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FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise????????

Posted By: Anonymous

FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 01:37 AM

just got my am radio back from Greg Ward, he reconditioned it and i bought one of his new speakers. it sounds terrific till i start my A12 up, then its just static.
is it the Firecore wires or is it the Autolite race spark plugs or both.
i just pulled out my resto date coded spark plug wires and im going to put them back on or do i change the spark plugs back to Champion j11y or both.
i went on a car cruise today and it sucked without my am radio playing oldies.

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Posted By: gtx6970

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 01:52 AM

Am radio sucks anyway, just turn it off and listen to 3 holleys sucking knats,flies and any other small pesky bugs that might be nearby in thru the hood scoop and spit them out thru the shiny chrome trumpet tips
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 02:12 AM

Quote:

Am radio sucks anyway, just turn it off and listen to 3 holleys sucking knats,flies and any other small pesky bugs that might be nearby in thru the hood scoop and spit them out thru the shiny chrome trumpet tips



not where i live. i get 3 great stations and i can also listen to the yankees play.
i want my radio to work like in my other cars.
i just spent over $200.00 to get it to work.

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Posted By: Paul_B

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 02:37 AM

I'd bet the race plugs are likely a bigger issue than the wires for radio noise.
Posted By: DAYCLONA

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 02:52 AM

Quote:

Am radio sucks anyway, just turn it off and listen to 3 holleys sucking knats,flies and any other small pesky bugs that might be nearby in thru the hood scoop and spit them out thru the shiny chrome trumpet tips








That's what I was thinking? .....you got a radio?....what for?
Posted By: aarcuda

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 02:59 AM

am radio is particularly susceptable to EMI. you can pick up a thunderstorm 20 miles away. so good luck. the racing plugs alone will kill your am reception. you need restistor plugs and wire.

firecores are low resistance to the point where they are just resistive enough to knock down emi that will interfere with computers and electronics but for AM radio??? GOOD LUCK. Im not saying they wont work but if if it did, its on the hairy edge. they are a performance piece and thw two dont go together
Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 11:43 AM

I'd sub back in 1st the wires then the champions(in that order) to pin down the culprit EDIT a company msd? may have a noise suppressor that could take out some or most of the static
Posted By: rt66jim

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 02:39 PM

I would try just a good resistor try coil wire first. You also might be able to add a condensor to the distributor side of the coil.
Posted By: Mr 5 Speed

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 03:09 PM

Quote:

am radio is particularly susceptable to EMI. You need restistor plugs and wire. Firecores are low resistance to the point where they are just resistive enough to knock down emi that will interfere with computers and electronics..


Been in the biz for a long time and that description is dead on correct.
Posted By: sunroofgtx

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 04:58 PM

Quote:

Quote:

am radio is particularly susceptable to EMI. You need restistor plugs and wire. Firecores are low resistance to the point where they are just resistive enough to knock down emi that will interfere with computers and electronics..


Been in the biz for a long time and that description is dead on correct.



I agree as well, but we have not had any issues or complaints as of yet with RF noise. Not saying it is impossible, but no one has brought up that issue yet. Chris, we have a 250 ohm, black 8mm wire, that looks stock as well. if you feel you want to try that out. If you don't like that, I'll pay to ship them back to us. The 250's are 75 bucks.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 07:50 PM

Quote:

I would try just a good resistor try coil wire first. You also might be able to add a condensor to the distributor side of the coil.



!!!WRONG!!! RF suppression cap goes on the PLUS side of the coil


There was a huge discussion a while back, you might search it up. Now first IS THIS in fact ignition noise? That is, a popping that increases with engine RPM?

Here's a few things:

First, I'd buy resistor plugs, and before changing your wires, I"d go down to NAPA or somewhere reliable and buy a RESISTOR coil wire. In other words, just the coil wire that would be equivalent to a stocker set of wires

Next I'd get some condensers/ capacitors--NAPA should show in the pictorial guide, one or two radio noise suppression caps, used to be RC1 and RC2 or something like that. Put one on the coil pos to ground, put the other on the radio case and splice into the plus lead.

Next, put grounding jumpers from the rear corners of the hood to the firewall

MAKE SURE this is ignition noise. Electric fuel/ water pumps, fans, heater blowers, wipers, etc, WILL all cause noise. An alternator can make a musical noise, especially if it has one or two bad diodes. Very hot ignition systems like MSD (not picking on them) may be more difficult to filter

Sometimes adding a couple of extra jumpers near the rear of the engine to the firewayy helps too These do NOT need to be "ground braid" They can be a pair of no14's parallelled or one no 12 or 10

Sometimes tucking a harness closer to ground helps. Example if you have the choke/ alternator wireing loose along the engine, and running up near the plug wires, get it tucked down and clamped along the engine intake area
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 09:27 PM

The other thread on the subject

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/show...rue#Post5221247
Posted By: mickm

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/21/09 10:14 PM

i changed from moroso bluemax 8mm wires to firecore, and did not notice any difference at all with my radio, and yes, it is AM.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/22/09 01:18 AM

Quote:

i changed from moroso bluemax 8mm wires to firecore, and did not notice any difference at all with my radio, and yes, it is AM.



Is that good or bad? That is did you and do you have noise, or you didn't and still don't have noise?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/22/09 01:23 AM

Quote:

i changed from moroso bluemax 8mm wires to firecore, and did not notice any difference at all with my radio, and yes, it is AM. [/quote

noise or no noise mick??????
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/22/09 06:57 PM

swapped out the firecore coil wire to the date codded supression wire and 85% of the noise is gone, i guess the rest of the wires swapped out will fix the noise. too bad the firecores fit nicely.

i guess Rick Gorski from Firecore will be glad when this post dies.

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Posted By: silent-H-wheel

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/22/09 07:45 PM

Chris:

I've heard that A12s are notorious for this problem from day one. Because they don't have a steel hood, cowl to hood ground, etc. to help shield the "noise". Legend has it that some dealers actually lined the underside of hoods with foil to assist customers with this issue. Not sure if that's fact or folly, but I don't think you're alone. The stock wires helped with the noise I bet, but you're not gonna want them for the track if you race the car. Put the Firecores back in to race. I guess it comes down to whether you wanna listen to the Yankees or that engine winding out!

Take care,
John
Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/22/09 08:00 PM

You might put a small dab of dielectric grease on the rotor metal blade on the center metal tip
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/22/09 09:27 PM

Quote:

Chris:

I've heard that A12s are notorious ........



uh, ahem, I missed that little detail. I would say that is a large part of the problem, especially with high perf. ignition.

Ever looked at an older 'Vette? Ever notice the great big steel shield around the dist/ plug wires?

How do ya feel about a rear mount antenna?
Posted By: sunroofgtx

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/24/09 09:11 PM

Quote:

swapped out the firecore coil wire to the date codded supression wire and 85% of the noise is gone, i guess the rest of the wires swapped out will fix the noise. too bad the firecores fit nicely.

i guess Rick Gorski from Firecore will be glad when this post dies.


Why would I want it to die ? Chris, glad swapping out the wires worked for you. AM radio is cool. It's what I listen to half the time.Sorry I missed the post, but I've been at the racetrack a lot these days, and we are moving the factory into a new building. Too busy to be online a lot , anymore. I'm sorry the 8mm stock-looking wires don't work for you, Chris. We do have the in a 250 ohm, but thats another story. Good luck with cruizzzing, it really is a great-looking car.
Posted By: sunroofgtx

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/27/09 12:21 AM

Anything work out ? It's not dead yet .
Posted By: RJS

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/27/09 12:28 AM

Reread, he didn't swap out your wires just the coil wire...
Posted By: denfireguy

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/27/09 03:26 AM

I cannot believe more of the communications guys on the board have not jumped into this topic.
There are a thousand things that can get ignition noise down to a minimum and some of them actually work. There are two paths: shielding or suppression. Shielding the interference by moving the antenna as already suggested or by bonding the hood to the body of the car with ground straps. This increases the shielding ability of the hood. Make sure the coax on the antenna has not rotted somewhere causing the shield to be broken. Replace it if it is old just because. Another trick is to bond the exhaust pipe in several places to the chassis because it will radiate noise the length of the car. The bonding I have used is the outside braid from communications coax such as 8298, RG 8 or any of the fat braid shielded cables. Amateur radio stores (NOT Radio Shack) have ground straps in stock that will work. They are not cheap.
A lot of the suppression suggestions are good ones. In my experience, resistive systems work best with the resistance distributed through the entire system: coil wire, spark plug wires, plugs.
Capacitors on the coil also help. Both on the positive and one on the negative ends.
If you have an old hand held AM transistor radio, try using it next to your engine and next to someone else's. If the noise is equal, then your antenna is probably bad. If yours is noisy, check for arcing. Look under the hood in the dark while the engine is running and look for sparking or corona.
I know the list is long but the problem is a pain in the rear (Yeah I know it is a family board).
Craig
Posted By: SomeCarGuy

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/27/09 04:13 AM

Quote:

Quote:

swapped out the firecore coil wire to the date codded supression wire and 85% of the noise is gone, i guess the rest of the wires swapped out will fix the noise. too bad the firecores fit nicely.

i guess Rick Gorski from Firecore will be glad when this post dies.


Why would I want it to die ? Chris, glad swapping out the wires worked for you. AM radio is cool. It's what I listen to half the time.Sorry I missed the post, but I've been at the racetrack a lot these days, and we are moving the factory into a new building. Too busy to be online a lot , anymore. I'm sorry the 8mm stock-looking wires don't work for you, Chris. We do have the in a 250 ohm, but thats another story. Good luck with cruizzzing, it really is a great-looking car.



So the 250 ohm would be better for radio playing but would it be noticeably different performance wise on the track or generally?
Posted By: sunroofgtx

Re: FIRECORE WIRES and radio noise???????? - 05/27/09 05:16 PM

Correct. You still get the benifits of a custom, machine-built, low-ohm, and 8mm solid black factory-looking set. We are not in the exact, OEM-looking wire business. We manufacture custom racewires, that look great and work great on automobiles. From Top Fuel to grocery-getters. The 250 will slow the current enough to suppress more EMI/RMI, but not enoiugh to damage any performance characteristics of 95% of the engines out there.

DenFireGuy, thanks for the info. Never thought of some of those things. Great input.
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