I bought and installed a msd Probillet Opti a few months ago. When I installed it I simply swapped it out. My question is this: Do these MSD optis have the timing set to stock? There is and adjustment screw and it can be adjusted +-5 degrees.

 

that's a good question. Is it easy to get to where you can tweak it till you like how it runs, good snap/throttle response, etc?

 

I am curious because I haven't adjusted it. I don't even know what way to turn the screw or how much to trun it. I know my car isn't running right on. It is hitting on all 8 but track times show that something isn't right. With the MSD opti I installed new plugs and wires(8.2mm), Pacestter Race LTs and OR Y. Blocked off the EGR and removed the AIR pump. All running through a cutout. The exhaust smells rich although its not poping or backfiring at all.

 

it sounds like it's retarded a little, I would go the other way just a tad and try it out. You will sometimes run richer when you block the EGR and lose the air pump. I'd say a tune may be in order here especially with the new longtubes. If you were popping and sputtering I'd say the opti was being funky but not the case.

edit: dyno tune would be the way I'd go.

 

Oh and the gas mileage is bad too! 215miles out of a full tank. The 1996 B4C camaro that I had was pretty much identical except bone stock, and that got 285-310 out of a tank of gas driving the same. The 96 even went 13.7 whereas my 94 can only make it 14.7 with all the mods! Thats embarassing!

 

I have a mail order tune in it right now, at least I think it is. My friend had it in his 95 tuned for pretty much the same thing that I have done. After doing all the work to it I found the knock module was missing from the stock PCM, now it has the LT4 with the "tuned" PCM but I didn't notice any change.

 

Sounds like the tune, especially running 14.7, that is bad for all the boltons. The KnockModule won't do much with longtubes, moreso with a bigger cam.

 

So what would you suggest for tuning then? Should i try a play with the timing at all?

 

I would since you have a little leeway but a dynotune would be the best bet, they can see everything that is going on with the car and tweak it pretty much.

 

That distributor should not be used without a keyed hub, degreed damper and fabricated timing pointer. Many a novice has gotten himself into trouble with it just like you are fixing too. Don't touch that screw unless you have a way to measure what you are doing.

 

Its set for stock timing out of the box.

See if you can find the directions that came with it, or download them off of their site. If you can get a good view of the screw, the directions will tell you how many threads should be exposed for stock timing, and then you can go from there. At least thats what I seem to remember reading....
Directions
The timing adjustment is even at the top of the directions.

 

Seeing as they have problems installing o-rings and sufficiently tightening the rotor screws from the factory it would be downright STUPID to trust their setting as proper.

 

Well I installed mine right out of the box. Car pulls stupid strong, A/F is spot on, and I've driven from CA-PA-FL, FL-PA-FL. No issues. I've put a shitload of miles on this thing and have had ZERO issues, I don't drive nice either.........

Damn man your always so negative..... Maybe the few people who have had issues had a hungover ******* assemble their distributer that day or something.

To the OP, I hope my link to the directions helps.

 

A guy within the last week on the other forum got a warranty replacement MSD opti and found the rotor screws loose.

I am not negative, I am objective and intelligent, I know that clashes with what is found here most of the time. Try getting a grip on reality rather than blindly believing anything expensive is great and perfect.

I was just saying the only way to know is to check it, without measuring it you are guessing, guessing worked fine on older carbed stuff but with the pcm constantly trying to adjust things you aren't going to be able to tune a computer controlled car by ear.

 

I just installed mine right out of the box... I wish I had checked things over a little just for a peice of mind but the car runs smooth, just slow and burns a lot of gas going nowhere!
I also have a piece of **** 2400rpm Stall B&M TC that I believe could be bad. The tranny that I replace in my car had this and it may have gotten a little low on fluid since the tranny slipped. But I was never really sure since my last opti was so bad I am not sure how it even started let alone drove the car! I took my friends advice about going with the B&M TC instead of just throwing the stock one back in it, maybe they are right. But this car used to run faster bone stock and that took a nose dirve when the opti started acting up bad. I have thrown $1400 at the car and it runs a few tenths of a second faster than it did before, but not even close to what it was stock. Its just frustrating as hell... But the saying applies here, "If it has **** or a motor in will give you ****!"

Thanks for the help guys! anymore ideas you have I would certainly be glad to hear them!