Plug caps

[3Phase]

Steve,

If it makes enough RF noise the cops can't run your plate and you can make good your escape!

Doug,

That is a good question. I honestly don't know how non-resistor caps wear, I've never bought any of them and I've never taken one apart.

I made my own out of resistor caps with a steel slug from a cut off SS machine screw in place of the resistor. They don't seem to be experiencing any wear but thanks for reminding me it's time to clean them in case there's any rust or Galvanism.

.

[crazy steve]

One thing to remember... If your ignition produces radio-frequency noise, you can get ticketed for it.

[dbeardslee]

So Scott, what about the caps? Is it just the resistor caps that wear out, or do the non-resistor caps suffer from the same limited life expectancy?

[3Phase]

I was told we need the resistor caps. I do not rem why. I am sure someone will ring in.

Bill

What Doug said.

They cut down on RF interference. If you're a "Loud pipes save lives!" person then, "Loud ignitions save lives!" too.

If you use non-resistor plugs like the NGK BP6ES and steel or copper core wires you need resistor caps. You should use 10K caps for the exposed outer plugs and 5K for the inner plugs that are partially shielded by the tank but don't freak out about it.

If you use resistor plugs like the NGK BPR6ES or the NGK Iridium BPR5EIX and BPR6EIX then you don't need and shouldn't use resistor caps.

Graphite resistor type or inductive spiral core wires aren't necessary for either type of plugs and caps and in my opinion aren't necessary.

.

[dbeardslee]

I was told we need the resistor caps. I do not rem why. I am sure someone will ring in.

Bill

The only reason I know to run resistor caps is to keep from causing radio interference with the radio in the cage that's next to you if you run non-resistor plugs like the stock NGK BP6ES. But as far as I know it makes no difference whether you have the resistor in the cap or in the plug itself. But you don't want to double them up with resistors in both the cap and the plug.

[BowlingSS]

I was told we need the resistor caps. I do not rem why. I am sure someone will ring in.

Bill

[dbeardslee]

I got surfing around last night, and found a source for NGK plug caps - at O'Reilly Autoparts of all places. They've got the resistor caps for $3.69 ea., and non-resistor for $1.29. NGK Plug Caps

Looking at the resistor and non-resistor caps got me to thinking. We know plug caps wear out, but I'm wondering if that's just the resistor caps. I run the non-resistor type on Betsy with resistor type plugs, and near as I can tell there isn't anything inside the non-resistor caps to wear out. The metal might corrode in a few decades, but it's basically just a wire encased in a plastic cover.

Any opinions on this?