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HT Lead recommendations?

HT Lead recommendations?

by Who.Me? » Mon Sep 07, 2015 8:01 am
Hi

I changed my HT leads last weekend with a new set of Bosch (South America) leads - the black rubber type with rubber spark plug ends.

The leads that I took off had the hard plastic ends, but the rubber seals had perished and the leads basically fell apart when I took them off, so they were due for a change.

Prior to changing, my old induction timing light/tachometer gave readings that seemed sensible to me. Tried it this weekend with the new leads on and the RPM wander all over the place and the timing light rarely flashes (the self-diagnostic light suggests that the light is OK though).

The new HT leads that I fitted are much thicker (more rubber) than the old leads, so I'm guessing that the pickup is struggling to sense the field in the wire?

Can anyone recommend reasonably priced leads that they get reliable reads on an inductive timing light with?

The truck is running a 12V 1600 dual port engine with 009 distributor, electronic points, blue Bosch coil and an alternator, if that helps.

Thanks

Andy
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Re: HT Lead recommendations?

by DOUGAL » Mon Sep 07, 2015 10:21 am
I got these:
HT Leads

Did you get the binding issue sorted on the front wheel?

Gertjan
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Re: HT Lead recommendations?

by Who.Me? » Mon Sep 07, 2015 3:02 pm
Thanks Gertjan. Those look to be exactly the same leads that I bought. Do you have a timing light and does it work normally with those leads?

Re the binding - not sorted yet. I have the wheel cylinders, but have also ordered bearings to do while I'm in there. Still waiting on them to be delivered though.

I thought brakes, then bearings, then brakes again, but now I suspect the bearings again as I've read posts that suggest I've been setting them incorrectly. I'd misread the Bentley caution about not over-tightening them. I read it as don't over-tighten (an obvious caution), but apparently they shouldn't be 'seated' first either.

I was taught how to repair my cars as a student by an old-school mechanic who was a friend of my grandfather. He taught me to seat wheel bearings by tightening well, spinning the hub, then backing off and setting them up correctly. From what I've read since, though I think that's a no-no for VW bearings (preload?) and they should just be set up without seating. I've only read that since the problem I've got now though. (I guess it helps if you are taught the terminology, so you know what to check).

Anyhow, lesson learned. I'll do the bearings first. If that gets rid of the rubbing noise, I'll know that the bearings were at least part of the problem but I'll do the wheel cylinders as I've already bought them.
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Re: HT Lead recommendations?

by DOUGAL » Mon Sep 07, 2015 6:57 pm
No I don't have a timing light so can't check what it's doing till I get to the guys who sometimes work on my bus.
My bus has a 1600 SP engine and everything else stock. Might make a difference though.

Keep me posted on your wheel problem as I don't have mine solved either.

Gertjan
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Re: HT Lead recommendations?

by Who.Me? » Sat Sep 19, 2015 6:15 pm
Refreshing this question because the Bosch leads that I fitted (the type with the moulded rubber caps) have turned out to be a pile of .....

I've had had a missfire that has been getting worse each time I've run it over the last couple of weeks (maybe half a dozen short trips to test the brakes etc). By Thursday of this week it had become full-blown backfiring and it barely made it through a simple trip round the block.

I went through the motions today and tested everything, including putting a multimeter on the HT leads.

Set on the 200kOhms range, both the long leads (cylinders 1 & 2) read 9.6
Cylinder 3's lead (short lead) read 6.7
Cylinder 4's lead read >60 and kept climbing!!

So, duff HT lead. I'm not bothering to replace them with the same moulded-cap type this time, so can anyone recommend?

Are the Bosch leads with hard caps better?

I've found reference to Beru online. Are they any good?
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Re: HT Lead recommendations?

by lids_2001 » Sat Sep 19, 2015 6:29 pm
I have always run Taylor leads, never any problems


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Re: HT Lead recommendations?

by Manzo » Mon Sep 21, 2015 8:22 pm
I asked a similar question a few months back and had a lot of people recommending Beru coil and leads. I fitted both and no issues to date - runs great (after around 1000 miles since the new parts were fitted)
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