scottso

There is a lot of negative posts about all kinds of optis. And I have seen them about all kinds, not just MSD and "Ebay" stuff. I don't understand how this thing can cost so much and be manufactured to such poor standards.

Why so many failures?

I took my first extended trip this weekend with the new "Ebay" opti - about 250+ miles and I gotta say - I was sweating potential failure with every mile.

B4CZR2

That is what I heard as well, thats why I just saved up and got the pro billet the 1st time. here is a couple of funny video you may all enjoy with a funny pic!
http://s136.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=100_5355.flv
http://s136.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=100_5358.flv

94/96ZsM6s

hopefully you loctited the rotor screws...its a problem with the GM and MSD optis. mine backed out after 10k with a GM opti and reving to 6.5k on my 94Z. died ont eh starting line at the sandhills open road challenge the POS!!!

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

The "problem" with the stock opti is mosre that there are a lot of idiots on the internet than any actual hardware problem.

A distributor of any kind will missfire if it gets wet internally, and the cap and rotor are wear items, just like sparkplugs, the spark across the gap causes corrosion and wear.

These are details most of you seem incapable of grasping, therein lies the real problem.
Since it is not a $15 cap and rotor like an HEI everyone neglects it rather than preventatively replacing it. Which is fine, but when at 100K or whatever when it begins to act up don't bitch about it, that is a hell of a long time to leave a cap and rotor on any distributor. Replace it(cap and rotor) and IF YOU DO IT RIGHT it will be just fine for many many more miles.

scottso

Em. I fully support the opti. I pulled my stocker at 96K only because when I did my wires - removal of the coil wire caused the nipple to snap off - which I can only attribute to countless heat cycles making the plastic brittle. It owed me nothing.

But... I have read many threads about new optis costing hundreds of dollars arriving defective, or failing within hundreds of miles. And these are not all bargain basement chinese knockoffs.

Of course everything has a failure rate built in - especially electronics. But there is a lot of mechanical failures and it seems skewed to the high end on this part.

B4CZR2

I would have gone with a stock opti instead of the msd if it came with provisions to vent it. and since how I didn't have the ching to do a cam, springs, push rods with the opti I had to get the msd. My stock opti I fept on the car untill it reached 124k. It worked perfectly fine until maybe 110k then it started to act up every now and then, especially when it was moist outside. I bet it would have gone further had the radiator not blown up and showered everything unter the hood with coolant. Everthing inside was rusty I am suprised it stayed running for as long as it did!

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (25)

WOW^ That bitch was still running for a bit???

Formula96

172,XXX and still running on the stock opti, no problems thus far...

3pnt4maro

iTrader: (2)

I got ya bea...197k on my opti when it destroyed itself shortly after the rebuild..and i know this because im only the third owner of the car..the first two were uncle and nephew and he assured me it had never been off..and i totally believe him cause the motor was completely filthy when we rebuilt the motor...it totally grenaded but it lasted its time...after reading all these different hate posts i went with another stocker from GM and so far so good

dhdenney

iTrader: (53)

Kinda odd how they're hit and miss, but I guess could be conditions subjected to as well. My first lasted 104K and yours nearly double that.

3pnt4maro

iTrader: (2)

yeah your right..i hear more good about a stocker than anything else..i definitely got the time out of it so i cant complain