Opti spark
Take a better look at any service manual, including the Haynes, Chilton or any other. Like any distributor the recommended "inspection interval for the distributor housing" is 30,000 miles specifically for the 5.7 LT1 engine.
30,000 miles has been the service interval for every distributor since the HEI came out in 1973. Any contact distributor is the same. I stretch it to 40,000 miles because I can. And I'm cheap.
30,000 miles has been the service interval for every distributor since the HEI came out in 1973. Any contact distributor is the same. I stretch it to 40,000 miles because I can. And I'm cheap.
And its not even about "its not broke don't fix it." Its about preventing larger issues. If you HAVE to replace your cap and rotor its likely because the rotor blew out. And if that happens don't plan on the distributor being serviceable.
That's what car maintenance is all about. Otherwise why change your oil? Why not wait until your brakes are through the rotors?
Its preventative maintenance.
You guys give the OEM optispark WAY less credit than it deserves. I'm not talking about Chiltons, Haynes, or any other aftermarket books - I'm talking about GM FSMs and owner's manual and normal maintenance routine. You show me a GM document saying I have to change my cap and rotor every 40k miles, and I'll eat my shoe. If I install the same optispark that came on my car, why would I have to check it 40k miles from now when I didn't have to with the original one?
If you want to waste your time, go right ahead. And of course the guy SELLING optispark cap and rotors is going to agree with you - he's pushing his products more and more every day.
If you want to waste your time, go right ahead. And of course the guy SELLING optispark cap and rotors is going to agree with you - he's pushing his products more and more every day.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2007
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From: Lansing, MI via Bowling Green, KY, Dalton GA, Nashville, TN & Atlanta, GA
My Chandler Motorsports LT1 service manual says the optispark should be serviced, or replaced, every 50 miles. However, my factory original optispark lasted 100K with no maintanence other than the occasional drip wash from the water pump.
If you're going to replace the optispark, get an AC/Delco or Delphi.
If you're going to replace the optispark, get an AC/Delco or Delphi.
You guys give the OEM optispark WAY less credit than it deserves. I'm not talking about Chiltons, Haynes, or any other aftermarket books - I'm talking about GM FSMs and owner's manual and normal maintenance routine. You show me a GM document saying I have to change my cap and rotor every 40k miles, and I'll eat my shoe. If I install the same optispark that came on my car, why would I have to check it 40k miles from now when I didn't have to with the original one?
If you want to waste your time, go right ahead. And of course the guy SELLING optispark cap and rotors is going to agree with you - he's pushing his products more and more every day.
If you want to waste your time, go right ahead. And of course the guy SELLING optispark cap and rotors is going to agree with you - he's pushing his products more and more every day.
Launching!
Joined: Dec 2008
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From: Lebanon TN
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Verdad Gallardo If you want to talk about great distributor design, GM HEI is a bullet proof, easily serviceable and is still widely supported in the aftermarket. That's how you do a distributor!
check this out, its trouble shooting the opti if your car wont start but maybe theres something for you in there. this might help you before you purchase a new harness. worked for me and 3 hours later i had a new opti in there working.
http://www.mainstreamtopics.com/foru...p?showtopic=78
http://www.mainstreamtopics.com/foru...p?showtopic=78
Half of the optispark failures on this forum are because people blindly put their faith in aftermarket optis, expecting them to be higher and mightier than the factory AC Delco. Accel, Allignition, even the MSD have far more documented failures combined than the AC Delco optispark. I can only wonder if all of these "RTV the cap" or "loctite the rotor screws" prevention methods actually make things worse.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: In the garage fixing LT1
Half of the optispark failures on this forum are because people blindly put their faith in aftermarket optis, expecting them to be higher and mightier than the factory AC Delco. Accel, Allignition, even the MSD have far more documented failures combined than the AC Delco optispark. I can only wonder if all of these "RTV the cap" or "loctite the rotor screws" prevention methods actually make things worse.
Never seen any real numbers on this. Did you do a study or something? I know my MSD was a piece of junk, but I have seen a lot of complaints about the AC Delco units too. I have an eBay opti right now. So far so good.
If you're talking about the 3 bolts that hold on the pulley, just use a long extension or something similar to put through the crank hub to keep the crank from spinning. Either that or an impact gun.
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