Bosch plug wires question

[Scutch]

I have been having a problem with the plug wire on #1 missing. I just replaced my Bosch set with a new bosch set and there was still some missing. I have replaced the spark plug and know that everything is fine in the head. I tested the plug wire and found it to be around 5 ohms. I thought this indicated a problem until I noticed that only the #1 plug wire with the right angle is stamped 5ohms. All the others say 1ohm.

Can anyone tell me why? All the other electrical has been replaced. Any ideas? I am wondering if the resistance is too high on that wire. I installed the Red 1.8 ohm ballast resistor on the distributor. Is that the wrong one? Could that make a difference?

Thanks
Eddie

[Arthur Dalton]

That is 5 THOUSAND ohms, not 5.

Those right angle ones are all 5K. See if you can get a 1K to fit.
And look at the cap terminal..........

You add the 1.8 ohm ballast if you change to the hotter RED coil.

[Scutch]

Arthur, Thanks

I can get the 1000 Ohm ones to fit, but I don't understand why I would? I don't understand why the is a 5000 Ohm one on the 1st cylinder anyway.

I do have the red bosch distributor. Is that a factor here? Could that be prematurely burning out my wires or something. Does "burn hotter" also mean increased stress on any other ignition components?

Eddie

[230/8]

You have a right angle end on #1 because you need the clearance for the distributor. Came that way from the factory...just like mine. The high voltage replacement coil will not burn out your wires. More likely that you should check the cap for tracking or a crack if you have a consistent miss on #1. Also, check the condition of the points and valve adjustment to ensure it is spot-on for every cylinder. If all this checks out, there may be a small amount of excess play in the distributor shaft. Finally, don't forget to check the tightness of the intake bolts. A small leak could cause a weak mixture for #1 as could a small variation in carb adjustment on the front unit or a manifold heat valve not fully open.

230/8

[Arthur Dalton]

You must mean red COIL . not dist.
The red coil and 1/8 Ballast are a comon upgrade and will not cause your misfire.
The 5 k and 1 K are b/c of the right angle connector. many guys worry about it , but it should not cause a misfire. There are a hundred stories of why Benz did this , and I believe that they just did not have any 1K right angle connectors available.
Anyway, those are solid wires , so I would start with a compression test ..if that is off , I would do a leak down test. [Check for tight valve adjustment]
Do you have a scope? That is what I use , but you may not have one, so..........
If misfire is ign related, as said by others ..look at the cap, both inside the wire terminal and inside the cap for tracking. I would also try that one with another connector. Just b/c a connector ohms out does not mean it does not break down at firing voltages.
You may also have a bad valve seal , allowing oil fouling.
What does the read on the plug indicate?

[Scutch]

Yes. I meant Red coil.

I have been through everything on this car trying to track down both the ticks in the idling and poor power, to the running hot problem which is over for the season.

I tested my radiator fluid for hydrocarbons. There were none. Compression was 130 on all. All my plugs look great. They are light grey brow on the element and have a little soot around the edge.

Distributor got rebuilt. Points, condensor, cap and rotor are new.

I am having no missing at the moment. In the morning I get a couple ticks in the idle. Unfortunately all the idling symptoms went away in the fall last year and came back when it warmed up. That is when, I think now, that the plug wire was bad. So the car will probably run good for the cold months. I am gonna take it on a little trip in October in the mountains. We'll see how it goes. The test I use to force the symptoms is to hold my foot on the brake and step on the gas. If I am missing, I'll feel it there. So far okay.

I guess I was most concerned that something in my ignition system was degrading that 5000 Ohm wire. You are saying that nothing can do that.

Thanks

[Arthur Dalton]

Correct. I am also saying that you can not check a plug connector for breakdown under fire just b/c it ohms as good.

What plugs are you using ?
As I said, the true and easy way to see the ignition on a real time frame is with a scope ign wave pattern. I would do a Parade pattern, as that compares all cylinder firings. Otherwise, you have to experiment .
My recommendation on these vinrage cars is to change them to a Point Conversion and be done with it. Probably the most bang for the buck improvent you can do on these. Quite simple and short $$$.
Point ignitions are far inferior to what you can get today and these cars benefit from the conversion.
There is another thread here in the last few days you may want to read that covers it.
I also recommend NGK plugs , but that is just a preference.
I had one that kept giving me troube and it turned out to be the plug . Altough new and burning well, I finally , by accident when installing it, noticed the insulator woud turn in the case . It was Bosch, so I brought it back to NAPA and before I could even start to explain to the counter guy, he threw it in a basket and handed me 6 new ones and said they knew all about it. They were made in INDIA . But I have never had a problem with NGK and they even seem to hold up better even with bad valve stem seals. Again, my preference. I am not alone on the NGK swap.

[Scutch]

Could you restate this? I didn't understand.
"I am also saying that you can not check a plug connector for breakdown under fire just b/c it ohms as good."
I am using Bosch plugs, but what makes me think it was not the plugs is because fiddling with the No.1 wire seemed to be the magic that would the car run fine.

[todds]

It think what he is saying is that testing the resistance of the wire statically, without the engine running and the ignition system not functioning, is not a good enough test to determine if it has degraded. In other words, it's only a test in the sense that a failure does mean it's bad but a good reading does not necessarily mean it works. He wants you to somehow test the system dynamically, while the engine is running (such as with a scope), so you can see with certainty that cyl 1 is firing like the others.

I actually found a place in europe with a website that appears to still stock those original Bremi connectors. Seems like they do trucks and heavy equipment, do you speak german? :-)
http://www.ochsnerag.ch/html/AggregateKeilriemenundZundungsteile.htm
Look under "Zundungsteile"