92 lt1 msd optispark upgrade
Thread Starter
1st Gear
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
92 lt1 msd optispark upgrade
Hi my optispark is acting up was wondering if its worth it getting the msd opti ?? Has anyone upgrated theirs and if did you get performance with new opti?? Was thinking of just getting an msd ignition kit and upgrade everything it runs for about $960 on jeggs
Pro
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 542
Likes: 0
From: middle of Illinois
When I had my 92 LT1 apart in 09 I rebuilt my stock opti with an MSD cap and rotor kit, and blaster coil. The water pump had leaked on it, so I figured since I had it off for a cam swap and top end build I might as well rebuild that too. I just got the cap and rotor kit, it went on pretty easy if you're good with tools. If you go the rebuild route, there is one type of screw on the factory opti that you might have trouble with. It's like a torx bit, but backwards. Not sure what the right name is for this kind of screw, but I'll call it "inverted torx" The inverted torx screw head looks like the regular torx bit, and the easy way to make a driver for it is to get a regular torx screw that fits it and loctite your regular screw into a hex standoff. then use a socket that fits the hex standoff and you've got your "inverted torx" screwdriver.
The kit I used had a vented upgrade, so it came with fresh air and vac lines and fittings to make it a vented unit like the later ones. In my opinion, there's no good reason to put a non-vented opti back on the car if you have a choice to go to vented. As for performance, I did a LOT of other stuff at the same time, so it wouldn't be fair to claim the MSD cap and rotor cut 1.5 seconds off my 1/4 time. But it did run flawlessly (ignition system) for 2 1/2 years until I sold it last week. As far as I know, it's still working great and I hope to bump into the guy at the track sometime.
The kit I used had a vented upgrade, so it came with fresh air and vac lines and fittings to make it a vented unit like the later ones. In my opinion, there's no good reason to put a non-vented opti back on the car if you have a choice to go to vented. As for performance, I did a LOT of other stuff at the same time, so it wouldn't be fair to claim the MSD cap and rotor cut 1.5 seconds off my 1/4 time. But it did run flawlessly (ignition system) for 2 1/2 years until I sold it last week. As far as I know, it's still working great and I hope to bump into the guy at the track sometime.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,999
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From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
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Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '12
Do a search here for Petris.
Contact the posters that have installed them and see what their experience is.
I upgraded mine to the pin drive opti and put a Summit white box opti on it. So far its lasted one racing season.
Contact the posters that have installed them and see what their experience is.
I upgraded mine to the pin drive opti and put a Summit white box opti on it. So far its lasted one racing season.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 14,668
Likes: 749
From: NEwhere Ohio
Anything other than stock ACDELCO optispark is not an upgrade.
Heck, consider the ACDelco NOS (new-old-stock_ optisparks (and the increased price you pay for them) an upgrade to any of the knock-off optisparks - including MSD.
Nothing good has been coming out of MSD since they were sold in 2004 by the original owner. The new owners have just farmed stuff out to china and rely on MSD's rapidly-fading good name.
This said, some of their older-developed products like MSD-6 line of ignitions might still be acceptable. But any of their newly developed stuff is garbage.
Ive read stuff on here for the past 10 years and I can tell you the people that have the least issues with optisparks are the ones that stick with AC Delco.
If you want some concrete examples (though not from an MSD), I will tell you I bought a 'Summit Racing' brand optispark. I took it apart and saw that it did not have the 'mitsubishi-emblem' sensor that the AC delco optisparks have. Also, the connector assembly was different. Simplified, but different. More disturbing, the optical disk was 'warped'. Yes, on a brand new knock-off optispark I saw the optical disk move up-and-down as I rotated it - when looking at it from a sideview.
Some guys have had great luck with MSD optispark. But some people havent. On the flipside, no-one with an AC Delco optispark has ever had issues with it.
Good luck!
Heck, consider the ACDelco NOS (new-old-stock_ optisparks (and the increased price you pay for them) an upgrade to any of the knock-off optisparks - including MSD.
Nothing good has been coming out of MSD since they were sold in 2004 by the original owner. The new owners have just farmed stuff out to china and rely on MSD's rapidly-fading good name.
This said, some of their older-developed products like MSD-6 line of ignitions might still be acceptable. But any of their newly developed stuff is garbage.
Ive read stuff on here for the past 10 years and I can tell you the people that have the least issues with optisparks are the ones that stick with AC Delco.
If you want some concrete examples (though not from an MSD), I will tell you I bought a 'Summit Racing' brand optispark. I took it apart and saw that it did not have the 'mitsubishi-emblem' sensor that the AC delco optisparks have. Also, the connector assembly was different. Simplified, but different. More disturbing, the optical disk was 'warped'. Yes, on a brand new knock-off optispark I saw the optical disk move up-and-down as I rotated it - when looking at it from a sideview.
Some guys have had great luck with MSD optispark. But some people havent. On the flipside, no-one with an AC Delco optispark has ever had issues with it.
Good luck!
1st Gear
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
optispark
Anything other than stock ACDELCO optispark is not an upgrade.
Heck, consider the ACDelco NOS (new-old-stock_ optisparks (and the increased price you pay for them) an upgrade to any of the knock-off optisparks - including MSD.
Nothing good has been coming out of MSD since they were sold in 2004 by the original owner. The new owners have just farmed stuff out to china and rely on MSD's rapidly-fading good name.
This said, some of their older-developed products like MSD-6 line of ignitions might still be acceptable. But any of their newly developed stuff is garbage.
Ive read stuff on here for the past 10 years and I can tell you the people that have the least issues with optisparks are the ones that stick with AC Delco.
If you want some concrete examples (though not from an MSD), I will tell you I bought a 'Summit Racing' brand optispark. I took it apart and saw that it did not have the 'mitsubishi-emblem' sensor that the AC delco optisparks have. Also, the connector assembly was different. Simplified, but different. More disturbing, the optical disk was 'warped'. Yes, on a brand new knock-off optispark I saw the optical disk move up-and-down as I rotated it - when looking at it from a sideview.
Some guys have had great luck with MSD optispark. But some people havent. On the flipside, no-one with an AC Delco optispark has ever had issues with it.
Good luck!
Heck, consider the ACDelco NOS (new-old-stock_ optisparks (and the increased price you pay for them) an upgrade to any of the knock-off optisparks - including MSD.
Nothing good has been coming out of MSD since they were sold in 2004 by the original owner. The new owners have just farmed stuff out to china and rely on MSD's rapidly-fading good name.
This said, some of their older-developed products like MSD-6 line of ignitions might still be acceptable. But any of their newly developed stuff is garbage.
Ive read stuff on here for the past 10 years and I can tell you the people that have the least issues with optisparks are the ones that stick with AC Delco.
If you want some concrete examples (though not from an MSD), I will tell you I bought a 'Summit Racing' brand optispark. I took it apart and saw that it did not have the 'mitsubishi-emblem' sensor that the AC delco optisparks have. Also, the connector assembly was different. Simplified, but different. More disturbing, the optical disk was 'warped'. Yes, on a brand new knock-off optispark I saw the optical disk move up-and-down as I rotated it - when looking at it from a sideview.
Some guys have had great luck with MSD optispark. But some people havent. On the flipside, no-one with an AC Delco optispark has ever had issues with it.
Good luck!
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Anything other than stock ACDELCO optispark is not an upgrade.
Heck, consider the ACDelco NOS (new-old-stock_ optisparks (and the increased price you pay for them) an upgrade to any of the knock-off optisparks - including MSD.
Nothing good has been coming out of MSD since they were sold in 2004 by the original owner. The new owners have just farmed stuff out to china and rely on MSD's rapidly-fading good name.
This said, some of their older-developed products like MSD-6 line of ignitions might still be acceptable. But any of their newly developed stuff is garbage.
Ive read stuff on here for the past 10 years and I can tell you the people that have the least issues with optisparks are the ones that stick with AC Delco.
If you want some concrete examples (though not from an MSD), I will tell you I bought a 'Summit Racing' brand optispark. I took it apart and saw that it did not have the 'mitsubishi-emblem' sensor that the AC delco optisparks have. Also, the connector assembly was different. Simplified, but different. More disturbing, the optical disk was 'warped'. Yes, on a brand new knock-off optispark I saw the optical disk move up-and-down as I rotated it - when looking at it from a sideview.
Some guys have had great luck with MSD optispark. But some people havent. On the flipside, no-one with an AC Delco optispark has ever had issues with it.
Good luck!
Heck, consider the ACDelco NOS (new-old-stock_ optisparks (and the increased price you pay for them) an upgrade to any of the knock-off optisparks - including MSD.
Nothing good has been coming out of MSD since they were sold in 2004 by the original owner. The new owners have just farmed stuff out to china and rely on MSD's rapidly-fading good name.
This said, some of their older-developed products like MSD-6 line of ignitions might still be acceptable. But any of their newly developed stuff is garbage.
Ive read stuff on here for the past 10 years and I can tell you the people that have the least issues with optisparks are the ones that stick with AC Delco.
If you want some concrete examples (though not from an MSD), I will tell you I bought a 'Summit Racing' brand optispark. I took it apart and saw that it did not have the 'mitsubishi-emblem' sensor that the AC delco optisparks have. Also, the connector assembly was different. Simplified, but different. More disturbing, the optical disk was 'warped'. Yes, on a brand new knock-off optispark I saw the optical disk move up-and-down as I rotated it - when looking at it from a sideview.
Some guys have had great luck with MSD optispark. But some people havent. On the flipside, no-one with an AC Delco optispark has ever had issues with it.
Good luck!
Okay, first of all- EVERY manufacture of stock, custom or upgrade replacements has put out a faulty part. Boxed up nice and shiny there are NO EXCEPTIONS, so a 'warped disk' from Summit doesnt mean there is a trend of aftrermarket optis that are going to all be crap based on this one example. Remember now, lets not forget where G.M. put the damned thing. Without scuba gear too. I have a 92. it overheated once (bad enough to spray water out of the overflow) and the Mitsubishi sensor went Capuut. You get what you pay for. The only replacement that I felt was as good AND better is the MSD with Ventilation. 5 degrees timing +/- TDC rpms to 9k and it wasnt that much more than the ACDelco. Okay, maybe twice as much- but I was rooting for the ACDelco, and along with a coil upgrade I honestly believe this is the best my car has ever run at 68k Miles.
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