Backfiring: the Solution
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 262
Likes: 12
From: Montgomery Alabama
Backfiring: the Solution
You all gave me the right direction and cared enough to answer my question. Here are the results, The day following the really shaky car, something dried out enough for the car to start. I contacted a friend and he said it was the opti-spark which I then looked up on Youtube. Took the car to my mechanic (it was running fine then) and he discovered that the water-pump was leaking into the distributor cap causing the problem. He replaced the distributor, water pump, and rotor. Problem solved. Thank you all for your encouragement. By the way the repairs took 6 hours (on and off) and cost under 1,000 dollars. I am now good to go! Again, thank you all!
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 3,842
Likes: 230
From: SANTA CRUZ CA
It is considerate of you to provide an update. Some members forget that there is interest in the solution as there was in the problem.
Sounds like you have a knowledgable friend, and a reliable mechanic.
Sounds like you have a knowledgable friend, and a reliable mechanic.
Last edited by don hall; May 22, 2017 at 03:52 PM.
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Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 4,424
Likes: 603
From: Minneapolis Mn
I've read so many times people saying they're having internal moisture issues with Optis, I've always wondered if anyone has ever tries a water dispersant spray in the Opti and what their results were.
I've use a product from LPS that fit's the bill and is compatible with electrical stuff. I got introduced to it at a hardware show when the demonstrator had an open 110v relay wired to a porcelain light socket with a bulb in it. He sprayed everything down with it then put it into an aquarium full of water and plugged it in. I saw that thing switching the bulb on and off for over 30 minutes while under water without an issue.
I've used it (have to get another can as the last one was emptied) before with positive results. My ex-BIL submarined my Spitfire in a deep puddle and got water into the distributor somehow, obviously it wasn't going anywhere. I got most of the water out of the distributor once I figured out what was going on but it wouldn't start. I remembered the LPS, sprayed the inside of the distributor and cap with it and drove the car home. Obviously I dried the distributor out once home, but it saved me a towing bill.
Worth consideration IMO.
I've use a product from LPS that fit's the bill and is compatible with electrical stuff. I got introduced to it at a hardware show when the demonstrator had an open 110v relay wired to a porcelain light socket with a bulb in it. He sprayed everything down with it then put it into an aquarium full of water and plugged it in. I saw that thing switching the bulb on and off for over 30 minutes while under water without an issue.
I've used it (have to get another can as the last one was emptied) before with positive results. My ex-BIL submarined my Spitfire in a deep puddle and got water into the distributor somehow, obviously it wasn't going anywhere. I got most of the water out of the distributor once I figured out what was going on but it wouldn't start. I remembered the LPS, sprayed the inside of the distributor and cap with it and drove the car home. Obviously I dried the distributor out once home, but it saved me a towing bill.
Worth consideration IMO.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,620
Likes: 206
From: Orlando FL
I've read so many times people saying they're having internal moisture issues with Optis, I've always wondered if anyone has ever tries a water dispersant spray in the Opti and what their results were.
I've use a product from LPS that fit's the bill and is compatible with electrical stuff. I got introduced to it at a hardware show when the demonstrator had an open 110v relay wired to a porcelain light socket with a bulb in it. He sprayed everything down with it then put it into an aquarium full of water and plugged it in. I saw that thing switching the bulb on and off for over 30 minutes while under water without an issue.
I've used it (have to get another can as the last one was emptied) before with positive results. My ex-BIL submarined my Spitfire in a deep puddle and got water into the distributor somehow, obviously it wasn't going anywhere. I got most of the water out of the distributor once I figured out what was going on but it wouldn't start. I remembered the LPS, sprayed the inside of the distributor and cap with it and drove the car home. Obviously I dried the distributor out once home, but it saved me a towing bill.
Worth consideration IMO.
I've use a product from LPS that fit's the bill and is compatible with electrical stuff. I got introduced to it at a hardware show when the demonstrator had an open 110v relay wired to a porcelain light socket with a bulb in it. He sprayed everything down with it then put it into an aquarium full of water and plugged it in. I saw that thing switching the bulb on and off for over 30 minutes while under water without an issue.
I've used it (have to get another can as the last one was emptied) before with positive results. My ex-BIL submarined my Spitfire in a deep puddle and got water into the distributor somehow, obviously it wasn't going anywhere. I got most of the water out of the distributor once I figured out what was going on but it wouldn't start. I remembered the LPS, sprayed the inside of the distributor and cap with it and drove the car home. Obviously I dried the distributor out once home, but it saved me a towing bill.
Worth consideration IMO.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 4,424
Likes: 603
From: Minneapolis Mn
I would not just spray it in the opti socking it just all over the place. If you want to anally wipe it down with q-tips and small cloths that would be OK. But if there was oil getting on to the optical reader or blocking the cut outs in the disk it would probably cause a problem with the pulse widths or no pulses.
