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The detailing of the engine compartment is going well, Just be Very Very Careful NOT to get the Optispark wet. They really DON'T LKE THAT !!!!
Yeah, so I've read repeatedly here on CF and elsewhere on the 'net, but thanks for the heads up!
It's been decades since I was was brave/foolish enough to hose down an engine compartment. Way back when, I used to detail cars professionally. Early on I learned, the hard way, that water - especially if under pressure - and engine compartments often don't play well together.
The distributor is yet another difference (major understatement!) between my old LT-1 and my new LT1. Here's an excerpt from a great piece from Motor Trend from 2003 on the intricacies of the opti distributor system.
"Editor's Note: Way back in March of 1998, GMHTP ran "Opti-Spark" by Ray Bohacz, an engineering-level dissection of GM's Opti-Spark distributor. This evolutionary ignition component was a bridge between traditional distributors and the DIS-type, coil-on-plug systems that we know and love today. Unfortunately, LT1 owners have had long-term reliability problems with the Opti-Spark, and even though it has been around for 11 years now, many enthusiasts are still in the dark when it comes to identifying, troubleshooting, or upgrading them. The first half of this story is a similar version of the one Ray wrote in 1998; the last half focuses on model identification, trouble signs, and new technology that will allow Optis to last longer and perform better."
Here's a great back-in-the-day video produced by General Motors on the opti (ABITS, they called it - "Angle-Based Ignition Timing System"); the two GM enginerds are hilariously painful in their respective performances (no Oscars, I'm afraid...), but an informative video nonetheless:
I got it dirt cheap on eBay because it's only the back half of the FSM set, and because of some patina from use. I'll keep my eye out for book #1, but in the meantime I've got what I really wanted: the skinny on all the various computer-related/connected controls and components (including the opti), and how to correctly diagnose if there's ever a problem with something.
Here's an excellent recent addition to my library:
There's hours of enjoyable reading here, tons of photos, historical anecdotes, charts, production numbers, exploded drawings, etc. This book is a full-course meal for a C4 geek.
Mrs. RPO JOE and I had a new mini-split installed in our garage yesterday. We've been dealing with some triple-digit heat of late, and by about 11 a.m. or so on most days I couldn't stand to be out there any longer.
Today, I was able to putter around out there all day (hanging more shop lights, in this case) in air-conditioned splendor. This system (which will also provide heat come winter) is an absolute gamechanger for someone (like me) who enjoys hanging out in their garage.
When we shopped around for the system, we seemed to get the most consistent positive feedback on the Mitsubishi product line, so that's what we ended up going with:
Hmmmmm, based on my research, Mitsu seems to be the eyeball-of-choice for our C4 OptiSpark distributors, as well. Coolness.
The window sweeps (is that what they're called?) on my Corvette are pretty aggressive when it comes to grabbing small fibers off my detailing towels, particularly my microfiber cloths, and it hasn't been easy keeping the sweeps clean and presentable - picking the lint and fuzzballs off by hand is not really very effective, or satisfying. Here's a little experiment I tried his morning to de-fiber the section right behind the passenger-side mirror:
Here's what I started with lint/fuzz-wise. The section of sweeps directly behind both mirrors is awkward to reach, even with the windows down. This 5-inch-ish section on both sides of the car was the worst, but the rest of the sweeps looked no bueno, as well.
So I took a small piece of painter's tape thusly...
...worked it along and down between the sweeps...
...and this is all the crapola I successfully excavated after just a few moments of effort, in just that small section behind the mirror. Yuck!
Here's the "after" photo. Yeah, I'm the only one that'll ever notice the difference, but...that's OK.
One of today's projects was removing what I guess is called a "mask" that goes over the DIC. Hmmmm, a DIC mask? There's an off-color joke in there somewhere...
Anyway, some DIC-head stuck this thing on there at some point in the past 28 years...
I didn't like the mask, in part just on general principle, and in part because of the small blemish in one of the white squares (yes, I'm a little OC/DC...), and have been itching to remove it for quite some time.
I've put this project off several times, though, out of fear that the mask had been applied with some sort of uber-glue; I was worried that removing it *might* damage the face of the DIC.
I did some searching here on CF and found at least one poster who said the the masks are basically just velcro'd in, however, and upon close inspection this afternoon, I finally noticed the velcro strip running along the bottom of the mask, as seen above - my ol' eyes just ain't what they used to be...
So I used this tool (sorry, pic out of sequence)...
...and was able to gently pry the mask away from the DIC...
...without damaging anything.
There was quite a bit of contamination of some sort on the backside of the mask, with some corresponding crudola on the face of the DIC...
At this point I was worried that the face of the DIC was damaged or marred as a result of the contamination.
I carefully pulled the mask away from the DIC, which brought most of the velcro strip with it...
...but also left some behind:
My concern at this point was how to remove the rest of the velcro (and the sticky tape residue) safely, and whether or not the face of the DIC was permanently marred.
I'm happy to report that a little rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth took care of the velcro and tape residue, and a few gentle passes with some Griot's Garage interior cleaner on a soft cloth nicely cleaned up the face of the DIC:
(Hey, it's big-block o'clock!)
Here's the mask after a careful massage with some rubbing alcohol:
I took Mrs. RPO JOE's car to Walmart yesterday to get some new shoes, and found this in the automotive section while I waited. I've been looking for an elegant, non-invasive cell phone holder for the near-useless cup holders in my C4:
It does physically fit, fairly nicely actually, into the cup holders, with a teeny bit of room to spare circumference-wise, and then tightens down pretty solid (better with the rubber inserts in the holders, as opposed to removed), but fouls just a bit up high on both sides - on the left, against the edge of the cup holder opening, and on the right, with the edge of the opened cup holder lid, putting considerable sideways stress on the lid and wedging it tightly against the right side of the cup holder opening:
The gooseneck on the holder allows a wide range of adjustment for your phone, and provides plenty of room for your hand on the gear shifter.
I decided to see about removing some material from a couple of strategic places - for a mere $15 investment, I'm OK with going a little medieval on it.
The left side got pruned with a hacksaw...
...as did the right...
...and the right side of the base got clearanced with a rasp...
...and now it locks in tightly...
...without contacting anything except the walls and bottom of the cupholder.
08-07-2023, 08:23 AM
