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Mixing and matching spark plug wires?

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celly

disturber of the peace
Joined
July 28, 2004
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City, State
calgary
Year, Model & Trim Level
99 eb 5.0 awd
I managed to trash one of my fairly new Motorcraft spark plug wires for my '99 EB 5.0 (don't ask, I'm still annoyed). I was fortunate enough to have a set of fairly new Magnecor wires that came off my truck this summer so I replaced the trashed wire with one. No noticeable adverse affects by using 7 Motorcrafts with the 1 Magnecor.

Are there any issues with mixing and matching wires? I would have preferred to stick with Magnecor all along, but there are a few "hot spots" under the hood where the wires get very close to the exhaust manifolds and it's worse with the Torque Monster Headers. There was a documented case on the site of specific Magnecor wires getting trashed because they don't come with heat shields and don't play nice with the headers. I'd prefer to keep using the Motorcraft wires on these plugs, i.e. the wires with the built in aluminum heat shields. I'd use the Magnecors in the spots not in harms way.

Is there an issue with using say 4 Magnecor wires and 4 Motocrafts? As it stands now, I'm forced to use one Magnecor anyhow.

Any advice, opinions, experiences will be greatly appreciated.
 



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UPDATE:

Due to the overwhelming response I got on my original post, I went with 4+4 anyhow. No issues at all. I figured what the hell...what can it hurt?

I did find one of my Magnecors had a bit slash on it. May have explained the nasty misfiring and backfiring I got when driving from Wisconsin to Kansas earlier this summer. ;)

On a + note, I did swap out the Autolite copper plugs I had put in while in Kansas and went back to Motorcraft Double Plats. My truck has been a tad moody since the headers were put on and I'm trying lots to troubleshoot the issue. What is significant is that I swapped out the plugs on my own. That is the first time I've ever done plugs on any vehicle and it is so easy with the right advice and tools. Thanks to Eric (techieman to showing me how it's done in July).
 






I ran one old stock wire with my newish taylor wires once when I damaged one. Didn't notice any problems.

For the TM headers, I am running heat socks on every spark plug boot. I bought them at the local parts store. I have no worries about damaging a wire on the headers.
 






I ran one old stock wire with my newish taylor wires once when I damaged one. Didn't notice any problems.

For the TM headers, I am running heat socks on every spark plug boot. I bought them at the local parts store. I have no worries about damaging a wire on the headers.

I am running socks on all wires as well. I did stumble across a case where a fellow EF member trashed a Magnecor wire on one of the driver's side plugs. That was why I ultimately went with OEM wires...just to be safe.

As it stands now, even if I want to go full Magnecor, I can't because I do have a damaged one. I may just contact Magnecor about getting one wire (which they do). Not an option to get just one Motorcraft wire from what I've seen.
 






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