psychodiagnostik

So my '93's third opti has apparently failed at 130K miles. The original failed back in 2007, right around 90K miles when the water hose at the thermostat housing blew. I replaced just the opti myself with an ebay unit & it ran fine for a few years, then when the car quit & wouldn't start I just dropped the car off at the dealer (I was traveling a lot for work with no time to mess with the car).

This was in 2010, they charged me full freight for an opti & new water pump install however I'm not really certain whether the opti was nos or rebuilt or whatever. However now that one's failed. At least the car has all the symptoms & all the diagnostic steps point to another opti failure.

I took the opti off & there's oil all over the back of the opti. Water pump weep hole, gaskets, etc look OK.

I'm gonna do the opti seal/water pump seal/maybe even crank seal. As far as the opti, my question is, would it be worth trying to replace the sensor with this, if the rest of the inside is OK? It looks like a replacement sensor.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FIX-YOUR-OPTISPARK-NEW-OPTICAL-SENSOR-LT1-DISTRIBUTOR-REBUILD-/161210752419?_trksid=p2054897.l4275
I've not got into the opti yet, I need to score the right female torx sockets or whatever they're called. Meanwhile I want to get the opti environment nice & ready, however obviously I don't want replace the whole opti unless there's no other option.
Thanks!

Silver96ce

If you have a Harbor Freight near you, the e torx sockets are usually in stock. The sockets work fine for the e torx and the price is right -

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-Piece...Set-68017.html

As for the replacement sensors, I have no idea if they are any good. Take it apart first and see what you have. Good luck.

mikem350

I believe the e torx is a #4 (very small size)

But, anybody have comments on a new unit from ebay??? They are cheap, but quality??
Prices vary all over the place

Tom400CFI

FIrst I've seen of this. With all the other variable reports of opti quality...I'd be suspect of this...but for $54, I'd probably give it a shot.

1963SS

In my experience, and only my experience, I've found that the original Opti used a Mitsubishi sensor that was damn near bulletproof. None of the new sensors I've seen are made by Mitsubishi and they don't appear to be as good. New opti's all seem to have the generic sensor.I've had real good luck taking the Opti apart and cleaning the inside and then cleaning the optical sensor with alcohol.

The sensor only consists of a light source (LED), plastic lens (that will get dirty from oil, ozone or whatever jumps around inside there), and an optical receiver that also gets a brownish film on it. I don't know if oil fumes are getting past the bearing or what but it does clean well.

I'd suggest that before you buy a new anything to disassemble the opti and try to clean it. Alcohol and cotton swabs work wonders. I have not been able to source the bearing but I'm still working on that in my spare time.

ANTI VENOM

I have two mitsubishi sensors and one odd ball. It's been so long that I can't tell you if they work or not. I was having mechanical issues that was eating opties.. They are free to anyone who can use them or wants to play with them. I don't even know why I've kept them this long.

don hall

Buy a new opti from SacCityCorvettes, and be done with it.

1963SS

I'll be glad to take them off your hands. Just PM me a Paypal and I'll send some shipping money. Thanks, I have an Opti just waiting on you.

psychodiagnostik

Thanks everyone, the correct socket set was in fact at my local Harbor Freight, & I disassembled the opti, no problem.

Despite the oil on the back of the opti, inside it was clean, except for chalky scale on the rotor & contacts. I didn't see that any oil had entered the unit & I didn't see any moisture, dried coolant, streaks, etc. The metal contacts with the rotor & cap cleaned up no problem with a wire brush.

Specifically, under the shiny metal cover under the rotor, the disk, sensor, etc were clean as a whistle! The sensor is in fact, a mitsu unit. I just don't see how the opti could have failed so quickly without anything contaminating it. In fact, I don't know whether the opti came this way or the dealer that installed this one did it, but the place where the connectors exit the housing was thoroughly sealed with RTV or some other compound. I'm going to retrace my diagnostic steps before I buy anything else. Although I am going to replace the three timing cover seals while I'm in there.

When I was tracing the wiring from the opti connector to the PCM, I did notice a broken vacuum fitting on the passenger side of the intake. I'll post a pic in another thread, I'm not even sure what this part is, however I doubt it would lead to a no start/no spark.

Thanks everyone!