Well technically, it wasn't poor engineering. The original engineering of the OPTI, I am talking early lt1 opti's, was designed for proper ventilation... however like all things in engineering, the engineer who designs the thing doesn't often get to make it or decide how to make it. The proper design was taken and that ventilation hole in it was changed to better fit the circuitry during production... without any engineering going into the change... and hence developed early opti short circuiting problems from enadequate venting. However, GM figured that out and came out with the 95/96 OPTI's (and later generations) with the correctly designed venting abilities of before. Now from an engineering standpoint, the ltx series motors are beautiful... they utilize packaging and space most efficiently and take a helical gear off of the camshaft and turn it into direct drive for both the water pump and the opti drive shafts (much more efficient and simple... engineers live by the kiss idea (keep it simple stupid.)) The only shortcoming was not quite planning for maintenance in the initial design stages. Personally though, anyone who has actually done the work themselves once or twice knows it isn't THAT difficult if you have a good selection of tools and at that point it's just a pain to shell out the mulah! Oh, I just had my water pump crap out about three weeks ago... dripping all over the place. I took some precautions to make sure a diluge of coolant didn't soak the opti when I removed the pump, and a few hours later she was up and running without any hesitiation, misfire or what would seem an opti related issue. Bottom line, the opti was well engineered initially, just poorly implemented by the manufacturing team. Too bad they didn't switch over to distributorless before the lsx motors...


Dan

 

I repalced my Opti at 105000 miles. It did not fail. The car is completely stock. The transmission failed and the front oil seals were leaking. Since this is my daily driver and is a member of the family. I completely changed out all of the key parts on the car, but the Opti was still good and is in the bottom of my tool box as a spare. I opened the cap and other than dust and grime, the unit was in fairly good shape. I have had to replace the new Opti since then for other reasons (now I have two spares), but if this new one gives me another 105000 trouble free miles, I think that is a bargain and quite an engineering feat.

 

Yeah no kidding, seeing as though it was in production use already in the mid 80's in some Japanese vehicles (Mazda Rx7 comes to mind).

 

Well, this is not an Opti comment, but for what it's worth on a regular distributor and a semi-new Accel at that. I put a new HEI in my Firebird project car, drove it a few hundred miles and put it to bed in a friend's barn for the winter. Pulled it out this spring and it started right up. Drove it about 5 miles and coasted to a stop. The problem was the ignition module died. I scratched my head on that one for awhile until a senior tech at my job told me it was caused by moisture/condensation from sitting over the winter in a moister than normal location. So, if Opti's can die from moisture, so can regular distributors even though the regular distributor owners may not admit to it.

 

My 1994 has 125k miles on the original Opti. I got a new one in the closet for a year just waiting for the old one to crap out. I figure I might as well wait until I have to replace it.

 

Well stated SJW and exactly what all of my reading has brought me to conclude. A marvel of engineering with a couple of shortcomings that can be dealt with in a regurlarly driven and well maintained car.

 

Replaced my Opti at 63K a year ago. Radiator hose busted and got engine all wet.
It was quite costly since I decided to change Waterpump, all the hoses,and radiator since I noticed a few stress fractures in it.

Opti didn't break down by itself because it was caused by the hose problem but the Opti stuck in my mind because it cost so much to replace it.

 

I think this is exactly correct. I suggest the DynaSpark, especially as a replacement for the first-gen Opti, as you then get what I believe to be the best available distributor, without the added $ and labor of swapping out all of the other parts required to change over to the second-gen OEM Opti. The active venting of the DynaSpark, combined with its overall quality of design and manufacturing, should provide a long, trouble-free life if properly installed. I spoke with the owner of DynoTech before I bought my DynaSpark, and he actually encouraged me to hose down the front of my LT1 after I installed the DynaSpark -- now I'd call that confidence in his product.

 

heh the opti was about the only thing that did not break on my 90k mile 96

 

When I installed the later, OEM, vented, Opti-Spark on my '92, I did some additional sealing all over.
After installation, I plug the clean air supply tube from the air cleaner and pull a vacuum on the Opti-Spark hose that normally goes to the intake manifold with a hand vacuum pump and check the leak-down time to confirm the sealing.
If air can't get in, moisture can't get in.
And, I frequently hose down my entire engine, including the Opti-Spark, with no moisture problems.

Tom Piper

 

It's one thing if someone is doing a cam and related upgrades or a complete rebuild. But short of that the DS would have to be considered the most preferable cost and labor effective upgrade for the early system compared to changing to the later set-up. Can't really be argued from a purely practical point of view.

 

The DynaSpark is not bullet proof, I have seen early failures. Who knows what the future will hold.

I just upgraded my opti to the 95/95 unit, and all the components for the upgrade were cheaper than the DynaSpark.

Did I make the right descision. I guess time will tell.


-Mike

 

I guess some are more lucky than others, I have 95000 miles on my 1996 A4 with a stock original opti. I know i'm skating on thin ice.

 

63,000 miles on my '92. No problems with the Opti.............yet.

 

The DynaSpark must be installed according to the instructions. Failure to do so can definitely cause infant mortality. I've heard from more than one person who wiped out one of these units because he didn't read the directions, or chose to cut corners. I can't say if this was the cause of the early failures you've seen, but perhaps it is. There's no way for us to know, I suppose.

Good luck with your second-gen Opti upgrade. Here's hoping it works for a long time for you.

Be well,

SJW

 

My opti spark went bad, so I swapped it and at the same time installed the ’96 ignition coil and driver module. Did exactly what Tom Piper wrote in his thread “Upgrading the LT1 ignition”, but my service ABS and ASR lights go on. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...m_id=48&arch=1
In case you read this Tom,
I did exactly what you said;
both pink/black wires to Pin A
both white wires to Pin B
My tachometer is working but my service ABS and ASR lights go on. Can anyone help me out on this.
Thanks
Arnold

 

I installed a MSD opti last year, driven about 2000 miles. Only when hot it seems to give me trouble at start up where it will start then die, sounds like its running on 4 cyls. then shortly it clears up and drives normal. For the most part if I accel normally and even under heavy(WOT) it runs great but once in a while under heavy accel, engine cuts out, can see tach jumping around, put in neutral rev the engine a bit then it runs great until i hit it hard. Feels like its running out of fuel, so I replaced fuel pump with Delphi pump, still no change then I replaced fuel press. reg with a Standard, still no change. I,m hoping its not the opti since its practically new. Has anyone experienced similiar? please help

 

Update: Wow, how time flys. Nine years later my gen II OEM opti is still holding up. But, have only put 10k miles on the car since 2005.

 

I have. I PROVED it HERE

 

Thanks, Tom...still curious why in the same driving cycle without cooling the vehicle, I can tromp on the throttle and might only act up 1 out of 10 times? is this still an opti symptom or could it be the ECM? Thanks.