yeah, keep us updated on how they work out. I thought about going with the cheaper 8mm wires and E3 plugs but changed my mind...still not sure I made the right decision.

 

Spike, very interesting spark plug tip design. By just looking at them, you can tell that every combustion cycle will have a uniform flame front that is shielded by the square design to force the flame kernel outward and then across the combustion chamber, after it builds energy. That is versus a typical spark plug that allows a spark to jump the gap in a random manner.

I would like to get a set, where did you buy them.

By the way, my hat is off to you, with 177 K Miles and still going strong.

 

I bought the plugs are jcwhitney for $5.99 each, Advanced Auto Parts sells them for $6.99 each, I also bought a set for my wifes Volvo so shipping was free, otherwise I would have bought them at advanced.
Her Volvo will benifit even more as the plug go down in between the four valves.
Bought her plug wires from Kingsbourne too.

The plug wires for my truck wound up being free, I returned my AutoZone plug wires and the refund was equal to the price of the new wires.

As for the spark plugs, I can run my snowblower full choke and it will not stall, even after 5 years with the same spark plug, and it is a 2-stroke engine and I run the mix rich. ( I fried a 2-stroke in the past because I mixed it to lean)
I can get away with a smaller engine on my lawnmower because I get more power with the E3 spark plug.
And as for my chainsaw, I wear out before the gas runs out. I used to get 15 min or so on one tank of fuel, after the E3 plug, 30 mins or more of non stop cutting.
Same saw, same job, different plug, use less gas.

 

After seeing Spike mention he expects the wires to last a good while, is there any reason to not change the wires and just change the plugs. I have the Magnecores ready to install along with new plugs but am just cuious as to whether it is worth giving the new plugs + old wire combo a try or if that is too Teutonic of me. Grandpa always told me the German word for frugal is frugal, sometimes it clouds judgment.

 

Well here is what I used to do, back when I was nothing but a GM guy...change the plugs every 30,000 miles and the plug wires every 60,000.
So at 60k the car would get new plugs and wires, at 90k new plugs, and so on, I never kept a car past 120k because they never lasted that long.
Once I made the switch to imports I changed my tune.
Run the plugs and wires until there is a problem, like mis fires, then replace everything. Plugs and wires. Cap and rotor. Everything that is spark related.
So if I were you, start from scratch, install your new plugs and wires, run them until there is a problem.
Spark plugs will last for a really long time as long as they are getting a strong spark and there is no other problems with the engine, like a leaking injector for example.
90% of mis fires are caused by bad plug wires.
Does that answer your question?

 

As bad as the factory wires are, you have to replace them if you expect any benefit for your performance and mileage.
Old wires carry less voltage and are prone to shorting to the engine block, so yes, you really want to change them.
The good thing about the Magnacor wires is, they don't seem to wear out very fast, mine are 5 plus years old with 67,000 plus miles on them with no problems. I can
t say I have ever heard on anyone needing to replace them from wear or use.


Spike,
By the way, I wanted to mention that you did a great post on the wires and plugs, it would be great if more people would do that.
Mike