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Ignition cables

Hacki

Hacki

Active member
After the last track day my Cup car had a significant power loss, but no strange noises or anything like that. Engine felt a bit rough - to make the long story short, the reason was that the lower ignition circuit wasn´t working. It´s the shaftdriven one, so the belt inside the distributor was not the problem. The cables of the lower circuit were worn, sparks all over the place, but not inside the combustion chamber. Upper circuit was fine. So I think, it must have had a slowly progressing power loss before. Then that track day (about 400 km on track, long day) eventually cooked the lower cables totally.

Cables replaced, what a difference, engine as smooth and strong as in its early days.

A specialist (a real one) told me that the lower circuit is the one to check, rarely the upper cables are gone also. I think it´s well worth checking, our cars are old and many will still run with the first set of cables.

Check the price before you order. I assume, these cables are made of the finest gold and polished by Swedish virgins under a full moon at midnight, that explains the price.


Rgds,

Hacki
 
Had a similar problem with my car a couple of years ago. It was only sparking on 6 plugs due to a worn wire - proved very difficult to diagnose. Interestingly the power decline wasn't that great, and really only noticeable at the very top of the rev-range.
 

ORIGINAL: Jamie Summers

Interestingly the power decline wasn't that great, and really only noticeable at the very top of the rev-range.
Click to expand...

Top of the rev-range is the place to be! You´re right, you feel it at the top end. It´s really significant on track, when the shifting points you normally have don´t work, because you´re not on the rev-limit yet. Exiting a corner (e. g. 3rd gear, 5,000 rpm) at the same speed as always means shifting some 50m or more later than normal due to the power loss.
On track it´s very noticeable, on the road at midrange revs the engine just feels a bit rough, not as smooth as with all 12 plugs firing.

Hacki
 
You can often see sparking or arcing of electricity from the leads in the dark.

The lower leads often get wet and covered in debris then baked by the proximity to the exhaust boxes. I had this on a 911 years ago, you don't necessarily have to replace all of the leads if you want save a few £/€.
 
Well, to feel the difference in power, there should be enough of it in the first place.

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]


ORIGINAL: Jamie Summers

Had a similar problem with my car a couple of years ago. It was only sparking on 6 plugs due to a worn wire - proved very difficult to diagnose. Interestingly the power decline wasn't that great, and really only noticeable at the very top of the rev-range.
Click to expand...
 
...was waiting for your comment. As a local, which newspaper (or book) do you recommend for Kemmel straight in a 964?

ORIGINAL: PhilRS

Well, to feel the difference in power, there should be enough of it in the first place.

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]


ORIGINAL: Jamie Summers

Had a similar problem with my car a couple of years ago. It was only sparking on 6 plugs due to a worn wire - proved very difficult to diagnose. Interestingly the power decline wasn't that great, and really only noticeable at the very top of the rev-range.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Happy to oblige: French literature, Proust in particular. "In search of lost time" ("A la recherche du temps perdu") not only provides an apt title, but with 7 volumes and several thousand pages it should be fit for purpose.

[:D][:D][:D]

ORIGINAL: Hacki

...was waiting for your comment. As a local, which newspaper (or book) do you recommend for Kemmel straight in a 964?

ORIGINAL: PhilRS

Well, to feel the difference in power, there should be enough of it in the first place.

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]


ORIGINAL: Jamie Summers

Had a similar problem with my car a couple of years ago. It was only sparking on 6 plugs due to a worn wire - proved very difficult to diagnose. Interestingly the power decline wasn't that great, and really only noticeable at the very top of the rev-range.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 

ORIGINAL: PhilRS

Well, to feel the difference in power, there should be enough of it in the first place.

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]
Click to expand...

Yes, a fair point ! No idea when my ponies escaped. Given the car is used in anger so infequently it's sometimes hard to remember how fast it was / should be. It only really came to my attention when I was able to compare against other RSs on track at Clastres a couple of years back. The car simply didn't feel as urgent as others there, but there was no mis-fire, no bogging-down, so took quite a while to diagnose it was only firing on 6 plugs.
Hopefully all ponies now safely back in the stable and still there two years later..........

Jamie
 
Thanks Hacki for the heads up. Going to get mine changed. By luck euro carparts have them on offer at the moment and got them for £310 + vat.

Will report back on the effect.
 
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