c-4guy

Getting ready to replace the water pump on my 96 LT1, and I am wondering if i should replace the opti rather than maybe have to go back into the same area and do it later. The car has 73000 miles on it and runs fine . Anyone have any advise on this.. I know the opti is expensive , but paying the labor to have almost the same thing done again is expensive as well.. Thanks

IndyTim

Unless the water pump really took a dump on the opti, I would leave it alone. It seems quite the challenge to find good opti-sparks for the 96 anymore. I believe I would change the plug wires, though.

Motsiv2

Personally, I would. I had the opposite experience. The Opti went out at 55,000 miles, so I changed the water pump at the same time.

zr1fred

96GS#007

'94 torchred

Had my '94 (53k) in for possible coolant leak. Found bad water pump. Chevy guy suggested replace Opti while in there and avoid same labor costs later. Went for it ........ runs great; no regrets. P.S. Replacement was AC Delco Opti which from what I have learned is still not vented. There is a replacement Opti that is discussed on this site that is vented. I just did not have the time to pursue that idea. Good luck.

Klondike

You can just replace the cap and rotor if the opti still runs OK and you'll save a bunch of money. 70 K on the rotor & cap is a lot of high voltage rotations in there, but If the electronics are OK, you don't need to replace the whole thing. Taking the cap off you can see what the rotor and cap terminals look like for wear, and see if there is any crudd down inside the Opti without having to remove it from the front of the engine.
P.S. you can get a vented cap and hoses to replace your non vented cap, it'll fit.

tahoemedic

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! 94-newer optis are vented and don't wear out due to condensation like the earlier models so unless there is physical damage to the coil/plug wire connections or the optical disc, leave it alone. Also to avoid any chance of flooding it during your wp swap, drain the coolant down low, remove the knock sensors and drain into a clean pan if you plan to reuse your coolant.