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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Spark Plug Wires?

I purchased new ignition wire set, a Moss product for my TD,from Jeff at Little British Car Co. and I was wondering how the ignition wire stays in the spark plug nut? The wire inside the cable is very small in dia. and the hole is pretty big. I screwed down the screw, but it won't hold the wire, it just slips out. Do I have to put solder on the end, or do I double up the ends, then tighten the screw? I know this sounds like a dumb question, but the old wire is thicker and it is tight in the hole.
Thanks for your help.
Louis
Louis Levin

For next time, buy a roll of Packard 440 copper-core wire at your local hot rod store or on-line, and make your own. Then I buy a set of Rajah terminal from Butch's on-line, and I have never had a problem.

Tom
t lange

Tom - "Then I buy a set of Rajah terminal from Butch's on-line, and I have never had a problem."

URL? Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Dave: http://www.swapsellit.com/Accessories.html

$12.99 for a set of 8 open straight ones.

Great deal! (Usual disclaimers)

Tom
t lange

Tom: Are saying that I should return what I bought and buy what you recomend. Butch's price is $16.99 not $12.99. Is the Packard 440 a bigger gauge wire?
Louis Levin

louis, please describe how you are assembling the wire in the ignition harness. most of these cars ran for half a century with the original design. no? regards, tom
tom peterson

If you didn't cut them to length yet...IMHO I'd send them back to Jeff and ask for Lucas Bumble-Bee wire instead. I did not have much luck with the 2 set's of Moss wires I had. Think he sells it if not Tripple-C has them.
David Sheward

It's really up to you. I insist on Packard 440 wire (hot rod shops often carry it) because it is a standard - good quality solid-core wire that you can cut to length, fit your own connectors and go with - MUCH better quality than what you get from your FLAPS. I feel better knowing that I have made everything, rather than being sold a Taiwan set that may or may not last as long.

It's certainly easier, though, just to install the Moss set since you have it in hand (sorry, I don't know the diameter of your wires). Assuming you have the correct screw-terminal distributor cap, to fit new wires you must re-use the small split brass discs that fit on the ends of the old wires - no soldering necessary. Look at the old ends to see how the wire is splayed over the brass disc, and how that holds the wire into the cap and onto the terminals. Strip off about 1/4" of the new plug wire insulation to expose the strands of core wire, slip the nut over the stub of wire, then the brass disc. Splay and press the wires down onto the flat of the disc in a radial pattern, then trim off the wire ends flush with the edge of the disc. Screw down the teminals into the distributor cap snugly and re-connect in the correct order, and you're ready to go. If you have after-market push-in terminals then I suggest you go back to original, which do not pull or fall out - in that case you will need a new distributor cap with screw-in terminals and the brass discs. There's a good drawing in the factory workshop manual and all the usual other cources, such as the NEMGT Handbook. (you do have that, don't you?)

By the way, Butch's price was changed yesterday from $12.99 to $16.99, but remember that's for 8, so you can sell a set to a friend and make half your costs back! Hot rod shops, again, sometimes have or can order these Rajah-type screw terminals that I prefer (but probably don't look original).

Hope this helps. Tom
t lange

Tom: Thanks for the input. I understand how the wires work with the brass washer and flairing out the wires. Where the problem is, is in the end that plugs into the spark plug. The insulation is removed to expose the wire and then put inside the plug and tightened down with a screw. The screw does not hold the wire because the gauge of the wire is to small for the hole. It will hold if I fold back, double up, the wire.
Anyway, I may just send it back and keep what I got. It has worked for over 35 years. The only concern I have is that the wires are red.
Louis
Louis Levin

Sorry if I tried to explain the obvious; I was not entirely clear from your question where the problem lay, and wanted to touch all points. No problem to double up the wire, or just get new ends. The Moss wire core is probably smaller than the Packard 440 wire; I tried some FLAPS wire and got about 5 strands out of it, as opposed to a dozen with Packard 40 wire.

"There's no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid answers..."

Tom
t lange

Think we may be missing the issue. Louis, Yes, you need to put the split washer over the wire after you put the wire through the cap nut. Then you flair the wire in a wheel pattern and solder it down to the split washer. This should end up slightly larger than the cap nut
Bruce Cunha

bruce, are you sure about the soldering? i have only looked at or owned 5 cars in my life, but none were soldered. they were as tom describes above. regards, tom
tom peterson

Bruce: I understand about the split washer and flairng the seven strand wire. What I am talking about is the other end, where you atached the wires to the spark plug. That plastic plug has a hole where the wire goes in and is fastend down witha a screw to hold the bare wires. The hole is biger than the wire and when I screw in the screw it does not hold the wire in place.
Sorry to keep on going, but I think I need to double up the wire so it will be a tight fit in the hole and then the screw will hold it in place.
Louis
Louis Levin

Thanks all for your great suggestions. I like the wire switching idea to prevent theft. I've been piecing my engine together because when I bought this car it was missing the engine and transmission. So I'm ready for some plug wires. I've bought all the ends and want to buy some of the Bumble bee wire for looks. How many feet of wire should I buy? Is it going to take a four foot piece or more?

Thanks

Bob
RER Rosa

Or you could go old school and put on the original style wire in black with lacquered cotton braid :-)

http://www.vintageford.com/sect_search.cfm?Line=Wiring%20Shop&Category=Wire-%20Spark%20Plug%207mm

Wire- Spark Plug 7mm
7M-077
7 MM SPARK PLUG WIRE BLACK


Chris Couper

Have seen the issue Louis is dealing with. Conductor on some of these sets is so small that even when correctly flared,there is still too little to tighten down on. If I have no other choice, I have soldered the conductor to the split discs. Way better to use a better grade of ignition lead material as suggested. Dan
Dan Craig

Tom -- Is the 440 copper ignition wire solid copper wire or stranded.? Does it make a difference which to use when using in a '54 TF with points and condenser ignition system?

John
John Brickell

Don't think I've ever seen solid ignition wire. It's always been stranded (Model A's excluded). Bud
Bud Krueger

John - it's stranded, as it needs to be for our purposes. I don't think it is copper any more, but works perfectly with our cars.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

John - it's stranded, as it needs to be for our purposes. I don't think it is copper any more, but works perfectly with our cars.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

OK if I buy 440 wire, how many feet of wire do I need? OR are we saying the best deal is to buy a set of eight plug wires and then cut them up to fit?

Thanks
RER Rosa

I bought mine from Moss and I have no problem with them. Are you installing the little brass washers on the end of each wire and fanning out the wires to lay on the washer? If you don't, they'll never stay in! My XPEG 1500 runs perfectly well with the stock wiring setup. PJ
Paul S Jennings

I have a roll of 440 wire I bought on eBay some years ago, and just cut what I need. My guess is that if you get 4' of wire, it will be more than enough - you might even be able to do it with 3, but I would err on the side of caution. Hot-rod shops often have a spool of it and sell by the foot.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

I didn't measure the length of the wire that comes in Moss "Ignition Wire Set" #171-618, but here are the lengths that the Moss instructions say to cut the wires (based on #1 wire on distributor at 8:00 o'clock position):
14"
11"
13"
13"
16" for coil on TC
or
13" for coil on TD/TF

That's about five feet.

I soldered the splayed-out wires to the split copper washers on the distributor end. I doubled and twisted the wires on the other end then soldered the twisted wires before attaching to the spark plug nut. Did not solder to the nut, but created a fatter solid wire to insert into it.

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

Thank You Gentlemen! I just checked the supplies I received when I purchased the wire ends and found I only had 6 of the brass washers. It appears that that is all I need. I will follow all your instructions with spreading out the wires and soldering them. Also folding the wire to double it's size on the plug end. This has been of great help. Thanks Again.

Bob
RER Rosa

Butch's swap sell site shows the rajah open straight plugs as sold.
I've emailed to see if he has more.
Geoffrey M Baker

Tom Lange, I'm not sure what you mean by "open" straight rajah. In the image, can you tell me if these are "open"?
Thanks!


Geoffrey M Baker

Yes, those are the ones I use, and have never had a problem - screw them down tightly and all is well.

Tom Lange
t lange

Great, Tom, and thanks!

I've ordered a set of four off ebay (Butch is out of stock of open rajahs) and ten feet of Packard wire. Definitely time to replace my ignition wiring - it's most likely a cheap replacement set and already at least 20 years old.
This will be my next project (unless the ramair filter gets here first).
Geoffrey M Baker

This thread was discussed between 23/05/2010 and 11/04/2014

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