The 8mm STI's I just installed came with holders. They also fit nicely into the holders at the back of the valve covers. The ones on the side of the valve covers were a different story, so I didn't bother to force it and left them out and used the holders that came with the wires. Everything looks nice and neat and tucked out of the way.

 

I'm an automotive engineer, and I live in a world where we fight for fractions of a millimeter. So, to put it simply 1mm is significant.

to spin some perspective on it, however;
7mm to 8mm is only about a ~14% increase.
but cross-sectional area is bumped by over 30%!
now, resistance is inversely proportional to area which makes it worth about a 20% drop in resistance by adding 1mm to the diameter!

Now, I'm a mechanical engineer not an electrical one and soon after this my electrical knowledge starts falling off. Let me ask this to the community: if P=I^2*R or, alternatively, P=V^2/R why is it that lower resistance wires are better? The math tells me they consume more power since the lower resistance yields greater current. I suspect the answer may have something to do with the "source" being a collapsing magnetic field.

 

Necro'd a thread from 2010.....

 

Is this a record? A reply on a 7 year old thread has to be up there.

 

An answer doesn't exist. The question is legitimate, and i'm confident challenging. The answer would be valuable information to many member. Does it matter than its 7-years old?

 

IMHO the 7mm vs 8mm battle is pointless on our D2's. Unless you've upgraded the coil packs to a high performance unit (none exists as far as I know for a D2) then slapping on just a set of 8mm wires is not going to give you anymore HP or performance.

I've had older vehicles and yes when you change out the OEM ignition system for an MSD setup for example then yes you'll have HP/performance gains, but you'd also have to tinker with timing/fuel as well.

Slapping on an 8mm wire set for say 5.00 more vs the 7mm isn't going to hurt anything, but DO NOT expect to gain anything.

 

Yeah, i don't expect power gains on the Disco. Maybe just some smoothness or fuel efficiency.

But the question was more general to be honest. Why is it that bigger wires are better? If the answer is "lower resistance" then it violates the laws defined by the equations above.

 

The "why" in this circumstance is the same in other circumstances...

What I am getting at is unless someone has put their rover on a dyno with 7mm then 8mm and you can see a noticeable gain it is not worth it.

But before you flame!!! just because it is not worth it does not mean a gear head will not do it and does not mean I still wont do it.

 

My check engine light for my D2 went on and started to flash. So I did some research and discovered it was the engine misfiring. I decided to change the spark plugs and wires, and still debating which one I should get the 7mm or 8mm.

 

Buy these and don't look back.

http://www.britishpartsofutah.com/Ra...p/rciws721.htm