View Poll Results: How many miles have you gotten out of your Opti
Voters: 70. You may not vote on this poll
Poll: Opti Failures.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,757
Likes: 172
From: Rolla Missouri
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10 thru '25
You hear so much about the "crappy" Opti, and what a **** poor design it is.
But how many of those comments are actually due to a bad install or inferior parts?
If the original Opti lasted 75k - 100k miles or more, but after less than 20k miles later some have went though multiple Opti's
then you have to question the install or parts.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 9,913
Likes: 37
From: South Carolina
St. Jude Donor '03 & '05
Exactly my point.
You hear so much about the "crappy" Opti, and what a **** poor design it is.
But how many of those comments are actually due to a bad install or inferior parts?
If the original Opti lasted 75k - 100k miles or more, but after less than 20k miles later some have went though multiple Opti's
then you have to question the install or parts.
You hear so much about the "crappy" Opti, and what a **** poor design it is.
But how many of those comments are actually due to a bad install or inferior parts?
If the original Opti lasted 75k - 100k miles or more, but after less than 20k miles later some have went though multiple Opti's
then you have to question the install or parts.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,214
Likes: 65
From: Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Speaking of beer, im just blowing the froth off a couple now 
How have you been mate?
Casey I'm still washing my LT1s (I have two 1995 lt1s a Imp SS and the Vette) and the opti is not a limiting factor.....it is not any more fragile than a regular distributor.....and removing the parts that limit access to the opti is not a time consuming process. I guess most of the guys that complain about how hard it is to access the opti are not very mechanically adept.....
My vete provides outstanding access when I'm working on it. The only vehicle I own that is easier to work on is my 48 Pan........
MIke
My vete provides outstanding access when I'm working on it. The only vehicle I own that is easier to work on is my 48 Pan........
MIke
I wash the engine in my LT4 all the time also. Just a tad over 100K miles now.
As Casey mentioned, a little "common sense" and don't point a pressure washer directly at the Opti and it will survive.
I also see a trend in most Opti failures.
It seem that the original Opti seems to last quite a while. But when it gets changed, they seem to be much more failure prone.
To me, that could be more of an issue with the install procedure, or inferior parts.
I must say i saw the same trends here on that issue over and over again, but then i also saw the optispark blamed for a lot of issues that it was not responsible for too.
When i pulled my optispark distributor out and replaced it, i did so cause i had an MSD sitting there, certainly not cause i needed to!! Just looking at what i removed, it is very likely id have gotten another 50,000 miles or more out of it ontop of the 170,000 odd that was allready on it.
Cheers mate, long time no chat too
That is hard for me to call, cause my car was a 94 and thus a first gen optispark. The MSD had the vac draw through on it, but my original unit did not.
Cheers Rick
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,641
Likes: 13
From: Slidell Louisiana
Mike its not us that talk funny mate Speaking of beer, im just blowing the froth off a couple now
How have you been mate?
Mike as you know i agree with you 100% mate yeah, if i had to pick on just one piece of it though, id have to say i think they are probably better protected than a regular distributor due to the fact they have a big rubber seal in there between the cap and the distributor body.
Speaking of beer, im just blowing the froth off a couple now How have you been mate?
Mike as you know i agree with you 100% mate yeah, if i had to pick on just one piece of it though, id have to say i think they are probably better protected than a regular distributor due to the fact they have a big rubber seal in there between the cap and the distributor body.
The good news was that I had the time to toss back a few pints of Bass Ale.
Oh my wife still loves her Holden........I was happy to get her out of that POS Scion and into a rwd V8 car.
Mike
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,214
Likes: 65
From: Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Good you got home safe another time mate eh, and when you get to throw down a few pints thats even better!!
If all goes well i should be in my new place soon, which has been a bloody long time coming. Once im in and set up, ill be setting up those 2 big CRT 3 gun projectors ive got here so pics will be coming your way soon ( i hope )
Tell the wife i said that great she still loves the Holden, she shouldnt really have any reason not to until its about 4 or 5 years old. Then i reckon she will be struggling to look at it the same!!
So youll be going out to wash both those LT1s today you reckon? Should get some pics of that mate!!
If all goes well i should be in my new place soon, which has been a bloody long time coming. Once im in and set up, ill be setting up those 2 big CRT 3 gun projectors ive got here so pics will be coming your way soon ( i hope )
Tell the wife i said that great she still loves the Holden, she shouldnt really have any reason not to until its about 4 or 5 years old. Then i reckon she will be struggling to look at it the same!!
So youll be going out to wash both those LT1s today you reckon? Should get some pics of that mate!!
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,641
Likes: 13
From: Slidell Louisiana
Maybe I'll fire up the pressure washer and take pics of pressure washing an OPTISPARK equiped engine (secret still is not to hit the opti with high pressure water)
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 55
Likes: 2
From: Canyon Lake California
Opti mileage
Of course my 88 Vette does not have the opti-spark system. But, my 96 Impala SS (LT1) does.
It basically has the same engine as a 96 Vette but with cast iron heads.
I bought the Impala new and it now has 227,500 miles. The opti-spark and plug wires are all original. It still passes California smog tests.
Years ago, after hearing so many horror stories about opti-spark failures, I went ahead and bought a new opti-spark unit and new factory plug wires. Still haven't needed to install them...yet.
It basically has the same engine as a 96 Vette but with cast iron heads.
I bought the Impala new and it now has 227,500 miles. The opti-spark and plug wires are all original. It still passes California smog tests.
Years ago, after hearing so many horror stories about opti-spark failures, I went ahead and bought a new opti-spark unit and new factory plug wires. Still haven't needed to install them...yet.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,141
Likes: 7
From: Metairie Louisiana
Since I did not get to drive my cars much recently the engines don't need washing they need some running. However, I used to regularly post freshly washed LT1 pics (shiny wet engines) so the thrill of taking pics of washing engines has passed.
Maybe I'll fire up the pressure washer and take pics of pressure washing an OPTISPARK equiped engine (secret still is not to hit the opti with high pressure water)
Maybe I'll fire up the pressure washer and take pics of pressure washing an OPTISPARK equiped engine (secret still is not to hit the opti with high pressure water)
Before and after pics would be
though. I'd like to see how well it works.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,641
Likes: 13
From: Slidell Louisiana
See how clean engine is when I'm pulling old hub and installing new one.....I ended up pulling engine anyway (hassle to torque new damper in car)
This was how clean engine ws in while it was in service (did not clean it IOT work on it )
So regular engine cleaning makes repairs easier....
and here is engine compartment right after pulling engine...once again it was not cleaned with engine out......I have a finished garage so no washing in the garage.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 18,346
Likes: 1
From: D / FW
I had a failure in my Hot Rod 383 after a 1,000 miles or so after building and a new Accel Opti in it.
Replaced with old OEM opti [ ACCEL Replaced theirs because it was in warranty ] and now after about a 1,000 more miles the OEM is starting the same missing as the ACCEL started with.
I'm thinking because of the timing [ big cam ]and fuel [ 42 lb. injectors ] changes along with a hotter spark MSD duel spark and blaster coil it might by shortening it's life .
The OEM Opti's are good to 7700 RPM's same as the aftermarket and as long as the rubber seal is pliable they are no worse than hosing down any other distributor.
I limit my RPM's to 6200 but I haven't replaced cheap electrical connectors or cheap Chinese wire used to fab harness for IGN hooked up with ACCEL GEN 7 computer. Quality silver connectors are recommended for electronics.
OPTI's are good distributors ! You won't get 7700 RPM's out of tradicional HEI distributors . Night and Day !
The placement of the OPTI is the problem not the Distributor itself which is designed to last 160,000 miles with a cap and rotor replacement only.
The bearings often last 240,000 miles.
Replaced with old OEM opti [ ACCEL Replaced theirs because it was in warranty ] and now after about a 1,000 more miles the OEM is starting the same missing as the ACCEL started with.
I'm thinking because of the timing [ big cam ]and fuel [ 42 lb. injectors ] changes along with a hotter spark MSD duel spark and blaster coil it might by shortening it's life .
The OEM Opti's are good to 7700 RPM's same as the aftermarket and as long as the rubber seal is pliable they are no worse than hosing down any other distributor.
I limit my RPM's to 6200 but I haven't replaced cheap electrical connectors or cheap Chinese wire used to fab harness for IGN hooked up with ACCEL GEN 7 computer. Quality silver connectors are recommended for electronics.
OPTI's are good distributors ! You won't get 7700 RPM's out of tradicional HEI distributors . Night and Day !
The placement of the OPTI is the problem not the Distributor itself which is designed to last 160,000 miles with a cap and rotor replacement only.
The bearings often last 240,000 miles.
