Re: No spark to coil
Posted by BH On 2011/8/11 11:13:20
All the OE plug wires that I've examined on V8 Packards had a solid metal conductor. Initially, the silver color of the wire made me think it was (stainless) steel, but I've heard that it is actually tin-plated copper.
I put a set of modern suppressor-type wires on my '56 Carib shortly after I acquired it - just to get by. I can't offer any performance conclusions, either way, but the wire is so flimsy that it droops and interferes with the throttle linkage - even with the late design cable supports. They'll be going in the trash.
As for resistor type plugs, the 55-56 parts book offers no such applications in the Electrical section (Gr. 4.1105)). While the Utility section (Gr. 50.675) of that same book does show a few resistor types, you have to go back to the 48-54 parts book to find any actual application listings for those P/Ns. However, the are listings are rather non-specifics - that is nothing but year/series. Yet, none of those resistor plugs are shown in the annual "Mechanical Specifications" for any of the 49-54 vehicles.
My guess is that resistor plugs were initially offered, back then, for radio noise suppression in cars that did not have a carbon rod in the rotor. Resistor plugs only really became necessary, along with suppressor type wires, with the advent of transistorized ignition systems in the 1960s - to protect from the effect of RFI and EMI. Same for computerized engine management control system, in later years.
Over the years, I'm sure many Packards were fitted with whatever parts the typical "grease monkey" could find for a "tune-up", but I prefer OE.
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