vert vette virgin

Excuse my ignorance but I'm a new vette (89) owner. I'm hoping I don't have an opti in my L98. sounds like a nightmare. Does this replace distributor?

Lloyd Smale

92-96

Lloyd Smale

all opti are located in the same location. I doesnt matter squat what brand it is

vert vette virgin

Tank gawd for dat..'whew

Deakins

For the amount of complaints you hear about the opti you would be shocked if you knew how many other applications in the world used this same or very similar system. They don't drop dead all the time as people lead you to believe. Just my .02

Tom400CFI

My wife's Dodge Stealth RT/TT used the same system and it worked flawlessly...until I washed the engine. Everyone on the 3S forums said it was toast. I ran some Kleenex through the sensor to clean/dry it, put it back together and it ran sweet. Nissan Pathfinders (mid '00's?) use the same system too.

eatmydst1234

The difference in those other systems, though, is they aren't under the water pump. I have replaced one in a Frontier, but that was because the bearings were fried.

active1951

Good point. Maybe corvette folks work on their cars more than other car owners, so the optis are under the microscope more, so to speak.

Deakins

Well there's that and then there is also the fact that many people on here (corvette owners in general really) don't look out into the garage and see a 20+ year old car. They look out and see a car that is in very good shape, one that they remember from when they were younger (and so to them, and me, it doesn't come off as an old car). Even a low mile example (mine has 40K on it) still has 20+ years of everything working against it. Just how long do you think the engineered service life, or mean time to failure was designed to be from GM?

Tom400CFI

ABITS was designed to be a 100,000 mile component. I don't feel that time should affect it much.

Craq

I replaced mine with one from Napa.

Deakins

Time affects everything...hence why everyday when I go out to the aircraft the logbook is full of dates when things need to be looked at along with or in place of an hour count. The harsher the environment the lower the amount of time. Just my .02

Tom400CFI

Right. the "red herring" point there. I think anyone can agree that "time affects everything".

You'll note that what I actually said was:
,,,meaning, the affects of time on the distributor are negligible, and relatively meaningless when compared two miles/use. You asked how long it was designed to last. GM said it was engineered to be a 100,00 mile system -with no reference to TIME (as aircraft parts might have a spec for). My experience w/cars and distributors tells me that time's effect is for a part such as this is effectively meaningless. Could sit for 100 years and still work fine.

blownrunner

Ya know, having a ZR-1, I usually just hang out in the ZR-1 section, but I couldn't resist checking this thread out. It seems you LT1/4 owners are experiencing a little of what we LT5 people go through with non functioning secondaries, trying to remove cam covers, oil leaks, and getting water in the starter.

Point is, having the problems is kind of the nostalgia of owning the car. Our ZR-1's are a pain in the ***, but for the most of the time, we don't get rid of them. There is just something about them.

I bet you LT1/4 guys are kind of the same way.

4DOORVETTSS

Well said.

Craq

It's all part of the charm...

The thing I remember most about changing mine was having to order a new tool, and waiting a week for it to arrive so I could continue...and then finding out I had to order another...

wtn

Finally got the Opti spark out.





Long story short. The part I removed is the cheap chinese crap. The optical sensor had no markings, and the rotor was warped, so much so that every revolution you could hear it rubbing on the sensor. I have no idea how the car was even running.

wtn

Good News is the Harmonic Balancer came off without an under neath hammer job. There is a great pictorial about replacing your opti so I will not repeat anything here. However, I would recommend removing the power steering pump pulley (a real pain to remove the water pump - can be done - but going back on - with the gaskets - and 6 bolts - forget it ) You can get a puller from Harbor Freight for less than $20.

And since your water pump is off, flush your system. I took off my fill tank and that other tank, so blast away. If you have a tank vacuum cleaner reverse the flow and you can blow all the water out of the block.

Put your crap Optispark back in place before you star blowing (cover the oil hole) and go to town.

Later

dizwiz24

The thing about the $120 china optisparks is that they dont reimburse you for the labor or your life (if stranded, aT night on a busy interstate). Maybe it wil work, but more often than not it doesnt and you will have to changeout a few units if you even find a working one.

id rather pay the $280 for the delphi (gen 2) or suck it up and pay the $700 for the ac delco -assuming its availavle still for the gen 1.

Some people question the reliability of the oem one given their experience.

Just need to add a vent to the gen 1 to make it reliable.

The gen 2 ones fail, perhaps if the vent system gets clogg3ed, damaged, or disconnected somehow.

wtn

The gen2 system does not fail.