Re: What am I missing? – QD19 spark

[Mumbles]

Just because the plug wires check out OK with an ohmmeter doesn’t necessarily mean they can carry the current needed to fire the plugs.

For example, a ’59 Fastwin I have nearly drove me over the edge trying to figure out why it would start missing and drop a cylinder while I was always at the far end of the lake. Everything under the flywheel was brand new OMC/BRP parts except for the plug wires which came off the end of a roll which was more than a few years old. After hauling the boat home and going thru the ignition system several more times, out of sheer desperation I changed the plug wires with fresh, new wire and BINGO! Here we go now! Full power and reliability the way it is supposed to be! Mumbles was a happy camper that day as he didn’t have to break out the vodka and Valium. Together.

Retracing my steps, I remembered the first replacement wire cracking a bit as I unwound it from it’s roll. It was the last few turns on the roll and I figure the cracking I heard was the strands inside breaking from being straightened after being tightly rolled up for so long. There could have been one unbroken strand left inside giving enough conductivity to give a good ohm reading but not enough conductivity to let the needed current flow to fire the plug.

There’s no moral to this story but spark plug wire can be just like some people are, nice on the outside but rotten to the core. 😀