SBC Spark Plug Wires – FAQs & Comparisons Chart

Good spark plug wires are as important as good spark plugs. Both plugs and its wires are crucial for the performance of the engine. The overall performance of the car will be severely reduced if spark plug wires don’t work perfectly.

If you are finding it hard to choose the best one from myriads of options, this article is a beacon for you. In this article I’ve compiled a list of the best spark plug wires for small block chevy. If you want to dig deep into spark plug wires details, you have come to the right place.

Reviews Of Top 7 SBC Spark Plug Wires

The small block Chevy engines are comparatively smaller and lighter than the BBC engines. But they also need a high performance ignition system to smoothly run the vehicles like trucks and racing cars. As the plug wires play a key role to transfer the energy from plugs to the combustion chamber, we have selected the high quality plug wires that can easily solve the ignition problems of the SBC engines.

Let’s kick off the reviews with Vkinman plug wires which fit SBC engines universally and few BBC Chevrolet engines. The spiral-wound copper conductors in these wires can provide low resistance ensuring max energy supply to the spark plugs.

Thinking about the electromagnetic interference due to the heavy electricity flow? Well stop thinking about something that Vkinman experts have already put a good thought on and solved. They have integrated high dielectric strength insulators and heavy glass braids to minimize the electromagnetic interference. Besides, the dielectric insulator and fiberglass braids protect the core from high temperature and abrasion.

The boots of this wire set are 90 degree on both ends and made with Black EPDM. Both the boots and core are heat and corrosion resistant making them durable and long lasting.

Wait! Don’t bother buying these spark plug wires if the OEM number(SP10-390-1010) doesn’t match. After all this research and head scratching you don’t wanna get off on the wrong foot!

Pros:

• Provides maximum energy for long sparks.
• Have high EMI suppression.
• Can resist damage from heat and abrasion.
• Comes at a good price.

Cons:

• There are some claims that it may take a bit of time to install the wires because the distributor cap is a little big to attach quickly.

Worried about sufficient spark supply? Put your worries to sleep with this pack of high performance plug wires! These plug wires provide more sparks to the combustion chamber to quickly ignite the fuels. Moreover, the dielectric spiral-wound copper conductor and heavy glass braid ensure the wires have low resistance and EMI suppression.

What else makes these wires a desirable option? It’s their easy installation. The wires come with two boot styles such as 90 degree boots and straight boots. So, you can easily connect the 90-degree boots with the distributors and straight boots with the spark plugs.However, make sure the part number SP10-390-1024 matches before buying this unit.

Pros:

• Easy to install.
• Very durable.
• High temperature resistance.
• Good wire quality.
• Come with lifetime replacement guarantee.

Cons:

• If you have SBC manufactured in 1999, the wires won’t fit in the engine as they are too long for this engine and the distributor cap is also quite deep to attach.

Do you know what ensures the plug wires high-quality performance? The cores and this is what makes this pack one of our best picks!

These 10.5 mm plug wires come with Kevlar spiral wound cores. The Kevlar is one of the top quality materials that you can think of to provide ultra high strength and heat resistance to the cores.

In addition, the set has RFI suppression around 1.8 k ohms-per-meter. Already feeling like the set a good deal, right? But there is more!!!!

Installation of the wires is also important and to make the process easy JDMSPEED has included both male and female boot styles in the wires. While the 90 degree HEI style boots help to connect with the distributors and straight boots can easily attach with the spark plugs.

Pros:

• Have low resistance.
• Improve engine performance.
• Can be replaced directly.
• Have a one year warranty.

Cons:

• Need to buy an adapter or a converter to use the set outside of the USA.

Like the company name, the set of wires brings A-game to the high electric ignition system. With the help of the low resistance heat conductor, the wires can transfer a maximum amount of energy to the combustion chamber for faster ignition. In addition, the silicone made outer layer helps them to withstand wear and tear for a long period of time.

Besides, the 90 degree boots and straight boots on the ends of the wires, make it easy to mount the wires in the distributors and spark plugs. Oh! one more thing, the plug wires are also available in black color so if you want, you can buy the black wires instead of the red ones.

Pros:

• Have wear resistance.
• Fit for HEI distributors.
• Ensure EMI suppression.
• Comes with a one year warranty.
• Solves common ignition problems.

Cons:

• You may need to bend the boot ends a bit to install them properly on the distributors and the spark plugs.

Are you one of those people who don’t easily trust aftermarket products? Don’t worry, these aftermarket parts won’t disappoint you. Let us tell you why not! Remember we have talked about the importance of cores for high-quality wire performance.

Well, the specialty of these spark plug wires is, they come with a Kevlar spiral wound core to provide high tensile strength and strong chemical stability against the heat. In addition, they ensure low resistance and extreme EMI or RFI suppression of the wires.

They also have paid close attention in the boots for the installation process. Hence, the set of 8 wires are available with 90 degree boots to directly fit in the distributors and spark plugs. The wires are additionally offered with a silicone grease package. So, if you have gained confidence for the product, give it a go!

Pros:

• Come with pre-assembled coil wire.
• Help to deliver maximum sparks.
• Have protection against corrosion.
• Have low resistance.
• Ensure high engine performance.

Cons:

• They can expose you to the potentially risky chemical Chrome which according to the State of California can cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.

Like a cherry on the top of the cake, let us introduce another amazing product to give a perfect finish to our reviews. These wires come with every feature that we generally expect them to have.

To begin with, this 8.5 mm high performance racing plug wire set has a universal fitment for SBC, BBC engines. The product, like most other plug wires, has silicone insulation and high temperature resistance outer jackets.

Do you know what is the best part of these wires? The best part of the parts is their distributor boot patterns of plug wires and coil wire.

The plugs wires have two types of boot styles such as 90-degree and straight boots. When the 90-degree boot enables the parts to be easily installed in the distributors, the straight boot helps them to quickly attach with the spark plugs.

On the other hand, the 35” coil wire has unassembled distributor ends and is offered with both male and female type ends. This gives you an option to use it in either types of coil connections as in socket connections or post connections. Besides, the wires have custom fit for big block Chevy engines and are also designed to go over the valve covers.

Pros:

• Come with two types of boot patterns.
• Has universal fit.
• Keep frequency noise to the minimum.
• Provide the right amount of insulation.
• The pack includes a coil wire.

Cons:

• If you are purchasing the wires from outside of the USA, you will need to use an adapter or a converter with them.

How To Choose Spark Plug Wires For SBC Engine?

Do you know why the plug wires are so important? The plug wires work as a bridge between the spark plugs and the cylinders to transfer the sparks to the combustion chamber. Hence, it is essential that they are made with high quality materials for durable spark supply. The following checklist will help you to purchase the right plug wires for your SBC engine.

Core: It can highly influence the wire performance. There are mainly three types of cores which are mostly used in the wires, such as carbon cores, solid cores and spiral cores.

For your small block Chevy, you should choose the wires that have spiral cores because unlike the other two cores, they can equally provide low resistance and EMI suppression. The spiral core can be made with a mixture of stainless steel, copper, and tin or it can be made of Kevlar.

Resistance: The wires have the ability to resist the flow of the current. Since, the high resistance can badly damage the ignition system of your engine, you should select the parts which have low resistance. The maximum resistance of the wires can be from 10,000 to 12,000 ohms-per-foot.

EMI Or RFI: The electro-magnetic field can create interference with the radio frequency and other sensors. Therefore, the parts should come with a strong EMI or RFI suppression ability.

Outer Jacket: The outer layer ensures the durability of the wires by protecting the core from heat, corrosion and chemical damages. Normally, silicone is used to make the outer jackets.

Braided Layer: In order to increase the strength, the wires have a fiberglass braided layer. To some extent, this layer can also provide EMI suppression.

Insulation: Generally, the insulation is constructed with silicone to prevent high temperature from damaging the core. It also protects the outer layer from the leakage of the excessive electrical charge flows. The high strength insulation can even suppress electro-magnetic interference.

Conductive Layer: Some wires have an extra conductive layer under the insulation. This helps the wire to save energy and protect it from RFI.

Other Factors: The parts can have variation in colors and boot angles. You can see the wires come in red, blue or black color with the same length and specifications. Besides, the boots of the wires are available in different angles like 45 degree, 90 degree or they have straight ends. So, before buying the wires check the boot angles and colors that will suit your ignition system.

FAQ

How To Replace The Plug Wires?

The plug wire installation process may vary depending on the manufacturing year of the small block Chevy engines. However, there are some common instructions that you need to follow:

Make sure the engine is cold to start the process. Take the longest wire to begin the installation and then gradually move towards the smallest wire.

You should not force the wires to fit into the plugs and distributors. Gently rotate or twist the boot ends to connect with the spark plugs and distributors.

You will hear a “click” sound when they are perfectly aligned. However, you should check the wires by pulling them tightly. If they easily detach from the plugs and distributors, it means they weren’t properly installed.

Can Plug Wires Increase The Horsepower?

Some people believe that the high quality wires can increase the horsepower of the engine. However, this isn’t the case, the wires can improve the engine performance by eliminating the ignition problems but they cannot provide additional horsepower.

How Often Should You Replace The Wires?

It is ideal to replace the wires at every 30,000-50,000 miles but they can also be damaged prematurely. Therefore, you should frequently check the wires, if they are in bad condition, you should change them immediately.

Conclusion

The plug wires are not universal in their features but they definitely play equal roles to transfer the electrical charge to the combustion chamber. It is really important to purchase the replacement wires by matching their compatibility with the engines. So, you are suggested to use the given checklist while buying the plug wires.

In addition, we will also recommend you to follow the instructions for the installation procedure. The process may need a bit of attention and patience, so if it’s not your forte, you should take help of a professional mechanic.