When is a dirty Coil-Pack still good?

MikeKanterakis

SCCoA Member
I'm at home today cleaning up the tips on the coil-pack for my dodge intrepid. As you can see from the picture, they were pretty fouled up. (it's a 6cyl., but i cropped the picture) The two in the front haven't been cleaned yet (2000grit sand paper + time) while the two in the back I have already cleaned.

My question is in regard the to degree of perfection the coil pack contact has to be with the spark plug wire.

Since it's the dodge, and it still gets 27mpg, i'm just going to clean them up and put it back on the car. However, while i was sitting there for the past hour cleaning the other half of the coil pack, I got to thinking about the SC coil pack. Namely, upon inspection, there is always some crap down in the hole of one of the connectors for the spark plug wires. HOW BAD IS THIS?

Should we, as purists, always seek to install a new coil pack in order to ensure the best, most surface-area, connection to the wire, or does the system operate more on the theory that as long as 1 solid point of connection exists, the rest of the connector doesn't have to be in "perfect" condition?

However, if the coil pack design benefits from a connection to the wire having the most possible surface area, should we look into maybe modifying the plug itself? I for one am very interested in this b/c over Christmas, I will be installing Taylor 409 wires. This requires that I atleast modify the stock plug to fit on the unfinished end of the wire (Taylor doesn't make a 409 kit for our application, they just come with the spark-plug side finished).


BTW:

After installing a K&N replacement filter in my stock airbox (with silencer removed (part under air box, in fender well)) I got 14lbs. of BOOST @ 4500rmp's in 3rd gear. :p
Car is otherwise in STOCK condition. (well, if you don't include the minor problems it has)
 

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Keep sanding on those. Our coil pack connectors are not like that so its not a problem. There's a lot of volts going through each one so I don't think it should be that critical. You can test it by removing one while the engine is running and you'll see how far the spark jumps, a couple of inches on mine. Why not get another brand of wires like autolite, magnacore, etc that are already factory prefinished on both ends, the correct length, and avoid the hassle of a weak link for a future fault? Good luck
 
Guess I just haven't gone fast enough yet.

Besides, I don't mind the hastle. And I like driving a car has just a little bit better performance than necessary. (maybe so little that you need a microscope to see it, but nonetheless, more.):)

Back to my question though, I was just wondering what exactly was the official theory regarding contact at the coilpack.
 
If you use a generous blob of silicone dielectric compound in each contact on the coil pack, they won't get like that. Whenever I take the wires off, I just use a rag or paper towel and clean out the old dielectric, and put in some new. Then there is no dirt or corrosion to worry about.
 
I totally agree. That's why I bought the big bottle of dielectric goo. The tiny packet that came with the wires for the dodge just wasn't enough. I also got some anti-seize for the spark plugs themselves.
 
Two terminals on my '95's coil pack were corroded pretty bad when I changed my wires. I cleaned them up the best I could and it didn't make a bit of difference. Took the coil pack off my '91, and again, didn't make any difference.
 
With the high voltage, the contact doesn't have to be perfect. You shouldn't have a problem with them even the way they are. But, it wouldn't hurt to clean them up with about 400 grit paper and dab on some dielectric grease. The grease does nothing to help conduct the current, it keeps moisture and air away from the terminals and this is what keeps corrosion from forming.
 
Ok, I pick up what you're putting down, but then why is there such a fuss made over the quality and size of spark-plug wires? I mean, given that the wires can be of a higher or lower quality that would affect/effect spark at the spark-PLUG, wouldn't it also ring true that the quality of the connection btwn the coilpack and the spark-plug-wire would also affect performance?

Any electrical engineers in the group that could break this down for me/us?
 
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