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Dynaspark Experience

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Old 05-13-2011, 12:03 AM
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jb442
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Default Dynaspark Experience

Hello fellow LTx owners… I posted this information on another site, but I thought I’d share it here as well. Normally I’m in the C6 section in the Corvette Forum, but since I also own a ’95 Z28, this information may be interesting to some of you regarding my dealings with Dynaspark earlier this year.

First off, based on my experience, I would ABSOLUTELY NOT RECOMMEND PURCHASING A NEW DYNASPARK.

I will elaborate, but be forewarned – I tend write like a lawyer, so I apologize in advance if this gets pretty lengthy. If you want to skip reading all the detail, I’ll summarize the details at the end. (See “Summary” below).

Here's the story: My water pump started leaking on my ‘95 Z28 just about 2 years ago. My factory Optispark had also lasted roughly 112K (14 years) miles without failure. I decided to change out the Opti when I changed the WP just as a preemptive measure. I didn't want to change the WP and have to replace the Opti shortly thereafter – I just wanted to save time while I had it apart. So, I had the cash & put down the ~$600 for the Dynaspark. I thought I wouldn't have to deal with it for a very long time since I never drive in the rain, etc. (Pretty easy to do in California).

Late last year, with about 10K miles and just over a year and a half on the Dynaspark, I started having problems where the car would die shortly after warming up. I could even start the car in my garage, wait 5-15 minutes, and it would just die - Not having moved even an inch. All signs pointed to a bad optical sensor. I contacted Dynaspark (current owner = Bob Hogan). I explained my diagnostic technique and asked if there was anything else I should check. He just said "send it in and I will go through it”. Well, I did just that… I sent it back to get rebuilt for $65. I received the unit back without any kind of answer as to what was wrong with my original other than “I found a little oil inside”. Ok. When I got it back, I was surprised to find that sealing surface of the pin-drive was DAMAGED, like the unit had been dropped or mishandled. This wasn’t something that would just “buff out”. It almost looked like it was put in a vise and dropped as well. In this condition, I was not going to put it on the car because it would not have sealed properly. This unit was worthless in its current condition. In an e-mail, I explained to Bob that I was not going spend another $30 to ship the unit back and that he should send me out a completely new unit… After all, I paid $600 for a distributor that “should” outlast all others. So, Bob apologized and sent out a 2nd unit with a return tag for my original. At this point, I was willing to believe that it was just some bad luck.

I received the 2nd replacement the following Monday after it was promised to arrive on a Friday (irritating). After opening the box, I start to get even more worried. This unit did NOT look like the original Dynaspark unit I purchased two years prior. Upon closer inspection, one could easily tell that this was not machined in the same manner. It was not even anodized the same. My original was black (like on their website), this one was grey. The quality looked as if the entire process was sent “off-shore” in order to reduce costs. Corners were bent, machining was uneven, etc. The worst part about the 2nd unit I received is the pin-drive sealing surface was DAMAGED JUST LIKE MY FIRST UNIT, and one of the three Opti-to-Cover mounting tabs was damaged as well – The surface was not even level! I notified Bob of the condition of this 2nd unit, and a few days later I finally received a brief, unapologetic, e-mail that he had a 3rd replacement unit ready for shipment and to ship back the other “bad” units upon it’s arrival. The only good thing was that he actually sent pre-paid shipping labels to return the faulty units. By this time, I’ve have already spent OVER A MONTH dealing with damaged units and waiting for items to be shipped from Fort Wayne, Indiana to California. Not once did they ever try and save my time by using expedited shipping and I still didn’t have a working unit.

Once the 3rd unit was sent out, I returned 2nd unit, but still had my original. The 3rd unit arrives and this one finally passes a visual inspection for damage, but is still not up to the same build quality of the 1st. At this point I decide to put it on the car because it looks like it won’t tear up the seal this time. The car would NOT start!!! I went through the same troubleshooting steps as before, and all signs pointed to the optical sensor. At this point, the only working distributor I had was my OEM AC Delco distributor with 112K miles on it. I put it back on the car to make sure there wasn’t any other issue, and it fired up in seconds after installation.

Needless to say, at this point that I’m seriously pissed off that I’ve wasted so much time dealing with completely avoidable damage at the hands of Dynaspark, and am left with a junk Dynaspark that has a bad optical sensor. I tell Bob at Dynaspark that I have to get this car back on the road and I’m not going to waste any more time waiting for him to send out another unit. I told him that I wanted to swap the good Mitsubishi sensor from my OEM Optispark into the Dynaspark & that I’m going to need his help in rebuilding the 3rd unit myself. After sending this ultimatum, I received no further e-mails from anyone at Dynaspark.

I’ve now decided to rebuild the Dynaspark MYSELF. I found a fairly easy way to take out their security bolts which hold the cap on (I eventually found where you can buy the security bit they use). I opened up both of the unusable Dynaspark units to discover just how inept they are in rebuilding these, and the cheap optical sensor (it’s NOT a Mitsubishi sensor) that is currently being sold to you for $600. I will post pictures of what I discovered when I opened the Dynaspark, and details of the rebuilding process in another message or thread. Let’s just say for now that I was somewhat shocked at what I found. To finish up this story, I rebuilt the 3rd Dynaspark myself using the same techniques, sealant, EMI shielding, but with my OEM Mitsubishi sensor. Once I got this unit back on the car, it fired right up as it always had with the original Optispark.

So, in the end, and after wasting over a month of my time dealing with the current owners of Dynaspark (which I believe to be the 3rd owners) I finally had a working distributor after being forced to rebuild it myself.

Summary:
• Dynaspark purchased in 2009 – Optical sensor failing in late 2010 (heat related failure).
• Dynsapark rebuilds 1st distributor – Damages pin drive.
• Dynaspark sends out 2nd distributor – Damage to pin drive AND mounting tab.
• Dynaspark sends out 3rd distributor – Optical sensor is DOA.
• I’m forced to rebuild the 3rd unit myself with an OEM, 112K mile Mitsubishi sensor.

Let me give you some details on the latest iteration of the Dynaspark that’s currently being sold:
• Cheap, non-Mitsibishi optical sensor.
• Quality of machining is second-rate compared to units produced in the past.
• Rotor only has one rivet – Two could have been easily installed for $600.
• The vacuum harness no longer includes the filter – Just a single one way valve.
• EMI shielding was improperly applied on the 3rd unit that I took apart and rebuilt (original was OK).
• Roll-pins that hold the sensor are the wrong size = Imprecise location of sensor.

Rebuilding failures:
• Threads stripped, and complete over-use/saturation of Loctite on internal screws/bolts.
• Optical sensor housing had split corner as received.
• Distributor cap was chipped internally as received.
• Pin-drive sealing surface damaged – TWICE!!

The only real benefits I see to the current Dynaspark:
• Bearing is higher quality than OEM (although my OEM lasted to 112K without failure).
• Single sealing surface around distributor cap and good, self-leveling silicone used.
• Possibly improved sealing around harness (depending on attention to detail by assembler).
• Rivet holding rotor – Easily done yourself.

More information about Dynaspark, the company:
The current owner (or owners) appear to own a tool & die shop named Huth Tool in Ft. Wayne Indiana. This is NOT who I purchased my Dynaspark from in 2009. The original company, Dynotech Engineering, sold the product to two gentlemen named Eric and Zach in 2006 – That’s who I bought mine from. The current owners are twice removed from the original company, who originally offered the unit for sale back in 2002. BTW, the original “Dynasparks” did have an OEM Mitsubishi sensor, and I would be willing to bet that there are many those still on the road. This last iteration is just the final attempt to profit from original the design, by cutting costs (and therefore quality), by a company that doesn’t have the ability, knowledge, or skill to properly support the product. The customer service may be decent, but that’s not going to stop you from being stranded on the side of the road.
Old 05-13-2011, 12:04 AM
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jb442
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Here are some pics:

Side-by-Side comparison - Circled areas show some changes.


Pin-Drive-Damage:


Machining Comparisons:


2009 Dynaspark - All machined surfaces are flat & edges deburred/chamfered.


"Budget" anodizing and uneven surface (Both pics are of 2011 Dynaspark):




DOA Sensor:


Sensor Fitment:


OEM Sensor - The one you want if you can find/afford it:
Old 05-13-2011, 12:04 AM
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jb442
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Few more pics:

Rebuilding:


More value engineering:


Vacuum Harness NO LONGER INCLUDES both the valve & filter/restrictor:
Old 05-13-2011, 11:54 AM
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94vettelover2
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Why did you switch if your opti lasted 14 years?Any reason you decided to go with a aftermarket system when the factory system proved to be a great system that lasted a long time?
Old 05-13-2011, 11:56 AM
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94vettelover2
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The reason I ask is if something worked great for so long,why would you change it & when you do change it & have problems you are suprisedGerman manufacturers do this & have problems.If something worked for so long,why change it
Old 05-13-2011, 12:35 PM
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Dynaspark is crap, crap, crap. I had one and I hated it right away. The bad thing is that to get there we have to perform mayor surgery.
Old 05-13-2011, 12:38 PM
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jb442
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Originally Posted by 94vettelover2
Why did you switch if your opti lasted 14 years?Any reason you decided to go with a aftermarket system when the factory system proved to be a great system that lasted a long time?
Given the typical life expectancy of an Opti, and also the 112K+ miles on my cap & rotor, mine did need some attention - Not necessarily to be completely replaced, but at least inspected plus a new cap & rotor. As it turned out, the bearing in my OEM unit, although functional, was noisy and had more play in it than I would have liked. As I mentioned, it was just a preemptive measure to work on the Opti while I was changing the leaking water pump. In hind sight, yes, you are correct; I should not have deviated from a factory type unit.
Old 05-13-2011, 10:51 PM
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DVNCI
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I've been really happy with mine, but there have been lots of posts like yours over the years, many in regards to the ownership woes you mention.

In the near future, I'm probably going to go with EFI Connection's kit and eliminate the opti entirely:

http://www.eficonnection.com/eficonnection/24x.aspx
Old 05-13-2011, 11:51 PM
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VenkmanP
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Sorry to hear that.

It confirms what many of us anticipated when Dynotech sold it - that the lifetime support that we paid for was being thrown under the bus.
Old 05-14-2011, 01:33 AM
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Originally Posted by RUKWKR
I've been really happy with mine, but there have been lots of posts like yours over the years, many in regards to the ownership woes you mention.

In the near future, I'm probably going to go with EFI Connection's kit and eliminate the opti entirely:

http://www.eficonnection.com/eficonnection/24x.aspx
dont you loose the digitals readings? I looked into those and changed my mind.
Old 05-27-2011, 10:35 PM
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1badl98
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I am so glad that my car was a l98 and dident have the optispark to deal with! I feel for all of you guys that have problems with these things because i have owned a few lt1 camaros and had nothing but problems with the darn opti spark setups. I just got done doing the efi connection 24x swap on my 89 l98 6-speed vett. It was a super long painstaking process to say the least but i know when all the bugs are worked out of it it will be a very nice setup. I have the one and only 24x harness that efi connection ever made for a c4 vett. My car was the test mule lol.
Old 05-29-2011, 11:21 AM
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Thanks for taking the time to write this up and post it. It seems that you have been fair and balanced in your assessment and reporting.

This is disappointing to hear. I bought one of the original Dynaspark units from Dynotech, back in 2004, and it's still on my '94 and running just fine. I think it is a quality piece. It's a real shame that we can no longer buy them, and that the lifetime service for which we paid a premium is no longer worth exercising.

I was afraid this would be the result back when Phil decided to sell the product, and the evidence is pretty damning. Looks like I"ll have to rebuild my own, in the event that it ever begins to give me trouble. I'm just glad I was able to get one of the original units, before Dynotech sold off the product line.

Live well,

SJW
Old 07-11-2011, 04:01 PM
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when my opti failed on my 95 z28 i put in my 84 monte carlo i replaced it with a dynaspark, it lasted aboyut 10,000 miles before i would get intermitent engine falures. so i sent it in and they rebuilt it for $90 (car was down for over 2 weeks). car runs fine now but for how long?

i bought another dynaspark for my 93 corvette, aside from changing my gap from the factor .050 to .040 (would not start on anything larger then a .045 gap) it started up and runs like a top. my main reason for buying dynaspark is the bearing and vented system my OEM GM opti lacks.

wish me luck! dynaspark has alot to prove with me (and all of us)
Old 07-11-2011, 04:57 PM
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Old 07-11-2011, 05:53 PM
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dizwiz24
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Dynaspark opti = crap
MSD opti = double crap

The only optispark worth a nickel is the AC DELCO one.

Add a vented cap, and drill out one of the weep holes to accept a 1/8" vacuum line (plug the remaining two) and you are good to go for another 150k.

Elminating the optispark is not worth it either. IMHO.
Old 07-11-2011, 07:11 PM
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Originally Posted by dizwiz24
Dynaspark opti = crap
MSD opti = double crap

The only optispark worth a nickel is the AC DELCO one.

Add a vented cap, and drill out one of the weep holes to accept a 1/8" vacuum line (plug the remaining two) and you are good to go for another 150k.

Elminating the optispark is not worth it either. IMHO.
I had my MSD Opti in Betty Boop since May 2008 and it has been flawless but, I had a Dynacrap and it was crap since the second I opened the box. Few told me the Dynacrap worked for them. Is this a hit or miss thing?
Old 07-11-2011, 09:53 PM
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Originally Posted by PLRX
I had my MSD Opti in Betty Boop since May 2008 and it has been flawless but, I had a Dynacrap and it was crap since the second I opened the box. Few told me the Dynacrap worked for them. Is this a hit or miss thing?
The original DynaSpark was a quality piece. This was the unit built by DynoTech Engineering.

DynoTech eventually sold the rights to the product line, and if I understand correctly, it's been sold yet again.

My only experience with the DynaSpark is the original (DynoTech Engineering-built unit) I installed on my '94 LT1 car back in 2004. It's been running flawlessly.

I've heard some not-so-good things about the DynaSpark units that were not built by DTE.

I sure wish DTE was still building these things.

Live well,

SJW

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Old 07-11-2011, 10:27 PM
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dewfall
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I found this thread on an LS1 forum where the latest Dynaspark manufacturer posted something on the second page.

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt...ence-long.html

Perhaps reliability will now improve.
Old 08-04-2011, 11:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Drew1Down
when my opti failed on my 95 z28 i put in my 84 monte carlo i replaced it with a dynaspark, it lasted aboyut 10,000 miles before i would get intermitent engine falures. so i sent it in and they rebuilt it for $90 (car was down for over 2 weeks). car runs fine now but for how long?

i bought another dynaspark for my 93 corvette, aside from changing my gap from the factor .050 to .040 (would not start on anything larger then a .045 gap) it started up and runs like a top. my main reason for buying dynaspark is the bearing and vented system my OEM GM opti lacks.

wish me luck! dynaspark has alot to prove with me (and all of us)
UPDATE: less then 400 mile on my vette opti and im left with a $111 tow bill and a non-running non-sparking car
Old 08-04-2011, 11:28 PM
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Dynaspark has failed me for the last time, im looking for a refund, if not, im going to war!


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