"Upgrade" HT leads - are they worth the extra?

[chadr]

I was looking at a set of HT leads for the truck - the current set are the originals as far as I know and I thought I might replace them at the next service.

I haven't even bothered to ask Mr Toyota how much he wants for a set of OEM leads, however there seem to be quite a few other options available out there......

Apparently the OEM leads are made from 5mm or 4mm cable....and you can get similar spec items for around £30 for a 3 lead set. Then you have various "upgrade" spec leads at higher prices, I've listed a few examples below from one supplier to give you a flavour;

7mm version - £66 for a set of 3 leads
http://www.dcperformance.co.uk/uprated/magnecor-7mm-ignition-leads/toyota/landcruiser.html

8mm version - £68 for a set of 3 leads
http://www.dcperformance.co.uk/uprated/magnecor-8mm-ignition-leads/toyota/landcruiser.html

8.5mm version - £82 for a set of 3 leads
http://www.dcperformance.co.uk/cheap/620373/toyota/magnecor-kv85-ignition-leads/mgn-65162.html

Using these examples, the cheapest upgrade is double the price of the OEM spec items and the "race spec" version nearly 3 times the price.

Firstly, is it worth "upgrading" the HT leads at all ? If so, then what am I looking for?

P.S. If you are going to bother and using the above examples, it makes sense to go with the 8mm version as it's only going to be £4 dearer than the 7mm......

 

[MuckyPup]

A Toyota is one of the very few engines that I wouldn't buy upgrade HT leads for.
I've run numerous silly HP Toyota engines on OE leads with no problems (Unlike Ford, Vauxhall etc)
If you do change them then the standard black Magnecore 7mm are great and usually fit in the ht lead clips.
My only warning would be Magnecore HT plug caps are great, but sometimes they buy in caps for odd-ball applications and they can be crap. (Toyota MR2 / Celica were in this category)

Lift the bonnet on a cold damp night and look for a blue haze or sparks, no haze then leads are fine.
Pull each lead (gently) to check plug cap to lead joint, if it comes out then it can sometimes be re-crimped with care and some silicone spray to get it back on.
No haze, no bad crimps stick with Toyota.

 

[chadr]

Thanks, I've yet to ask Mr Toyota how much his leads are ......if they are comparable in price to the "upgrade" ones........I might just stick with Toyota. If they are more expensive, then I might plump for Magnecor leads.

 

[J66P]

OEM £104 i had no choice

 

[x_shaun]

i had some nology hot wires on my civic and they made it so much more responsive dont no if they make them for the landcruiser but if they do you won't go wrong

 

[chadr]

OEM £104 i had no choice

Is that for all 6 or just 3? - the prices I quoted in my OP were for just one bank of cylinders.

 

[J66P]

just 3, other banks coil packs

 

[chadr]

Doh - just goes to show how much I know !!

Had to look up the Max Ellery; as you say one bank has the coil packs and then has leads to the other bank. Must admit that even after owning this car for over 7 years, it's the first time I actually realised that!

Slightly OT but is this a common set-up nowadays on modern cars? Does that mean that when the cylinder with the "coil" fires, the cylinder on the other bank attached via the lead fires too and vice versa? Doesn't that mean they fire twice each cycle - or am I being daft again?

I think I should change my sig to "sorry, I haven't a clue"

 

[J66P]

your being daft

 

[chadr]

Now you got me thinking - which is never a good thing in my experience.....

I found this on Yotatech.....

IF the firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6, then 1-4 are on the same coil, 2-5 same coil, 3-6 same coil. On coil pack vehicles, the spark goes from the coil, to the spark plug, through the block, back through the companion spark plug, and returns to the coil. ( IE, it fires 2 spark plugs each time...one on compression and 1 on exhaust stroke)

About 2/3s down in this thread.
http://www.yotatech.com/f2/help-having-trouble-spark-plugs-40801/

 

[J66P]