I've been having countless Opti-Spark problems on my Heads & Cam 1995 LT1.

I recently disassembled my 5 month (2 month running) old Summit Opti-Spark, to discover the entire inside of the Opti was burned up, possibly causing a horrible misfire with any RPM over 2,500. I spoke to Summit and they shipped me a new Opti unit, and I shipped my old one back to them.

Tonight @ 9:30pm I finished installing the new Summit Opti correctly, the cam & the crank have not moved since I removed the old unit. So I bolted the Opti in exactly the same way I took the old one out so it can only go on one way into the cam assembly. I bolted the water pump back on, reconnected everything, filled the car up with some anti-freeze. Once I double checked that I had all the connections surrounding the Opti securely connected, I mounted the intake elbow, and fired up the car. The car started up instantly and idled like a champ. I let the car run for about 5 minutes, threw a couple of very smooth & very crisp revs, and shut the car off. I went to go wash my hands and come back to the car to move it off the lift, and then it no longer started!

How could the car run for 5 minutes and then just not start again? I checked for spark between the spark plugs & the wire and I saw nothing, i tried it about 3 times. I checked for spark from the MSD blaster coil & it was good. I disconnected & reconnected every connection on the front of my motor and everything seemed visually fine. I checked & rechecked for the following 2 hours without any success. It was getting late & I didn't have any spare spark plugs to change out. But tomorrow I'm going to run new wires & spark plugs just in case.

Any ideas? Can anyone give me any run-downs or a check list? Does anyone want to come up and look at the car?

After I change the spark plugs & wires, and if it doesn't start up, I'm pulling the Opti off and dissembling it.

 

I would check the fuses first. Since it started and ran, this indicates that your setup as a whole is correct. Prior to replacing wires and plugs, I suggest going backwards and checking electrical issues that may present themselves.

 

my car died a few days ago, I had no spark at the coil, So I replaced the ICM. I had spark at the coil now but no spark at the plugs. Replaced the opti, still no spark at the plugs. Today I was thinking about it and just for ***** and giggles I replaced my Blaster coil with a stock one, the car fired right up. Even though you see spark at the coil doesn't mean its strong enough. I tested right at the coil and got spark, but I put the tester on the end of the wire from the coil to the opti and it couldn't fire through the tester. So I replaced my good opti when I didn't have too, but I replaced it with a MSD one . Hopefully my problem might help you.

 

Been following your other post............. Did you check the cam dowel pin length when it was installed?? The opti doesn't like having pressure against it and that will cause it to fail.

 

Also have you ever replaced your opti vent harness?

 

In the other thread you said you tried a new coil but then you changed it back to your old one right? If not try a known working coil.

 

I fixed it, put a new MSD cap & rotor I had laying around on it with new Spark Plugs & Wires and now it runs like a champ. Stupid Opti's.