lt1fbody355

I've had my lt1 trans am for almost six years and I have never had a problem with the optispark. As a matter of fact I can't recall in of my friends that own lt1's ever having problems with them. Maybe I lucky!!

I think that everyone likes to blame that part because its different.

So, Who has had a problem with the optispark unit in there car and knows 100% that its to blame?

I'm talking like your car was running bad so you changed the optispark and only that and it fixed the problem. not multiple parts!

there better be alot with all the trash talk on here about optisparks.

The LT1 That Could

iTrader: (3)

i have had the unit go faulty on me twice....so dont tell me it isnt a bad design....something so proned to water damaged, yet its placed underneath the water pump...????

Chris 96 WS6

iTrader: (1)

You have to realize that just because your opti lasted 6 years doesn't mean that's the norm. Sure, some in caprice taxis have gone 200,000 miles, but the averages are much lower.

Its a good part and very accurate when its not broken. The cap/rotor part is the achilles heel, the optical cam sensor is actually a great setup.

whynot

twice here also, first time, about 90,000 miles the cap burnt through because of moisture causing it to misfire, so I changed the cap and rotor for under $100.00, by the way, I used the vented opti cap, on the non vented opti, great idea. second time, about 135,000 miles, the inside melted because the rear opti bearing/seal went out and caused a lot of heat, all the plastic was liquid. but the first time I sealed the opti with silicone and when I changed it the second time, now at 156,000 and no problems, I can even wash the engine now with no problems.

HBHRacing

There is zero wrong with the design. It's the best form of reffernce control around. The problem is it's location, not it's design. The same EXACT optical wheel/sensor design in used in other cars with little to no failure. The unit is subjected to harsh conditions and people who belive in the "out of sight, out of mind" way or auto repair, this is why they fail.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Boy they just came out of the woodwork show you just the sort of stupid reasons they have.
Those crying about a cap and rotor at 100k or so would you ever leave a cap and rotor on any other distributor that long, everyone I ever knew with an HEI changed the cap and rotor every other year at the longest. This one is just harder to change and costs more so people claim it is junk friggin stupidity if you ask me. As far as the water sensitivity mine has had multiple dexcool baths and dexcool is supposed to be sssssoooooo much worse than water and yet it is fine. Put a little dielectric grease on the silicon seal at the wiringharness at the top to help the seal seal better and you should have it on the plug wires already and water can't get in. I have driven sustained at 50mph in several inches of water without so much as a miss. Listen to these guys and you would think a humid morning will have you replacing the damn thing. I changed an opti at 95K or about there and it WAS NOT my problem, now at 161K without a problem, this car gets driven hard too stall gears cam and track time not grandpa's Caprice, there are guys here on this forum that have seen me run and beat some Mustangs and even some 4th gen f-bodies.

METALBEAST

iTrader: (1)

Some people have had good and some have had bad experiences with the opti. I have went thru two on the Vette, but it was my own fault. I did not install new seals on my timing chain cover and as a result, oil leaked into and ruined a brand new opti.

97LT1

iTrader: (3)

Mine lasted 6yrs and then i replaced it when it wasnt even dead. (It was something else)
Yeah it screws up with some, some it doesnt . I havent had a problem with my new one.

I think the most important thing is to not let your car sit for a long time outside (i mean without starting it) I think that is how the moisture builds up that way. At least where i live .

NXSLT1

This is what I've been saying all along. **** don't last forever. Some, like me, get 149,000 out of the original (and it' still going) and some get much less and some have trouble no matter what, that's true with any part of a vehicle. Mine has been washed several times, underneath at the car wash too and had a leaking water pump for several months. Lucky? Maybe. I think it's hated mostly because it's so hard to get to, not like the old school HEI.

97LT1

iTrader: (3)

I totally agree , i think it is overly hated for your reasons

whynot

who said I was crying about it? I like where it is.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

I didn't necessarily mean you. Cap and rotor failures around that milage are a common complaint when ANY cap and rotor are WEAR ITEMS. The same spark that jumps and wears the plug has to jump the rotor to the cap wear will occur. Most seem to not understand that.

ltslow

I have had 2 go out on me so far, one because the rotor came apart, and one because the brainiacs at GM put the weephole right above the opti and the w.pump went out. Its a great part, but sensitive, and poorly placed.

HBHRacing

if people would look after the health of the water pumps better it wouldn't be as common.,

slowmofo

iTrader: (6)

my original lasted 117,000 miles then I went through 1 in less then 10 miles. Both of them got water in them. A friend had a 95 formy and put 3 optis on it, before he just sold the car because he was tired of it...

Renegade

iTrader: (1)

I think we can all agree that the opti is not the best designed part in the world. It seems to be basically a luck thing, and it all depends on the individual car. Technology changes and gets better over time, so us LT1 Owners will just have to deal with the opti or upgrade to a newer style system. I'm not going to hate LT1 F-Bodys just because Opti, but it would be nice if it was designed a little better. I'm willing to deal with it though.

NXSLT1

I've heard of several instances of this happening, the screws on the rotor weren't tight in alot of the cases. My advice to anyone changing an opti would be to take the cap off and put loctite on the screws.

You can always put a regular distributor in it. It's a lil more work but the cap and rotor would be eaiser to change.

Boshaft

Before my vette I drove a 93 Z28. Owned it for 3 years and drove it every day (went from 88k miles to 126K). I never had a problem with anything on the car except for the water pump went out at 115K. Even after replacing it, the opti never quit.

Here's a nice story about opti-spark with my current ride: There I was, driving along with traffic with my Corvettte on a rainy day and suddenly the lake was in front of me: a giant puddle over a foot deep in the middle of the street (freaking clogged gutter drain). Due to cars all around me I could not maneuver around it and plowed/swam through it. Soon after the motor was missing and backfiring (water in the distributor). After about an hour of letting it idle in my driveway, it gradually stopped and has ran fine since.

lt1fbody355

I think that why it doesn't have a regular style distributor in it, because you would have to drop the motor to change it. That and the intake design.

NXSLT1

No need to drop the motor to change it. Cut a hole in the intake for the regular dist and use a crab style cap. I had a link to a guy that did it but can't find it, he's not the only one running like that either. Seems like he machined down where the egr was on the back of the intake too. Just pull the rotor out of the opti to get rid of it possibly flying apart then run yer coil wire to the old school dist. I researched this a while back when I was gonna put a gen1 motor in mine and use the stock injection and ecm. If I find the link I'll post it here.