wheres the best place to order a opti from? Whats involved on a install? Should I replace the waterpump while am at it? Also how much am I looking at for a new waterpump? I should end this post without a question. Shouldn't I? :rolleyes: thanks...

 

ok... 1-800-728-8267 - Jeff Kopp (Carfan18) is the man to talk to. tell him I sent ya! and that you are a Forum member.

he sells these parts at discount... a fantastic discount!!! Figure 320.00 for the opti and 130.00 or so for the Waterpump.

Ok. the swap is not that hard. use hand tools, and it will be ok. you don't have to remove the radiator.

you don't mention year or mileage... but you may wish to replace the intake manifold gasket, too. They commence to leaking... bad... The only thing with the intake gasket - you have to let the RTV cure for 24 hours or so before you can start the car - or else it will blow out the RTV.

The only real trick here is removing the balencer.... there are 3 bolts, and once they are out, you can get under the car and hammer it off with a hammer and a length of 2x4. there are marks so you can reposition it correctly.

Again, depending on year you can adapt the opti's cap to a late model vented cap. Jeff knows the hose kit and it costs about 10.00... Refer to the February 2001 issue of Corvette Fever for an article on the upgrade...

I have done this... it is not hard... expect 5 hours or so to get the project done.

Also, get a helms manual!!!! http://www.helminc.com


[Modified by bogus, 11:52 PM 1/6/2002]

 

Bogus thanks for the hook up. Ill give him a call tomorrow. Its a 94 with 97k. I believe this opti is already vented? Just got the car yesterday...the air filter was black! so i suspect car wasnt really takin care of that well. So i have to jack the car up, Or can I squeez my arm under for the balancer? Thanks

 

get a K&N filter with an open lid whilst you're at it...

The front will have to be jacked up! no room otherwise. You will be approaching the balancer from behind, looking forward.

The 94's are not vented. They started that in 95.

with 97k, its time. be thankful you made it this far!!!!

 

I have seen somewhere that even if you are not getting service engion codes that upgrading opti and wires/plugs will give you more power and responce. Is this true. I also have a 94 (just bought a month ago with 84000 miles.) Everything runs good just the minor upkeep problems like door panels and window repair, seat covers, ect already done. I have also heard you should replace water pump at same time..it is due anyway and will protect the new opti. terry tbmoore@cableone.net

 

I don't know how much a stock water pump would cost, but you might consider a Meziere electric one. For about $200 it's about 7-10 free horsepower.

 

I recently bought a 94 with 77k and did what you're thinking. The water pump came off with no problems, and the opti, but getting the balancer off was a pain in the butt. The balancer is designed to be a simple slip on/off deal once you get the three bolts off, mine was a bit rusty and took some work. I removed the wheels and put the car on jackstands to get a better angle on the balancer but I still couldn't fit a 2x4 in there as some suggest, just not enough room in there that I saw so I used a smaller tool. Some people have also described using an actual removal tool (Y puller) but I couldn't find a free one to rent at my parts store that would fit the requirement. Make sure you rotate the pully to get even pressure during the removal process if your tapping it from behind and place large forces on the inner area and not the outer portion of the balancer to keep it from getting damaged.

Since the car seems to be located in the Great White North, your's might be a bit rusted too. I would suggest that you get some very good penetrating oil and squirt the heck out of it the night before to make it easier.

I would start late in the afternoon to drain the water, remove the pump and hoses, remove the three balancer bolts, then soak the entire area with penetrating oil and let it sit overnight. Should come off easier the next day, and then remove the opti. I thought about replacing the entire opti but after looking at it I decided to just replace the cap and rotor and save a few bucks. The cap comes off by using a special tool that fits the reverse torx screws holding it together or you can use a screw off your engine with a vise grip or something if you're careful not to goof up the threads. I "borrowed" one off my intake area. You'll see what I mean when you get it off.

I guess it all depends on how the car is running as far as the cap and rotor vs the whole opti. I did ensure that I got a new water pump as I have heard pros and cons with rebuilt. Replaced all the hoses and the drive belt at the same time. Also put some antiseize on the balancer for the next time ... if it ever comes ;)

The car didn't really need the work when I did it but it runs better and I feel more at ease when the wife takes it out or I take it on long trips.

Good luck :seeya

 

I just did the opti thing on my car. You need a nice big pan the collect about 1.5 or so gallons of coolant from the system. Drain is on the lower right side of radiator. It will drain through the plastic shroud that surrounds the radiator. Don't forget to take off cap from resevoir to save time.
The male torx screws that all refer to are E5 for the exterior of the opti and E4 for the interior. A tool store may stock them, that is how I got mine for $6 each. Now I have them if I ever need them in the future. You will also need a T-8 regular torx bit to get the rotor off the opti.
The serp belt will come off with a 16mm wrench used on the tensioner. I ended up removing the tensioner just to make it easier to get the water pump off.
My balancer came off after some jiggling with a pry bar from the top. Before installation I took a wire brush to both the dampner and the hub to knock off corrosion and it now slips on and off with no problem. Just make sure you realign the triangle mark on the dampner with the mark on the hub or you'll never get the screws lined up.
Besides jeff kopp (excellent source for parts) you can also get the opti from gmpartsdirect.com for the same price $310. My local autozone sells the waterpump for $175 with lifetime warranty.
Be careful when doing the water pump removal to not damage the water temp sensor on the lower left side. You'll see that since you must disconnect prior to pump removal.
I used 3/8 socket on the 6 water pump bolts. Yes, 6....find them all. Be extremely careful with sensor connectors as they become brittle with age and break easily.
Expect more water out of the block if you don't drain the block from the (2) knock sensors. Not a whole lot, but enough to be a real mess and a pain. Maybe a quart or more.
Get the water pump gaskets and some sealant to tack the gaskets onto the pump.
Make sure you pay attention to the opti driveshaft as it can only go in one way. Kind of a pain but you'll see the little raise in the tooth design on both ends. DO NOT FORCE THE OPTI ONTO THE TIMING COVER.

 

Nathan,

An electric water pump is worth 7-10 HP if you power it with an extension cord on a dyno stand.

General comment:

If you replace the cap and rotor and their seals, you MUST seal all seams with permatex, especially the white foam seal around the wiring harness. It shrinks after a couple years and literally lets water and oil seepage "pour" into the opti unit. A fresh cap and rotor will not re-seal the unit at it's most vulnerable point. I would not do all that work without adding $17 purge harness mods.


[Modified by Rick93Z07, 9:22 AM 1/8/2002]

 

ATTENTION ! ATTENTION !!

Contrary to what all the books say, the Opti can/will go on in more than one position. What if SHOULD say is that there is only one position which the opti will go on in that doesnt require it to be tightened down in order for it to seat tightly against the timing chain cover. there is only one keyway on the back of the opti. Just make sure that it is lined up with the key and you are set.

 

I cant find the optispark on GM parts direct web site can someone give me part #, and or a link. Also my waterpump look s electric already? Theres no Pullys goin to it or anything... Im confused on that . Does Gmpartsdirect have the waterpump that i need? oh, also ..bogus mentions 95 with vented and the kit I need? Does gmpartsdirect ..have that as well?

 

don't bother with GM Parts direct... the number I gave is the best price and the best person to deal with. Call Jeff!!!! 1-800-728-8267

The waterpump is gear driven. no pully. It is driven by the cam gear. This is because the pump runs in reverse direction!!!

The reason you replace the pump, is that is starts to leak. they have a weap hole on the underside of the pump. and as the pump wears, the water starts to flow'n. with the opti below the pump, it will start to get wet. wet is bad.

when you reinstall the opti, it is wise to seal the cap to the body of the unit with some RTV. This will help a lot!

checking my receipts, here are the part numbers -

12556174 - vacuum harness
10457702 - opti
12529560 - pump

you do NOT need to get a seperate t-stat... the pump includes one.

 

Also, dont neglect to add the GM sealant tablets when you replace the coolant. Not all waterpumps are created aqual and some of them will weep/leak coolant from where the hose fittings are pressed in. Mine did and replacing the tablets and some judicious use of JB Weld sealed them right up.

I went ahead and did the plug wires and plugs and radiator hoses at the same time since it was all torn down anyway as well as the seals on the timing chain cover.

 

I just ordered from Kopp and my 96 cost:

Optispark 1104032 $237
Waterpump 12527739 $145.75

I imagine the pump is the same, the optispark different but the price ought to be similar. Shipping was 19 bucks, but my entire order was like $1300!

 

the opti is cheaper for the 95/96 vintages... it averages about 100.00 less.

 

I have copied my procedure for disassembly of the front of the LT1/LT4 for replacement of the Water Pump, OptiSpark, Balancer, and front seal. It may come in handy.

LT1_LT4 Balancer/Hub Removal
Unlike its SBC predecessor, the LT1/LT4 Balancer is a two piece assembly consisting of an (inner) hub, and (outer) balancer/pulley. Removal of the assembly can be frustrating if approached in the conventional way. By following the procedures below, you can safely and quickly remove the assembly with little or no problem.
1. Drain the radiator by opening the drain valve on the lower right hand (passenger side)
2. Remove the serpentine belt
3. Remove the upper radiator hose
4. Remove the water pump. When removing the water pump, it is important to remember that the LT1/LT4 water pump is attached to the engine with 3 bolts on each side, vs. its predecessor, which only had 2 bolts on each side. The center bolt on the driver side is a challenge, but can be removed without removal of the power steering pump. When removing the water pump, take care to remove the pump drive coupler along with the pump and place it on the pump drive shaft for use when re-installing the pump.
5. Mark the coil wire and all plug wires at the OptiSpark cap for easy reference when re-installing the OptiSpark unit after balancer seal repairs have been completed.
6. NOTE: There is no need to separate the balancer pulley from the hub if you intend to pull the hub off anyway. The only time you need to separate the pulley from the hub is if you are simply changing the OptiSpark. There is a match mark that is cast into the balancer assembly that allows you to mate the two pieces together in the exact orientation that they come apart. If you intend to separate the balancer pulley from the hub, locate the marks and make note for re-assembly.
7. The balancer pulley is attached to the hub with three bolts. The bolts are 7/16” SAE standard, 14 threads per inch, ľ” length (not metric). Fully remove all three bolts, and if you intend to remove the unit as a complete assembly, jump to steps 9 thru 18. If you intend to separate the assembly, continue by rethreading one bolt by a couple of turns. It is now time to separate the pulley from the hub. Most pulleys have been found to be rusted in place and require considerable effort to separate from the hub. Spraying the inside of the pulley with penetrating oil helps. Do not strike the pulley with a hammer in your frustrated attempts to remove. The best method is to position yourself under the engine with a wooden dowel rod and one healthy hammer. Position the dowel on the inside portion of the balancer when striking it with the hammer. Do not hit on the outer diameter of the pulley as damage can and will occur.
8. After successfully separating the pulley from the hub, it is now time to unbolt and remove the OptiSpark module. As with the water pump, a coupler drives the OptiSpark module and care should be taken to remove the drive shaft and place with the OptiSpark module for use when re-installing the unit.
Notice:
Contrary to what all the books say, the OptiSpark drive coupler can/will go on in more than one position. What if SHOULD say is that there is only one position in which the OptiSpark will go on that it doesn’t require tightening down in order for it to seat tightly against the timing chain cover. There is only one keyway on the back of the OptiSpark; Just make sure that it is properly lined up with the key and you are set.

9. Finally, it is now time to remove the hub. The center bolt that holds the hub on the crankshaft snout is 7/16” fine thread (not metric). I have found that I can generally break the center bolt loose by placing a 6 sided socket on the bolt, with a ˝” breaker bar attached. By striking the breaker bar with that healthy hammer you just used in step #7, you can break the torque on the bolt.
10. Fully remove the bolt, remove the washer from the bolt, then re-install the bolt by 3 full turns.
11. Re-read step #10. If you skip this step, you are a screwed pooch.
12. The “General” was thinking when he installed the power steering rack hydraulic lines as he has installed a loop in the lines that allow the use of a balancer puller without interference of the puller jack screw. Check it out, you will be glad that he did this.
13. Use a standard balancer puller that requires the use of 3 puller bolts that fit into 3 slots on the crab portion. Make sure that you use a tip on the jack screw end that is a flat rotating plate, not a sharp point, because you will eventually place the jack screw end directly on the head of the center bolt of the hub and you don’t want to damage it.
14. Next, select three new (or used) 7/16” bolts that are of sufficient length to slip thru the puller and fully thread into the hub where you previously removed the 3 bolts in step #7. If you do not have 3 – 7/16” bolts that are the proper length, you can use bolts that are slightly smaller than the tapped holes so you can slip them completely thru the hub. Make sure that the bolts are of sufficient length so that you can insert them completely thru the puller assembly and the hub, with a flat washer on each end, and a nut on the backside.
15. Rotate the entire hub assembly until the (^) mark is at the 12:00 position before removing the hub. When re-installing the hub, make sure that you install it back in the same orientation. This is a balance mark, and although it really won’t make too much difference if you fail to do this, it is there for a purpose, so try to do the right thing here.
16. Position the puller onto the front of the hub, with the jack end of the jackscrew slid thru the power steering line loop, and attach as mentioned above.
17. You are now ready to slowly remove the hub from the crankshaft snout. As you turn the jackscrew in a clockwise rotation, the hub will slide off the crankshaft. Keep doing this until you feel the hub come loose, or until you back it out against the shoulder of the center bolt.
18. You have successfully removed the balancer hub. Now, time to R&R that front seal assembly.

:seeya Purp


[Modified by PurpleC4, 4:43 PM 1/7/2002]


[Modified by PurpleC4, 4:45 PM 1/7/2002]

 

hey tnt..its really Palatine, Illinois...we call it P-Ville. btw , I ordered the opti and pump from Jeff . I also got some 8.5 MSD's and the NGK TR55IX plugs . Thanks everyone

 

$100 bucks less!

Now I see why folks really want the vented opti...:)


[Modified by No Go, 6:49 PM 1/7/2002]