oliver

Remove my opti last week and it came out with out the drive gear attach, and the new one I got has the drive gear allready attached to it. I try to pulll it out but it didnt come out. Is this the right opti ? Any help for this problem would be great.
Thanks Mike

jaa1992

There are two versions of the Opti
Newer models use a drive pin on the camshaft
Older models use a splined gear

Not sure when it changed over.
Post a picture of the old opti and the new opti and it will be obvious.

STL94LT1

Are you saying the original splined shaft is stuck? It should just pull out, and use the new drive with the new opti.

oliver

I dont have the camera right now the wife has it, I will take a picture when she get home. Both opti has splines my old one is a female and the new one is a male. Can I just pull the stubby spline shaft out of the timing chain cover?
Thanks Mike

oliver

I just seen your reply I will try to get the shaft out, I will let you know.
Thanks Mike

Drew1Down

wiggle the heck out of it, it should come out.

lightly tap it all the way around with a small hammer and try and pry it out with vice-grips with a block of wood between the vice-grips and timing cover, geantly tap the top of the vicegrips. mine was stuck too and i pulled the seal out after and inspected the splines, thank god there was no damage it was just stuck.

oliver

Thanks guys I got the spline out, now I am having trouble lining up the splines to get the opti in. The notch is a 7 oclock so I set the splin at the opti there but can not slid in in I dont want to force it. Any information for this next step would be great?
Thanks Mike

Drew1Down

i turned it so the key was pointing up, and the old spline as a visual guide, then i lined up the new opti and made little turns with my finger on the opti till i could wiggle it in.

also helps to have the crank hub ears with 2 pointing up at 10'oclock, 2'oclock, and the bottom at 6'oclock

oliver

Thanks I will give that a try, is the opti hard to line up? I tried about 1/2 hour with no luck.
Mike

rklessdriver

Line it up best you can by eye then (with the cap removed) use the rotor to turn it back and forth a little (both directions) as you push the opti up against the timing cover. It wouldn't hurt to make dab a little oil on the splines of the end that goes in the cam sprocket.

Make sure you put locktie on the rotor screw and ensure that it is tight before you re-install the cap.
Will

timmy 93

Dont force it on,must go on easy,as said take the cover off,turn the rotor slowly till gear goes in. Make sure cap seal is on right when you bolt the cap on.

oliver

Thanks guys the opti is in, I can not find a socket to remove the cap. I went to sears but they said they dont have a 4 mm 12 point, would anyone know of a place to get one? Can I try to start the car without the water pump hooked up, or is this a bad idea?
Thanks Mike

pcolt94

Definitely start the car before you install the water pump. You will temporally have to put on the intake pieces. You can run it for 30 seconds with no problem, then you can install the pump.

The catch is if the temp sensor in the water pump is not hooked up, it will make it run extremely rich and probably stall in about 10 seconds, but it will run. Or, you can stretch the wire for it up and just lay the WP on top of the throttle body intake. I have done this and the wires are long enough.

1963SS

Harbor Freight has the reverse torx sockets. Also, you'll probably want to take the cap off and check the screws on the rotor to make sure they were assembled with loctite. You could also use a torx bolt to remove the screws. Find on with the same head as your opti torx. Slide it on and use vice grips to loosen the opti bolts.

oliver

Thanks for the information on starting without the water pump and Harbor Freight for the tool. Would anyone know about replacing the two hoses on the throttle body, one is a breather going to the valve cover and the other is going to an emmission control valve? Both hoses are in bad shape, one has a 90 degree bend and both have different sizes on each end of the hose.
Thanks Mike

pcolt94

The one with the 90* bend and different ends is a dealer item which I did order one. There was also another special hose I got from the dealer but can't remember the details….too long ago.

I reaize there are less expensive way to go but I just wanted an exact repalcement. I think the 90* was only $7.

You will have the try the dealer first, then after market or used or might have to get creative.

jaa1992

I've got to replace the breather hose that goes to the valve cover next.
Was just going to get high temp hose from local parts place at a buck or less a foot.
doesn't need the 90* bends on my car (Its a race car so beauty is not required)

oliver

The car started, I only ran if for a few seconds. I had no water pump on the car. The breather hose I got from advance auto still looking for the other one. I called chevy but they could not look in up with the vin number. I will call the dealer now that I am home with the vin. Would you guys know how to bleed the cooling system without getting the opti wet?
Thanks Mike

jaa1992

When you fill the expansion tank on the passenger side wrap a rag by the bleed screw at the thermostat.
When you see water tighten the bleed screw.
start the car and slowly add fluid to the tank.
when the thermostat opens up continue to add fluid until it looks full
Shut the car off.
After an hour top off and go for a drive
park it, in the morning top it off and drive to work
Top it off before you leave work
after a couple of days you won't need to add any more water.

Check the FSM - this is pretty close to the procedure found there

Drew1Down

i filled the block with 50/50 first, when you put the water pump on leave the return hose off and fill it thur there first, then i opened the air bleeder screw (to allow the air to be pushed out, don't realy need to do this but it does make the fill a little faster) then i reconnected all the hoses and filled the coolent tank till the bubbles stoped. turned on the engine and ran it with the heater running and filled as needed.

most important step i can't stress enough is filling the block FIRST!