View Poll Results: How many owners of MSD Opti experienced issues?
Voters: 41. You may not vote on this poll
MSD Opti Poll
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,624
Likes: 431
From: Dale City VA
I haven't had any problems with mine and I'm turning my motor harder than 99% of the Z28 guys, so it's not they got a lock on and are the word of god on high rpm LTX's. There is a lot of shade tree DYI over there and anything/prouduct they bash is suspect IMO. Not everyone over there mind you because there are some people who know what they are doing, but you have to consider the source and take any forum info with a grain of salt.
I did pull my MSD Opti out of the box and loctite the rotor screw BEFORE I installed it on the car. Its just a good idea to check out new parts when you get them. It's like I wouldn't install a new crankshaft without inspecting it and measuring the journals first...
I agree the cap O-Ring can be PITA.
Will
I did pull my MSD Opti out of the box and loctite the rotor screw BEFORE I installed it on the car. Its just a good idea to check out new parts when you get them. It's like I wouldn't install a new crankshaft without inspecting it and measuring the journals first...
I agree the cap O-Ring can be PITA.
Will
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,672
Likes: 0
From: Hereford AZ
I replaced my opti 1mo ago. I went with the MSD opti, and took the advice that I read on here about taking it apart and locktite the rotor screws. I've had no problems until I change my spark plugs on Sat 1/11/09. I drove the Vette to work on Sun(25 miles) and had a bad miss that would come and go, and seemed to smooth out more a higher RPMs. On Mon. morning(i work 24hr shifts) I drove the Vette home with no problems, also drove the Vette for about 4-5 hrs during the day on Tues. with no more miss. Mon. afternoon I pop the hood and did a quick check of my plug wires, thinking it had to be a loose wire(wires a new MSD also) didn't find any loose wires but the Vette was running fine. Had to work again on Tues morning and on the way to work the miss was back and worse than before! This morning when I left work the Vette was running fine again. I'm going the do a complete check of the plug wires as it was running fine before the spark plug change, but if nothing shows up with the wire check I'm thinking it might be my new $500.00 MSD opti???? If someone has any ideas your welcome to PM me, as I don't want to butt in on the poll. If it's not the wires or something that I can see when I check the wires I will start a new post for some help. I hope it's not my new $500.00 MSD opti!!!
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,237
Likes: 117
From: San Antonio Texas
Installed new MSD Opti & wires about a year ago. Runs smooth as glass if I keep it under 5500rpm but anything over that, it acts like the ignition is turning on and off violently!( an LT4 should go 6500 right?) The thing is, I don't know if the Opti really has anything to do with the problem. It ran to 6000 with a cleaning of the mass air sensor, but I rarely go up there any more because it has all I need usually below 5500rpm anyway.
Mine came with 2 cap gaskets. One was the round "O"ring style that everybody seems to have a problem with, and the other was a square sided ring. I used the square sided one and it stayed in place with a little dielectric grease. I did locktite the rotor screws before the install just to make sure. Great gas mileage and pulls like a Clydesdale. I just wish I knew where the timing was set! I know they can be adjusted, but from where and to where?
Mine came with 2 cap gaskets. One was the round "O"ring style that everybody seems to have a problem with, and the other was a square sided ring. I used the square sided one and it stayed in place with a little dielectric grease. I did locktite the rotor screws before the install just to make sure. Great gas mileage and pulls like a Clydesdale. I just wish I knew where the timing was set! I know they can be adjusted, but from where and to where?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,090
Likes: 80
From: Burleson Texas
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,596
Likes: 19
From: Portland Oregon
Opti-crap
Attached is a picture of a MSD Opti Crap cap that I just removed from the ops car. Mind you this is the SECOND unit! The first unit had similar carbon tracking, the issue with Glens car is that at engine speeds >5900 it craps out, with me thinking that there was NO WAY IN HELL that I could have more than 2 bad units had me chasing up every alley and device that I thought could cause this problem.
After exhausting everything that I could think of that could cause a high engine speed misfire under boost, I reverted back to my wits and went after that opti again. So look at the cap and you will see a definite carbon tracking off the center coil contact as indicated by the red arrows.
After exhausting everything that I could think of that could cause a high engine speed misfire under boost, I reverted back to my wits and went after that opti again. So look at the cap and you will see a definite carbon tracking off the center coil contact as indicated by the red arrows.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,237
Likes: 117
From: San Antonio Texas
They talk about how superior their materials are to the stock one and this still happens? Their high dielectric materials don't seem to be doing the job there! Maybe we need to wash them off with acetone or some other super de-greaser before assembly in the car. Could there be some kind of oil on them, when they are packaged, that the high voltage is finding and arcing across? I really don't feel like going into that miserable mess again, but mine has an "over 5500 miss" too.
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Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
I won't vote on this because I don't have one but I will just say that every experience I've ever had with MSD's customer service has been top notch. If there was a flaw in the original design, I can't imagine they wouldn't go out of their way to fix it.
