Zombie_OverDrive907

Hello everyone, soon to be new LT1 owner here ( 1993 Trans Am, woo hoo!)

Learning more and more about the troubles of the OptiSpark and it's remedies, it feels like I am being pulled in all sorts of directions.

I just want it to run and start, not leave me stranded anywhere.

My plan is to enjoy the car for a month or so and then do a full tune up, maybe more. The list as goes is;

Water pump and route the weep hole away from the Opti.

Upgrade to the vented Opti system, ( 1997?)

New battery and alternator, possibly starter ( if all original )

Spark plug and wires, distributor cap.

Any other suggestions welcome

thanks a bunch!

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't bother with the later opti I would just do a MSD cap and rotor kit that will add a vent.

Really based on how worried you seem by what you wrote and how little understanding you seem to have with things like listing new opti and cap and rotor separately you may not be mechanically inclined enough to keep a 22yo car reliable, no matter what distributor it has.

If you think the opti is that big a deal then you are ineffective in your research. It is a good design, that works just fine, but mentally deficient people have a lot to say about troubles they can't identify as self caused. They will curse it on the internet when at 100K miles the stock cap acts up. To anyone with half a brain that is proof of a good part. What other application would folks leave a cap and rotor go that long?

Lt1Porsche

iTrader: (6)

Ignore the previous post as it wasnt helpful in anyway at all. Anytime when dealing with an older car like a 1993 model there is going to be a laundry list of things you could replace if you want to get into that. Biggest thing that is going to be helpful is changing your fluids and focusing mostly on maintenance items. Things like plugs and wires cap and rotor are good items to address. Based of the condition of the whole distributor you might want to replace the unit as a whole instead of just pieces. The water pump vs opti spark issue is not as big as it seems. Its not like every year your going to need a new one bc your water pump leaks. A new battery, pcv valve, cleaning throttle body, check all your belts and hoses (replace as necessary). When you have the belt off check the condition of all your accessories (power steering, a/c clutch, pulleys) and replace as needed. Listen for scratching noises or loose bearings within the pulleys. Like I said before change the necessary fluids (power steering, brake, clutch if applicable, antifreeze and oil) In my experience over the years cars that have their fluids clean and maintained is the best way to ensure reliability out of any car. My trans am did not have a single failure in 100K miles till I got rid of it. Water pump never failed, radiator never leaked, all hoses good, no oil leaks, etc. Now dealing with an older car your issue is going to be previous owners. Fixing their neglect is going to be job #1. I dont believe in replacing accessories till they are bad. No need to replace the alternator or starter just because. Just because parts are newer it does not mean they are more reliable. Check all brakes and suspension and steering items and repair as necessary and all should be well. Enjoy the new ride and glad to have you in the group. Any questions feel free to ask and try to ignore the trolls.

Zombie_OverDrive907

I stayed up late reading all the horror stories about the OptiSpark. Read about mass shootings all night and you begin to get a warped idea of the world, ya know?

I can do all the work needed. No big deal there. I am a mechanic, not the best in the world but getting there. I just want this car to be problem free as I plan on using it to drive cross country next summer.

What better looking vehicle than a Trans Am?


Thanks for all your suggestions. I do maintenance daily at work as a general line mechanic, so I am used to checking things over and being mindful of repairs needed. I zero in on the OptiSpark because to me it seems like it can be problematic if it's not vented or if coolant gets into it. I do plan on the necessary steps around it but if it all checks out and looks good, I might very well leave it alone. 79,000 miles on a 1993 car makes me think it's only a summer car. Every car has it's quirks (Subaru 2.5's with it's head gaskets, 4.6/5.4 Triton's and their two piece spark plugs, Rotary's and their Apex seals, etc.) I understand that.

I am assuming if the water pump and there are no issues with power, the Opti is A-Ok.



Not looking to build a 8-9 second car, more like a 200-250,000 mile car.


Edit:
Just chatted with the owner and everything is legit, but it does have starting issues when it's 20-25 degrees outside, once warmer it starts up just fine ( like in Spring ).

Lt1Porsche

iTrader: (6)

The starting issue.....try to find out more about that. Probably just battery related. It appears you wont have an issue getting it all done which is good. The opti spark is an outdated design but works fine. I would probably still do a new water pump and cap and rotor and wires if I bought it just for ***** and giggles. You got this man, like you said, the only reason your finding nightmares about the opti spark is because your looking for them.

lt1-xjs

Change the fluids, hoses and belt. Put in a new air filter or throw on a new cold air system and be done.

Zombie_OverDrive907

Thanks for your help

it already has a 2800 stall and a built trans with a shift kit, I hope it's the 3.23 posi gears as well. It should be, being a Trans Am and not a Firebird, right??

All I need are some drag radials and I hope it see's some low 13's!

Puck

iTrader: (17)

I'm a little tipsy and in a good mood, so will take the time for a nice long response for you.

These are a few mods I recommend specifically for a 93, coming from a guy who owned one for over a decade and has been through the whole car twice...a lot of us already made the mistakes for you .

- OEM opti base, and run the MSD cap and rotor. To "convert" to a venter opti you normally need a timing cover, vented opti cap, harness, vacuum tubing, and have to modify the dowel on the front of your cam. That is a hell of a lot of work when compared to the MSD cap that just bolts right on and comes with all venting hardware. Don't even bother with aftermarket Optisparks unless you find a freshly rebuilt Dynaspark for cheap (the only quality aftermarket piece...and even that is not as good as it used to be) The OEM piece uses the most reliable sensors. Being a 93, running the MSD cap and rotor is the cheapest and easiest way to convert to a vented opti which will last longer. You also get a stronger rotor and better quality terminals...just make sure you verify the rotor is locktited in.

- Heated O2s. This is a cheap and easy mod that lets you run heated O2 sensors. Once I got long tubes my car took FOREVER to get into closed loop. Heated O2s fixed that right up. They were an easy install, just need to wire in a switched power source. I think mine was from thunderracing but that was ages ago. I know a forum member from another site called Fastbird used make a kit as well.

-Moates piggyback PCM chip adapter. 93's use a ******* ANCIENT computer system using a UV erasable PROM from the 80s. Moates makes a piggyback adapter that allows you to use an EEPROM that is electronically erasable, allowing you to load, program, and edit your own tune easily over a little USB box. There are still tune repositories floating around where you can download a similar modded car tune for free, and lots of guides to learn how to tweak it yourself. I had a real hard time finding a dyno tuner for my '93 back in 06 when I did my first H/C build...I can imagine it will be damn near impossible to find one today so you will be left to mail order tunes so might as well learn yourself...

-Disable VATS through the guide on shbox. I don't know wtf makes this fail on older cars, but it is annoying as hell. You may go to turn on your car, and get absolutely nothing but a bright SECURITY warning on your gauge cluster. You can disable it through hardware easily though. First, use a multimeter to measure the resistance across the "chip" on your ignition key. Find the matching resistor value, then locate the correct VATS wire under your steering wheel (yellow i think??? Again, 10 damn years ago lol). Cut that wire and run that resister value in line with it and say good-by to ignition cycling your car 50 times to get rid of the SECURITY light. Mine failed randomly and almost left me stranded at work. After disconnecting the battery for a few minutes it started right up first try and I disabled it as soon as I got home. Never saw that message again.

-If it is TTops, you very may well need to change your seals and these are expensive. I think thirdgen.org has OEM replacements that should easily last another decade.

That's all I got off the top of my head. A lot of benefits to this year, but some quirks to look out for as well .

*drops the mic*

Zombie_OverDrive907

Thank you sir for the tips. Greatly appreciated...

That key trick with the VATS is priceless

Puck

iTrader: (17)

Thank shbox for that one(and bookmark his site while you are at it). Saved me a ton of grief. It supposedly can be tuned out, bit the resister trick fixed it once and for all for me .

Zombie_OverDrive907

Thank you Shbox

Zombie_OverDrive907

I am a little confused. The Opti base ( low frequency part ) and the OptiSpark ( high frequency part) are different but how come no one speaks of replacing the Opti base? So I can get away with just replacing the OptiSpark which is the cap and rotor part of the Opti system? and be A-Ok just as long as I make sure the bolts are loctite and the cover is sealed shut?

Coils and plugs at the same time, which I hear is a PAIN with all the accessories from what I hear. No worse than an Astro van I bet, which suck.

As far as the water pump, should I go ahead and replace it even if there are no leaks? Plumb and direct the weep hole down towards the oil pan, seal with RTV sealant?

What are you guys running for Diagnostics on the OBDI or am I stuck with things like pinning terming #18 to terminal #2 via a wire and turning on the ignition to see how many times the "- - - -" flashes or what code pops up by counting how many flashes the "- - - -" makes??

Are you guys doing anything special to the heater hoses to ensure they don't burst and shoot fluid over the OptiSpark?

I plan on doing the fan mod trick to help keep things cool since the Opti hates heat ( which is funny being sandwitched between the engine and water pump lol

With a vented Opti In place, how will it fare in -20/-25 degree weather? I live in Alaska and it gets cold like that for months and months at a time. I can't imagine small amounts 0 degree weather into the Opti vent being good on the unit.

It's quirky, I don't mind.. I just want to learn how to do things the right way and from the best.

guppymech

iTrader: (7)

Optispark explained:
http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/031...ing-modifying/

Zombie_OverDrive907

Taking a look at a 00 Z28 tomorow evening.. I love the body style of the 93 Trans Am but I really don't want to deal with anything weird on this car. It's supposed to just be a fun summer cruiser, road trip car.. not messing around and fiddling with things. I may consider the LT1 to LS1 coil system, that would be the best bet. I want to leave this car to my uncle or dad once I leave state, I don't want to be the only one that knows/understands how to work on it...

Catmaigne

iTrader: (6)

You have to take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt and try to be realistic about what it is you're buying. If you have X dollars in your pocket to buy a 93 or a 00 then chances are the 93 will likely be the better deal if RELIABILITY (what you keep sweating about) is your primary concern, optispark and all. The LS cars are much more desirable and will be more ragged out, high mileage, ugly, abused, unkempt, and mechanically unstable when compared to an LT of equal valve. If this 00 is nicer than the 93 then that could only mean that 1. the 93 owner is on crack or 2. you're paying more $$$, end of story. However, if the 00 isn't a POS and you end up getting then good for you... it's the better engineered car (even tho it looks fishy).

ahritchie

iTrader: (1)

I'd lean toward the newest lowest mileage example you can afford....LT1 or LS1. Rubber parts degrade and need replaced with age; the LS1 cars are indeed more reliable in my personal experience due to a better ignition system, no optispark, ICM, or coil replacements which my LT1 has had ALL ignition components fail at one time or another over 18 years. Also they don't leak oil like most LT1s, and they ride better with improved shocks/suspension, and they weigh 100lbs less, and have better brakes, ect. ect.... My LS1 has more miles than my 1994 LT1 but only has only ever needed new plugs and wires. It all depends on how the car was maintained though.

Get one with a 6spd is the best advice...way more fun for a sporty car and less common

Zombie_OverDrive907

It's been decided.... LS1!

BOLO

iTrader: (40)

+1 Go LSx Bye bye optisuck