94m6Z28

got my new msd opti today. woohoo!!! now then. there is a little baggie in the bottem of the box with

1- square o-ring
1- normal o-ring

3 new hex bolts

im guessing the hex bolts are new ones for mounting it to the motor

my question is, WTF are the o-rings for???? do i needa worrie about them?? they are just extras right?? this thing is plug and play as far as i can tell... thought id check and make sure now befor i start the guessing game of putting everything back together 2morrow

porksoda

iTrader: (39)

You gotta take the cap off and install the o-ring then put the cap back on and tighten down. Don't forget to loctite those rotor screws too!

Koll

Good luck. I have heard nothing but problems from the BBody people and the MSD.
If you gonna spend that kinda money, why not just go Delteq or LTCC?

96slow6

Umm. Because the Delteq and LTCC both still use the optical sensor of the opti. Which is the part that goes bad.

96slow6

Oh and use the square o-ring the regular one has give some people issues.

355z28

iTrader: (8)

Im kinda tired of hearing this, the reason people have issues with them is installer errors, people not getting the oring on right and having rotor to have contact, hell people do that on stock opti's too.

The only bad thing about them is theres no timing mark, so once you've messed around with it with no mark its tough to get it back to where its suppose to be.

This isnt a post trying to be a dick, just a few people post problems with it and OMG its junk.

I agree since i dont mess with my timing i shouldve probably got a stock replacement, but for the money i got it for it was the same cost as the ac replacement so its not a big deal. my .02 sorry.

94m6Z28

i went with this one becuse i wanted some thing new, its red *+10 points* its got a retoro fit vac harness soo my unvented style opti is now a vented *wonders how that is going to hack boost, will deal with that later*

ok soo i need install the o-ring and loc-tight the rotor??




rotor is loc tighted. i put on the square o-ring, its sat nice and flat and i out the cap back on. how can i tell if it stayed that way or is gunna be one of those userer errors?

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

No, some of the most advanced users who have tried the MSD opti have gone back to stock, it is the middleground and slow cars that have owners swearing this is the best thing ever.

Far as this converting to vented opti well a $150 cap and rotor would have done that.

The MSD opti is vastly more troubleprone than stock and it is a bad idea to install it without a keyed hub degreed damper and fabricated pointer so you can verify timing, otherwise you are guessing they did it right but they can't get the rotor tight or the o-ring right so that is a mightly big leap of faith.

94m6Z28

woudlent u have to change cranks to use a keyed damper??

coudlent u also zero it out by getting TDC, and making sure that the roter is right around the 1' prong thing*dont know that proper name for it*

just thought it might be a good invest ment as i plan on doing the motor next winter...hope its not going to bite me in the ***

96slow6

I hate to argue with someone I know has some very good inputs. However, I do not see the the big timing Issue. As for trouble some, its all about the user. If you open it clean it. Let the lock tight dry before spinning it, once assembled spin it to be sure it moves freely. Put the car at #1 tdc before you start or stop any work. All problems solved. Were does a key hub come in to play? A sharpie and 10 seconds to line it up is pretty easy.

No you dont have to change the crank. The stocker has provisions for woodruff keys. Yes put it at TDC. It is a good investment. If you bought it right from MSD it has a warranty.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Putting the crank at TDC has noting to do with anything.

Checking the location of the rotor compared to where it "should" be at TDC is meaningless too because the MSD opti "adjusts" timing by lying to the pcm about engine position.

http://www.impalassforum.com/vBullet...0&postcount=35
Guy who made that post manages to make a 4500lbs car run over 146mph in the quarter and been invited to the last two Pump Gas Drags, last year faulty wheel stud from Moser took him out of competition. He also manages to do this with a 4L60E and 8.5" 10bolt, the engine is a Donovan aluminum block converted to accept everything LT1 specific including the opti and WP. At the top you can click and read the whole thread. 1FAST94 runs 10.8 NA in an Impala at over 3800lbs.

Common thread I see is guys who like to overengineer and end up with mediocre results love the MSD and LTCC/Delteq while many guys who actually understand things and get results like the stock piece. If given a choice I will listen to the guy with a grasp of reality over the one who can so no further than a drawing every time. What works on paper does not necessarily work in reality and when this kind of cash is involved people will often convionce themselves of things that are false.

First thing I did to my car was a Jacob's Ignition and I loved it at the time, in hindsight it was complete garbage did noting but eat plugs and wires and cause problems I spent months chasing and replacing good parts. I am the rarity though in my ability to admit mistakes.

The keyed hub is so you can use a degreed damper and have it be accurate and check timing with a light, "checking" it by looking at mechanical positions of stuff is completely meaningless.

94m6Z28

soo far from reading ever ones input im seeing

msd opti = **** sucker

stock or stock replacment opti = gold

96slow6

I can see we are going to disagree. You are correct the MSD allows for timing adjustments. It does not trick anything. You have to adjust the screw to make a change. You can put a Mark on a non keyed hub and install a pointer. Then use a timing light. You can then adjust the screw to set your timing. Yes, thats right, its as simple as turning a screw.

How is checking mechanical positions useless? You need a place to start your work.

I am in no way in love with the MSD, and I surely hate delteq and LTCC. However, Given the MSD's abilities over a stock unit in the right hands, it is a better piece. As far as the first batch having a few with issues. You know, Its the first batch. I think I can forgive them.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

The MSD achieves timing change by moving the optical pickup which in effect lies to the computer about where in rotation the engine is.

I have not made the mistake of buying the MSD opti but I have handled one, I think people mistake pretty for quality and ugly for a lack thereof. Only reason the stock opti gets a bad rap is because the average person lacks the intellectual tools to truly comprehend much of anything. They leave an original cap and rotor on for 100K and when it fails blame the design. Tell you what, that is in reality proof of what a good design it is.

You are just in denial and will blindly believe what you wasted $500 is good even though you are saying you have to practically rebuild it before installation. TYou will dismiss all problems one at a time rather than stepping back and looking at them as a collection of proof of anything.

96slow6

So you are saying I am like a LS1 owner talking about my piston slap?

It is not a lie its a tool for tuning.

You are going to tell me you don't do a once over on the Parts you buy before you install them? For me to believe a product is bad I have to experience it. I do not know the competence of the individual that installed it.

If I am denial and blind. Then what are you? You say that you have never used an MSD, so you are fool enough to make a decision on hear say alone?

Again it is a Tool. If you know what you are doing it will aid you in your search for horse power. If you are just swapping out from a bad opti go OEM.

spudnick3119

Wow, every time the MSD Opti is mentioned, 96capricemgr loves to bash. Who cares that the other guy can build a 10 second car. Does he not make mistakes? He even mentioned that after they fixed it, he never installed it. But don't listen to me, I just have a stock LT1.

Anyway, back on topic. The hex bolts are for mounting the opti. I had one of the older MSD units with the non square o-ring, and didn't have a problem keeping it from coming off, so the square o-ring should stay put. Just make sure it is on all the way before you mount the opti. I also didn't use loctite either on the screws but it probably wouldn't hurt anything. Like 96slow6 said, ALWAYS check the part before installing it, no matter what it is. If you need any other help while installing it, let me know.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

I hate seeing people get talked into spending extra on a DOWNGRADE. If we all thought like you guys all we would have would be Granatelli, Jet, Hypertech and the like.

96slow6

Talked into buying what? He already has it. I was trying to help him install it correctly.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

I too have the MSD Opti along with the LTCC kit. I have the Deltec blank cap and no rotor. I have no issues with the MSD unit and I consider it a well made item. I have the advance locked at zero or where it would be "stock". I'll let the PCM decide how much advance there should be.

The MSD unit eliminates the plug in the unit on the passenger side. They employ a sealed tail to the next plug up on top. This is a good idea.

I won't claim any power or mileage improvements but it does run smoother. Others here have said the same. I have no more issues with wires buried under the drive bracket or burning on the headers. It also cleans up the front of the engine by eliminating the stock coil and ignition module.

By no means does either item, the MSD opti or the LTCC kit cause any loss of power. IMHO, it does make everything more reliable and it looks neat too. Of course, the down side is the initial cost of everything. I don't think I'll ever need to replace my opti ever again.

94m6Z28

well got the new opti in, new plugs, wire, new coil *thats todays chour of poping out the old stock rivits and mounting the new coil* then i can start putting the front end back together

question about the vent hose off the bottem of the opti cap with the T in the end of it, i cant get the end of the t to fit tight onto the vac hose i spliced it onto, any thing i should use to get it to seal better so i dont have a stupied leak when i get this thing running again?