spark plug connector / extender / shroud
Discussion
There has been a lot exchange on this topic already. Wondering which extenders you are satisifed with today? What I consider the “original” extenders are to my opinion unmatched in terms of fit and heat resitance. Today availabe options, like the Beru extenders shown below, suffer a lot from heat and need regular replacement. Maybe there is some extenders out there I have not heard of?
The "good ones"
My today's choice (with typical heat exposure failure)
The "good ones"
My today's choice (with typical heat exposure failure)
As far as i know Beru are the only ones worth bothering with.
2 other options that most use and you may be aware of are the Accel ceramic ended leads, and the standard leads with quality heat protection socks.
The Accel leads are expensive and there have been reports of difficulties in trying to get them off the plugs causing breakages, meaning you would need to buy another set as they dont sell them singularly to my knowledge.
They do normally make quality products though so not sure if its a real world problem, they are probably the best solution really as most heat socks are not very good so you still can get burning up underneath them.
You do still need to try and organise the leads and keep the socks from touching the manifolds if you did go that route.
The best idea for me is to buy the lead materials from someone like Mr Retro on ebay make them yourself. You can then keep some stuff for spares so you can easily make another up, its pretty straightforward when you know how.
2 other options that most use and you may be aware of are the Accel ceramic ended leads, and the standard leads with quality heat protection socks.
The Accel leads are expensive and there have been reports of difficulties in trying to get them off the plugs causing breakages, meaning you would need to buy another set as they dont sell them singularly to my knowledge.
They do normally make quality products though so not sure if its a real world problem, they are probably the best solution really as most heat socks are not very good so you still can get burning up underneath them.
You do still need to try and organise the leads and keep the socks from touching the manifolds if you did go that route.
The best idea for me is to buy the lead materials from someone like Mr Retro on ebay make them yourself. You can then keep some stuff for spares so you can easily make another up, its pretty straightforward when you know how.
After I had one fail, I am running 6 of them at the moment. Cylinders 1 and 2 have the HT leads straight onto the spark plugs, leaving me with a spare. 
I already have angled plug lead ends (basic HT Land Rover leads) so am considering ditching them completely, but I may need one or two longer leads, or a higher quality set.
I already have angled plug lead ends (basic HT Land Rover leads) so am considering ditching them completely, but I may need one or two longer leads, or a higher quality set.
As I understand it, the build quality of Beru isn't what it was, similar to the decline in so-called 'Lucas' items when AC Delco old the name to a Chinese manufacturer. 
The extremely tarnished and old ones are fine, it was a shiny one of the 2 that failed. I only removed them from cylinders 1 and 2 last year because those plugs have a marginally larger (although it's still not big) gap to the exhaust manifold.
The extremely tarnished and old ones are fine, it was a shiny one of the 2 that failed. I only removed them from cylinders 1 and 2 last year because those plugs have a marginally larger (although it's still not big) gap to the exhaust manifold.
Haithabu said:
thanks to all for the input. For good idle and performance at low revs I actually have to check correct fit too often and the Beru connectors don't last very long. So I guess I will give PerTronix a try and see how it goes. Will let you know!
I’d maybe check with those on Facebook who are using the ceramics.
The main reason why people have broken these ceramic caps is because they are designed for plugs with a thinner body and have to be forced on then become very difficult to remove which is usually when you crack one.
I think some people have replaced the plugs for Ford Fiesta ones which have a thinner body ( from memory) so check what others have done.
I’ve used socks over rubber caps for years with no issues at all.
The only caveat with whatever you do is to use separators and small cable ties to tie up the leads to the various cables and hoses criss crossing the engine bay.
This is the secret trick that stops the caps spinning from vibration and inevitably leaning on the manifolds which will destroy whatever you use in no time at all.
Cable ties and cheap light weight separators £5 or less
Socks less than £20
Problem solved
Just to be clear: I don't have problems with leads touching the manifolds or similar. That's all nicely organised and hold in place. I'm using red Magnecor leads with Beru connectors. Idle and performance at low rev is almost perfect for my 500. Nothing to complain. But: I've too often to check the correct / tight connection of the connectors with firstly the plug and secondly on the other end with the leads. Even then everything is new. When occasionally checking by hand I find few of the connections lose / just not properly fixed, with a slight “plop” they go back in place (typically the idle already tells me when to check the correct fit)…. And then there is the fact the connectors lose their heads too quick… Here socks might help, ok.
I like the idea of getting rid of the intermediate connecting via the Beru connectors. The fixed connection of the PerTronix lead with the ceramic might therefore eliminate the week point a classical connector provides….
I like the idea of getting rid of the intermediate connecting via the Beru connectors. The fixed connection of the PerTronix lead with the ceramic might therefore eliminate the week point a classical connector provides….
94Griff500 said:
The Petronix ceramic end plug connectors are expensive when buying (each ) at approx $20 USD on Amazon.
Their 8mm universal wire set which INCLUDES the ceramic connectors is the way to buy.
Pertronix 808215HT Universal Black 8mm High Temp Wire (8 cyl Ceramic 45 Deg)...$126.17
Doug
I have a spare set of these in UK - if anyone wants to make me an offer, PM me.Their 8mm universal wire set which INCLUDES the ceramic connectors is the way to buy.
Pertronix 808215HT Universal Black 8mm High Temp Wire (8 cyl Ceramic 45 Deg)...$126.17
Doug
I had the original ones on mine for 19 years and then developed a misfire that was traced to two of them so mat smith said the socks were the way to go with ne leads. I'd had magnecor blue for at least 10 years but now black 8 ml ones of another source which are twice as good as the magnecor set up .Just putting it out there
ceramic coat the manifolds (as the cherry on top), resistive plugs, angled HT plug and heat socks.
Not sure why people are persisting with extenders. The quality has been bad on them for a decade or so with people moaning about them failing during this. Easy fix that [almost] falls under routine maintenance.
Not sure why people are persisting with extenders. The quality has been bad on them for a decade or so with people moaning about them failing during this. Easy fix that [almost] falls under routine maintenance.
The detail I had to get my head around with the heat socks is that they completely cover the lead boots.
The small metal ring in the end of them does fit over the spark plug and there's a big enough gap for it to sit there - I'm confident I'm not the only one who mistakenly thought that ring should sit around the end of the rubber boot.
It makes it a little harder to push the lead onto the plug, but not impossible, clearly.
The small metal ring in the end of them does fit over the spark plug and there's a big enough gap for it to sit there - I'm confident I'm not the only one who mistakenly thought that ring should sit around the end of the rubber boot.
It makes it a little harder to push the lead onto the plug, but not impossible, clearly.
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