Ignition leads mtbf

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Dave Taylor
I am trying to decide if it is time to change mine.
IO-520 with Bendix mags. I think they have >800hrs & 6+yrs on them. There is a little fraying at the spark plug insert on one. Has been that way for a while. They are getting to look a little ratty.
fraying, rattiness, age + I hate being aog for simple stuff.
Anyone have some numbers on when these need to be euthanized?
Or can they go 2000 hrs despite their appearance and calendar age?
Anyone ever buy stock wire and fabricate their own? (I noticed they are not giving them away.) [is it possible?]

I think I have this one
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I am trying to decide if it is time to change mine.
IO-520 with Bendix mags. I think they have >800hrs & 6+yrs on them. There is a little fraying at the spark plug insert on one. Has been that way for a while. They are getting to look a little ratty.
fraying, rattiness, age + I hate being aog for simple stuff.
Anyone have some numbers on when these need to be euthanized?
Or can they go 2000 hrs despite their appearance and calendar age?
Anyone ever buy stock wire and fabricate their own? (I noticed they are not giving them away.) [is it possible?]

I think I have this one
Click to expand...
Lots of things can be done to that harness, you can run heat shrink up over the frayed portion and shrink it to cover and re-insulate the lead. You can re-set the end hardware to fresh material. or you can replace the entire lead. These are the ones you can actually work on.
 
if you're not hearing any radio noise, then I'd go with Tom's heat shrink suggestion. Do the cheap and easy option first
 
Direct me to cable and hardware in case I wanted to redo some of the leads.
To install heatshrink I am going to have to remove one end, hopefully the spark plug end, in order to get the hs over the cable.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Direct me to cable and hardware in case I wanted to redo some of the leads.
To install heatshrink I am going to have to remove one end, hopefully the spark plug end, in order to get the hs over the cable.
Click to expand...

to do that remove the cone from the spark plug terminal end of the lead, then it all comes apart.

To get the cone out of the terminal end, slide the large 3/4" or 7/8" nut up the lead away from end of the cable. This exposes the terminal end, that is two parts, a cone and a 7/16 hollow nut that capture the braid between them. there will be a spring and a pin that make the contact of the center core of the wire to the spark plug, you can remove it by simply pulling on it with a needle nose pliers then the tube insulator slides off exposing the inner core of the wire.
now you can grab the 7/16 nut lightly with vise grip pliers and pry the cone out with flush cutting diagonal cutters freeing the braid, now the 7/16 nut and the big 3/4 nut can be slid up the braid, you don't need to remove them. now you can slide the heat shrink over the braid. leave enough braid exposed to recapture in the nut and cone.
If your lead is long enough, you can simply trim it back and reassemble on fresh material.
 
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I am not seeing any stock cable available for purchase. Looks like no one fabricates ignition leads any more.
 
remember replacing the entire lead requires it be removed from the mag cap. that requires a special tool. you must re-swage the cone into the cap. replacing the spark plug end this can be done by re-connecting it to the plug.

The wire has a Part number that you can buy.
 
Call around to the magneto repair shops and ask if they can repair a slick harness?
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Hmpf, might need a pic.



"Slick" think it will work with my Bendix?
313$ - I would have to do some doodling to figure out if the input costs would be less than purchasing harnesses.
Click to expand...

Slick / Champion makes harnesses for Bendix magnetos too...

(You posted a link to a slick harness in the op)

Do you have a bendix harnesd or slick?
 
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Let'sgoflying! said:
I will have to check, didn't know that.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how easy it is to identify which you have. I'm pretty sure there would be a lightening bolt symbol on the harness cap if it is a Slick one. If you can post pictures of the spark plug end (removed from a plug) and both sides of the harness cap (requires R&R from the magneto), that would be helpful.

Maybe there is a part number on the spark plug end nuts? Bendix stuff is mostly 10-XXX_____ part numbers....

Slick is almost always an M______ part number, like the one you posted in the link above.

 
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