Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

[BDY]

Found a couple of cracked plug wires. Local marine dealers did not have replacements in stock and indicated a few days before delivery. I decided to buy but have not installed auto plug wires. Bought a set of auto Bosch Premium Wire Set. Would this be acceptable? What difference in performance, if any will I see? Should I just play the waiting game and wait for marine replacement plug wires?

Thanks for any feedback

 

[BDY]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

probably should have added, the motor is a 1998 4.3L merc with a 190 hp, in /outboard, low hours. Bought the boat used last fall. found receipts indicating that appears prior owner replaced plugs in 2007

 

[Flysfloatsor]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

The wires are the same.

 

[Don S]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

They are not the same. Marine wire sets are longer due to routing around the marine exhaust manifolds, and the Thunderbolt distributors have different ends on them at the distributor cap than automotive.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

Ayuh,... I just answered on yer Other thread...

 

[ussoldier_1984]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

I purchased a nice set of msd ignition wires that you cut to the lenth you want them and put the plug ends on, it was automotive but in this case not cheaper, I trust msd ignition wires and they have very thick insulation. they worked great for my 4.3 dist cap snapped right in place

 

[Flysfloatsor]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

I too use MSD wires. I havent noticed any difference?

 

[ussoldier_1984]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

ahh you should see a better spark with the msd's they are great wires

 

[BDY]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

is MSD a brand?

 

[kewlkatdady]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

is MSD a brand?

yes

 

[BDY]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

welp 3 trips from the marina and back to autozone...the auto plug wires were in deed too short. AZ could not find a matching set long enough to work. The gave me 2 wires to replace to 2 bad wires and ended up ordering a set from local marine dealer but delivery is a week. Will limp along with putting old wires back on with 2 new wires and look to replace whole set again.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[ussoldier_1984]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

I go to autozone and get a kit for a v-8 engine they are usually out on the shelf. You have to cut them to length you need they are not a pre made kit. once you cut each wire to length you need a spark plug crimp tool to put the plug end on the wire. the kit I was talking about is not too short but more then long enough I had to cut each wire shorter because there was too much length again its msd street fire part number 5553 its for a v8 but that only means you have 2 extra plug wires incase of a eff up lol

 

[BDY]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

we tried V-8 as well only 2 of the 8 from the sets Autozone pulled for me were long enough. The V-8s that were long enough had different connectors. Problem may have been the clerk really did not seem to know much other than what the computer would tell him to pull. They might have had a set that worked but their computer would not cross it

 

[Don S]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

Problem may have been the clerk really did not seem to know much other than what the computer would tell him to pull.

Could also be like I said at first, the kits are NOT the same as automotive, marine are longer and have different ends in many cases. So why do you keep asking for automotive instead of the right thing??????? Does that sound to difficult?
Try NAPA, they carry Sierra brand marine sets.

 

[ussoldier_1984]

Re: Are Marine Plug Wires and Auto Plug Wires Interchangeable?

Like I said in my last post that this msd wire set works great with pleanty fo room and lenght and the ends work great the MSD PART number is 5553 they are usually in the store right in the performance isle. They are not specific to any car or truck. its an aftermarket performance wire. or you can do what don said and just get a marine set from napa I know they have them in stock all the time here