tool to set the gap is dirt cheap.

Cheers

Patrick
Patrick Beet

Thanks Patrick, Dave
DC MORRIS

Are you sure, I was told the plugs were pre gapped, and that the tools are harder to find because of this.

Will
Will Munns

Plug gap should be 0.9mm =/- .1mm I believe. Easily set with a decent set of feeler gauges.

I've never seen anything about this, but doeschanging the plugs more frequently have any impact on the aluminium engine - presumably the seating threads must be more fragile? I know we've heard here of a couple of engines throwing plugs (which obviously may or may not be due to over- or under-tightening). The standard story is that the five-year plug life was chosen because of engine-bay access difficulty ...

E
Ed Clarke

The last set of kosker Long Life Champion plugs I got from B&G earlier this year were definitely NOT correctly gapped.

The 5 year plugs are not due to any sensitivity of the engine, it is becuase the plugs are such a pain to reach on the F.

On other K series cars (our old 200!) the plugs were changed annually.

Their was talk about using a torque wrench to fit the plugs. I confess I did not bother two and a half years ago and had no problems.

This reminds me for those attempting for the first time. The plugs are a long way down in the F and you need a long thin plug spanner to get them in and out!

I suspect that changing the plugs yourself will be done with far more TLC than the garage!

Cheers

Patrick
Patrick Beet

>Their was talk about using a torque wrench to fit the plugs.
>I confess I did not bother two and a half years ago and had no problems.

If you are replaceing the plugs (rather than just taking them out, gapping and reinserting the old ones)
then the new ones will come with a compression washer and instructions like "tighten to thumb tight
then do up another 1/2 turn" this should be followed rather than using a torque wrench.
I have found that a good plug socket, and an extender bar is much better than the squashed pipe or blue T-bar things that Halfords sell.

Will
Will Munns

Have bought some plugs, Champion eon 1,was recomended by motorcare assistant,cost £16.99 will put them in tomorrow,was going to get a Halfords type T bar plug spanner ,but might go for socket type and bar now as Will pointed out, who'd have thought changing a plug could be such a pain, will let you know how got on tomorrow, Dave T6 DCM.
DC MORRIS

>T bar plug spanner
Having worked in halfords I know a _LOT_ of these come back with the top sheared off, also I don't know if they are long enough to reach inside the head on the F.
You probebly need at least 6" of extender bar, I just about got away with a universal joint and a 3" extender bar.
One trouble you might well find is the rubber in the plug socket hold the plugs when removing, but also when replaceing, to remove, put a little pressure on the joins by twisting, this won't make the rubber grip harder because it is gripping the round part of the plug.

Will
Will Munns

instructions on how to change leads and plugs on the FAQ
www.dotcomoff.demon.co.uk

Also some notes about people losing the socket on the plug which is vey bad news considering how far down it is.

I bought a long box spanner for the plugs and it worked fine. Didn't use a torque wrench and had no problems. Was an absolute doddle to do - engine access is real easy - changed the leads to magnecor at the same time, and the difference was immense.

I recommend it and it's easy.
David Mills

I have a 2000Y F with the 'new' style ignition; 2 coils on 2 spark plugs and 2 short HT Leads. Do you know where I can get 2 of these shorter leads by magnicor-has anyone changed these leads and therefore has anyone had any unusual difficulties?

Cheers,

Nigel
Nigel Kidd

Job done plugs changed,was easier than expected,took her for a blast and am happy,a definate improvement,
thanks for all your inputs and to Stu,as sort of took ever his thread, Dave T6 DCM.
DC MORRIS

>>I've never seen anything about this, but doeschanging the plugs more frequently have any impact on the aluminium engine - presumably the seating threads must be more fragile? I know we've heard here of a couple of engines throwing plugs (which obviously may or may not be due to over- or under-tightening). <<

Ed, how are you? Been a while since I last heard from you?

Anyway, I agree with what you are saying here. Changing the plugs more frequently will only increase the risk of damage to the spark plug threads in the head - especially as the majority of us do not have a suitable and accurate torque wrench.

A good justification for the longer life plugs - even if one does change them a little sooner than the published schedule.
Rob Bell

>I have a 2000Y F with the 'new' style ignition; 2 coils on 2 spark plugs and 2 short HT Leads.
>Do you know where I can get 2 of these shorter leads by magnicor-has anyone
>changed these leads and therefore has anyone had any unusual difficulties?

Do you mean you have the VVC? it has always had the 'wasted spark' system - just ask for leads for the VVC from Mike or B&G
Will Munns

Will,

No I have a 1.8i Stepspeed with the HT system I described earlier, is the VVC leads what I want then? I thought the VVC had a traditional distributor with 4 leads?

Nigel
Nigel Kidd

last time i checked magnecor didnt make them. dont know why not, they look easy enough to do!

They very late rover 25's with vvc engines have 2 coils on top of the plugs.

Drew
Drew Spalding

>>No I have a 1.8i Stepspeed with the HT system I described earlier, is the VVC leads what I want then? I thought the VVC had a traditional distributor with 4 leads?<<

The VVC has always used the wasted spark ignition system Nigel. The MPi however has a single coil and a nice, conventional distributer ;o)

I wasn't aware that the Stepspeed utilised the wasted spark ignition system. If this is the case, then it is the VVC leads that you'll require. However, the ignition system that Drew describes is very different again from what we have in the earlier cars (>>late rover 25's with vvc engines have 2 coils on top of the plugs<<)

Order the leads for a VVC Nigel, but check with B&G that you can return them with a full refund if they do not fit.
Rob Bell

Rob, I'm most well thanks. Been a hugely hectic summer and early autumn, finishing with an 8500 mile trip around western europe (on a bus fortunately, though the idea of putting the F through that has SOME appeal). Might see you at CoLPuC, which I see has been revived.

E
Ed Clarke

>>Might see you at CoLPuC, which I see has been revived.<<

Excellent! Hopefully see you there :o)
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed between 23/10/2002 and 30/10/2002

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