LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

rotor disintegrated AGAIN on opti!!! WTF!!!

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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 04:28 PM
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Default rotor disintegrated AGAIN on opti!!! WTF!!!

i am sick of this ****! not even2k on new opti and bam! fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!

to top it all off, Autozone won't warranty the whiole assy, just the distributor, even though i bought it as a unit! what is up with that!!!!! i have not been insulted like i was today at the autozone in the detroit area earlier today ! ******' ********. i hope the district manager will assist me in reoslving this issue. at this point want the replacement to put on a shelf as a spare and put something else in there, like the msd, the dyna spark piece looks nice but man that is very expensive!!!!!
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 04:43 PM
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did it come unbolted or blow apart??? i had on come unbolted on me while i was on the dyno at ed wright's we couldnt finish tunnin mine so i was done for the day and it was on the 3rd pull
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 05:15 PM
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Time to go coil on plug ....OPI JUNK.......
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 05:35 PM
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the rotor is like a jigsaw puzzle in the housing

i have enuff stuff under the hood i don't want to add coils and all that extra f'n wiring!

the dynaspark is worth a try, but that is a fair bit of coin to part with!!!!!

Last edited by taner; Mar 27, 2005 at 05:57 PM.
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 05:50 PM
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Taner get you a pre 95' cover and pre 95' opti works for me.....
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 06:08 PM
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Originally Posted by Joe Overton
Taner get you a pre 95' cover and pre 95' opti works for me.....
joe sent ya mail
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 07:02 PM
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How high are you revving that beast? To the moon, I take it?

Perhaps you could try to find a different Autozone that would honor the warranty. The Autozone here in KC actually instructs me to rip them off. They're funny...

A Pre-95 opti will also require a pre-95 cam gear and a pre-95 opti wiring harness. You might have to order the splined opti driveshaft separately. I can get the GM part numbers if you want to go that route, but I'm not sure if that would be beneficial on such a radical setup. If you can wait for the new MSD units, they probably use a stronger rotor. Otherwise, if you want to get away from broken rotors, you're probably looking at the Dynaspark or one of the coil-conversions ($$$).


I highly doubt you'd want it, but I figured I'd at least offer: I could mail you my 70,000-mile 1994 rotor for the time being. I've got a coil conversion, so it's just spinning in there for no reason -- I could fabricate a washer in it's place. The car is already torn apart for a blower buildup. Pay shipping and it's yours...
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 07:11 PM
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Kind of a side note, but you might want to measure your cam's dowel pin next time you're in there. If it's extending out too far from the cam face, I've heard this can cause 'exploding rotors'. Just a thought. Mine hasn't had any hiccups up to 6500rpm...
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 07:12 PM
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Originally Posted by taner
i am sick of this ****! not even2k on new opti and bam! fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!

to top it all off, Autozone won't warranty the whiole assy, just the distributor, even though i bought it as a unit! what is up with that!!!!! i have not been insulted like i was today at the autozone in the detroit area earlier today ! ******' ********. i hope the district manager will assist me in reoslving this issue. at this point want the replacement to put on a shelf as a spare and put something else in there, like the msd, the dyna spark piece looks nice but man that is very expensive!!!!!
That is normally caused by the rotor screws coming loose. They are never tight when they come out of the box. The safe thing is before installing it is remove the rotor, and re-install it using locktite on the screws. By far, the vast majority of Opti problems are caused by the rotor screws coming loose, that really tears stuff up. I shift mine over 7000, that doesn't seem to bother it. Been using the same one over two years. No telling how high Joe turns his.
Don't think RPM is the problem.

Good luck, Ed

Last edited by Ed Wright; Mar 27, 2005 at 07:18 PM.
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 08:19 PM
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Alex,

thanks for the offer, buti don't wnat to convert to a different cover etc...
i measured the dowel, and i can even see the wear marks on the inside of the dowel location, i am at least .080" from bottoming out, at first that is what i thought had happened. i took some quicl measurements and the dowel does in fact stick out about .040" farther than the one in the previous cam, i can grind it down for piece of mind, but i am positive that it was not bottoming out.
thanks for the offer

my dowwel currrently measures 0.473" from the surface of the cam retainer, which is .182" thick.

Ed,
i spun mine for the most part to 7k or a touch more. i actually plan on spinning it harder this year. so i want to make sure i have thus nipped in the butt. i nver realized that the screws were an issue! i will open up the unit that i get from autozone and do as you recommend! but i am still leary abotu instaling it on the car! lol!!!! is there a torque spec for the scres, lol!!! how many inch.lbs ?

i wonder if the cap and rotor from msd is a little more durable???

thanks alot folks! i do appreciate it!
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 08:44 PM
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man, you have a great setup and tons of money in that car, you might as well go with a delteq and save yourself headache from the opti....i have done the delteq and i love it......the delteq really doesnt add that much wiring...the setup is very clean and it even makes running plug wires much easier....the coilpack setup will be safe to run the 7000 and i havent been able to find anyone who had something bad to say about delteq...good luck with whatever you choose
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 08:58 PM
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I have the delteq as well, other then the coil packs , there is very little wiring but you can fab up a plate and put the coil packs under your cowal and run the wires like an old school set up.......

the last time i looked junder your hook it was VERY VERY VERY clean....
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 08:59 PM
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Originally Posted by RossB
man, you have a great setup and tons of money in that car, you might as well go with a delteq and save yourself headache from the opti....i have done the delteq and i love it......the delteq really doesnt add that much wiring...the setup is very clean and it even makes running plug wires much easier....the coilpack setup will be safe to run the 7000 and i havent been able to find anyone who had something bad to say about delteq...good luck with whatever you choose
there is a limit to the "hot rod" fund, lmao!!! the msd ignition has done a fine job of keeping up it is the opti that has plagued me as a late. it was great for 3 years until i last summer.

schurter,

thanks! but with the coil packs comes wires, and brackets, and i can't use the 6al, or digital retard box.
ultimately it is cheaper now to replace warrantied opti, at worst for out 150 for the msd cap and rotor. i am gonna call msd to inquire about the cap and rotor. certainly ed's tip might be an opti saver right there!
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 09:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Ed Wright
That is normally caused by the rotor screws coming loose. They are never tight when they come out of the box. The safe thing is before installing it is remove the rotor, and re-install it using locktite on the screws. By far, the vast majority of Opti problems are caused by the rotor screws coming loose, that really tears stuff up. I shift mine over 7000, that doesn't seem to bother it. Been using the same one over two years. No telling how high Joe turns his.
Don't think RPM is the problem.

Good luck, Ed
Ding ding ding, this happened to my 396 3 f'in times before I got it right , this method works!
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 09:05 PM
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For clarification, my post was in addition to Joe O.'s (as far as converting to a pre-95 opti, even if he was kidding). I wasn't suggesting that you should...

You can run a 1992-1994 cap and rotor on your 1996 rear section with slight modification. That's what I've got in my car right now -- somewhat of a hybrid. All the rotors should be identical. Just fyi -- good luck.
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 09:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Alex94TAGT
For clarification, my post was in addition to Joe O.'s (as far as converting to a pre-95 opti, even if he was kidding). I wasn't suggesting that you should...

You can run a 1992-1994 cap and rotor on your 1996 rear section with slight modification. That's what I've got in my car right now -- somewhat of a hybrid. All the rotors should be identical. Just fyi -- good luck.

thanks Alex, i didn't know you could run the older cap and rotor, cool! no harm done on suggestion

i shot Pete an email over at delteq, i want to talk to him tomorrow, at the very least i will decide what the hell i am going to do i have dyno time scheduled for next weekend, so i hope i can finish this up, we'll see.
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 09:40 PM
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Or just do the coil conversion if your wallet allows it!
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Old Mar 27, 2005 | 10:49 PM
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you need to pin/rivet your rotor. the plastic rivits let go on one of mine.
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Old Mar 28, 2005 | 12:53 PM
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Originally Posted by taner
Alex,

Ed,
i spun mine for the most part to 7k or a touch more. i actually plan on spinning it harder this year. so i want to make sure i have thus nipped in the butt. i nver realized that the screws were an issue! i will open up the unit that i get from autozone and do as you recommend! but i am still leary abotu instaling it on the car! lol!!!! is there a torque spec for the scres, lol!!! how many inch.lbs ?

i wonder if the cap and rotor from msd is a little more durable???

thanks alot folks! i do appreciate it!
I don't know anything about the MSD stuff, I'm sure it is fine. I just tighten the screws till they feel tight to me. 40 years of building carbs, and you develope a feel for small screws. Just use locktite and snug them. Red locktite will keep them in place. I shift mine at 7200/7250, and go through the lights just over 7100. Mine won't go over 7300 consistantly. I would imagine Joe O turns in the mid-8000s. You should have no problems, especially with a factory PCM. I still need to track that 7300 RPM limit down, hate to go to an aftermarket PCM. Not enough hours in the day anymore.

Good luck, Ed
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Old Mar 28, 2005 | 02:12 PM
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hmmm, rivet you say???? well i bit the bullet and called pete and delteq! i guess you can say i mastered the possibilities, i will have a complete kit tomorrow. considering i just sold the wifes car i still have a couple of bucks to kick around, just trying to be frugal, lmao!!!
i really didn't want to go that route for 2 reasons, first cost, and second having to rewire my n2o setup completely! it is currently controlled via digital retard box! grrrr! now it won't be. i also need to figure out how/where to pick up signal for shift light?

so i will soon have an msd 5al box for sale, a msd digital 6 retard, and a almost NEW coil. lol!!!! the **** we go through.

thanks Ed, autozone did replace the complete assembly although it is the dist, and cap/rotor separate. i am running the dfi gen 6 d, i installed it last winter and ran with it last year, i actually did shift the car at 7200 one event without issues.

only area i will need help now is figuring out the wiring for the gen 6 and nitrous controls. i am not fond of wiring, i guess i never used to be fond of removing my trans from the car, so oh well, lol!!!

thanks again for the coments.
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