Joe C

met a guy yesterday that just bought a 93 vert - in fact he bought it yesterday morning. as a proud, new owner and going to the car show/cruise-in at new smyrna beach, he wanted to clean his engine bay. anyway, gave it a good pressure blast with water. well then it wouldn't start, and then when he did get running, it was spitting, sputtering, and backfiring. hated to bust his bubble, but told him he may want to have his opti-distributor checked. kind of felt sorry for him - i hope his first day, corvette ownership experience isn't soured.

kimmer

Bummer.

RetiredSFC 97

I'm guessing he didn't do much reading here before he did that.

CRUZN C4

FOURSPEEDVETTE

I think this type of forum gets known to us AFTER we buy the Vette. If you are on a forum like this one before you actually own a Corvette, you are a troll according to most of us ......right?

JrRifleCoach

Need a sticky.
Attention LT1/4 owners, don't wash your engines!!

RollaMo-LT4

Depends on year of car.
My LT4 has been washed many times without any issues.
I wouldn't use a pressure washer on it though, just as I wouldn't use a pressure washer anywhere near an L98 distributor.

The late model Opti really isn't any more or less susceptible to a pressure washer than any other distributor.

UberLegend

Bummer dewd

Frizlefrak

Sucks to be him.

cldgin2

My buddy sent me the link to here after I bought my '88 convertible.... Glad he did, wish I'd have known about it sooner though

pologreen1

What a junk design. I would be pissed and sell the thing.

ch@0s

Joe C

yeah, i guess the designers should have allowed for the occasional pressure blast - . maybe they should design for under water use too - . murphy's law - i love it when something goes wrong, whether its caused by stupidity, ignorance, or whatever, its always the designers fault.

ch@0s

I shouldn't be laughing but I'm allowed to. I have replaced my share of optis.

pologreen1

Get real. it was a junk design that is why it was replaced. A car has to be somewhat of a robust product and the opti is everything but that. A puddle can take your car out and cost hundreds if not thousands for a person that does not work on their own stuff.

A new person to vettes does not know how junk the design is or expect it since most vehicles you can spray down the engine bay. I am sure he did into try to soak the thing but they are just that temperamental.

So what is so good about the design to you? All I see is it allowed for spark when conditions allowed.

pologreen1

It's ridiculous you even had to explain yourself on this. This place is comical sometimes I will give it that. i would never replace an opti, and I will do my best to steer people away from them.

I don't encourage people to buy pintos either so that is fair.

Goldcylon

Its old school. I miss the days when a couple of cans of gunk engine brite and a local pressure washer was all you needed. You know what im saying ?

Goldcylon

Applies to LT5 owners as well or kiss your starter under the plenum goodbye.

ch@0s

Interesting I had no idea.

VetteMed

There's a drain hole under the starter, which leads to a skinny drain tube that runs down the back of the motor -- but it clogs easily with dirt, grease, etc...