help with spark plug wires. still confused.

[MaximPhil]

Phil,
Thanks. Just looked up a how to video. Seems i can just replace the plug cap. Seems pretty easy too. Looks like you just cut the cap off and screw the new ones on.

Thoughts?

Hi Mr Hammer,
Yes unscrew the old cap and trim the wire back about 1/4 inch or until fresh copper shows then screw on the new one. a litle dab of clear silicone around the wire to cap helps keep the water out. I do one at a time so as not to mix up which wire goes where.

[mrhammer2u]

coil, wire, plug caps need to know

Thanks to everyone. There should be a thread in the maintenance section about this. After all the research I have done,...here is the dummies version of what I learned and what other noobs may want to know.

1. You have 2 coils under your gas tank and above your motor. Each coil has 2 outlets, so you have 4 total outlets for 4 plugs.
Below is a pic of a coil with 2 wires leading to the plug caps.



If your coil and wires are good, and you just want to change the end caps, you simply cut the old end caps off and replace with new. See how to video at bottom.

2. If you want to replace the wires on a stock coil, that seems to be a troublesome task. If you have a lot of miles on your bike you may as well upgrade your coil because they lose energy over time. A popular aftermarket is Dyna coil, pictured below. They produce more power and easier to attach wires to.



3. Before replacing a coil you will want to see if your bike has a resister which will be 1.5ohms. If you don't know what it looks like, see below....



The reason you want to know this is because you want 3 ohms resistance. This will determine if you buy a 1.5ohm or 3ohm coil. If you have the resistor you want a 1.5ohm coil (=3 ohms). Or you can remove the resistor and buy a 3ohm. If you have no resistor then you need to buy the 3ohm coil.

Below is a video that shows how easy it is to cut wire and install boots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sbw2nC7RiA


Guys,
Let me know if I hit it on the head or if any of my research is wrong.

[IanDMacDonald]

Good write-up Hammer! However, there is a nice write-up regarding replacing plug wires in stock coips. Pat Kelly has a nice write-up regarding Dyna coil installation.