96 5.2 Magnum, which plugs and wires are best?

 

This topic has been discussed many many many maaaaaaaaaaaaaany times

Plugs: Champion Copper, Champion Truck Plugs, or Autolite Platinums

Wires: Magnecor or MSD

 

I like the Champion Truck Plug myself and Accel Wires. However, I have always told customers that the best plug usually is the one that the OEM's put in. Unless you plan on upgrading the ignition system there is no reason to change from the factory style plug and wire set. What the engineers put in from the begining usually works best. If you change the wires and you plan on putting in big stereo stuff make sure they are sheilded or you'll get lots of unwanted altinator noise.

 

Don't mean to bump an old post too much, but my question relates ...

I have almost 34,000 mile on my 1500 (360).

Should I replace the stock plug wires that are on them? What about the rotor and distributor cap?

I have already replaced the plugs with stock OEM plugs.

Thanks

 

Biggmee, a cap would probably be good.

In my opinion though, you don't need to replace the wires. I think people replace their wires waaaaaaaay too often. Unless they have 200,000 on...or you know/suspect one's bad, there's no need to replace them. I have a '79 Ramcharger with 130k on it. It gets a new set of plugs every year (even though I only drive it about 500 miles) because all I use it for is plowing snow and hauling wood. Lots of short trips and running it with the choke on in the winter fouls them out easy. BUT, the truck still has the original stock orange plug wires on it that it rolled out of the factory with 27 years ago.

Want another example? My 90 Grand Prix (3.1L v6) has 157,xxx on the stock spark plug wires (and almost 80,000 on the spark plugs). That car has a distributorless ignition system, so each wire is used twice as much as a plug wire that's used in a system with a distributor. Even though the wires are "old", that car runs like a top. I get 31mpg highway and around 24 city, so the wires obviously aren't hurting my mileage. I also own and belong to a Grand Prix owner's club. Half the guys on there change their spark plugs every 3 months...and their wires every 6 months or a year [&:] I can't understand why. All I know is I feel like I should invest in a spark plug company and a wire company [8D]

Point is, wires don't need to be changed nearly as often as some people change them. Just my opinion though....based on experience.

 

10-4!

I am a cheap bastage ... [&:]

That being said, skimping on maintenance is one of the MOST expensive things a guy can do. 'Specially if you drive a car for a long time... My last Ram was a 94, 2wd, 318. I absolutely LOVED it. I did the simple stuff, oil/filter change/plugs/tire maintenance/lube etc ...

The one thing I never did was Tranny maintenance. What a dumb *** [] ! I drove it from 96 (bought it used) till 05 and put 145K on it. Pulled boats, trailer loads of fire wood, etc. You get the picture ... I DROVE IT LIKE A TRUCK!

It never let me down till the tranny started to go ... And (I have come to find out) my lack of maintenance, paired with an inferior tranny from the factory in 94, I had to let it go.

Got 1750 bucks for it with 175K on it and a second bad tranny! No, not to an individual, I sold it to Carmax. (hey moderator, I am not sure if I can mention them or not.) I needed a Quad cab anyway since I have two kids now.

So ... Anyway, I do believe in maintenance, but I appreciate some real-life info rather than just blindly following the book that comes in the glove box of the truck!

I will hit the cap and rotor. Any particular brand better than others? Or should I just go get the OEM?

My new truck is the first 360 I have had... I had 2 earlier Dodges with 318's. I assume they are maintained in the same general way.

 

Need help with them wires????????

 

Glad my real-life info can be of some help You can change the wires...just wait another 30,000 before you do. Transmission maitenance is something you definitely shouldn't skimp on though. I lost the reverse band in my plow truck last winter. The bands had never been adjusted as far as I know....big mistake [&:] We all make em though...what's important is to learn from them

As for a brand, I couldn't say. I haven't purchased a distributor cap or rotor in a looooooong time, at least not for a car/truck. I bought a cap & rotor for my tractor last summer though. All my vehicles have coil packs I used to buy WELLS caps and rotors though. I never had a problem with them.

The 360s are indeed maintained the same general way. They have a few quirks that don't seem to effect the 318s though...at least not as much as the 360s. The plenum gasket leaking is one of them. If you do a search in this forum (2nd gen Ram) you will find PLENTY of info on it.