I just got around to reading this:
http://www.delteq.com/opti_stage1.htm

Someone else posted this earlier.....sounds interesting.

Even though it has four coils, as opposed to eight coils of the LTTC, that is all most people really need -- even for most high-rpm high horspower engines.

After reading the information on the website, I would like to know what kind of triggering system the Opt-Plus has. Is it Hall Effect, etc.?

With four coils, it sounds like it would be easier to install and look al little neater.

In both cases, it sounds like you will be stuck with non-standard plug wires that may not be readily available when you need them in the future.

Tom Piper

 

From what I've read, The optibox is using the same optical trigger that the optispark has always used. The difference is the high voltage is being supplied by the ignition modules. This is nice in that the high voltage in the factory unit is what is ionizing the air and causing premature failure of the optical sensor and wheel. This won't eliminate bearing wear and failures caused by a bad sensor. If your opti fails most will probably have to go with the plus system anyway, because the wheel and sensor have probably already been destroyed. I wish there was a way to trigger the system from some place other than the current opti location (damage from a bad water pump) I often wondered where people mount the ignitions modules when they install a DI ignition.

 

I posted the link to Delteq earlier, plan to call them next week about the Opti-Plus replacement parts. On the LTCC coil install I used (8) 10" Magnecor KV85 8.5mm wires with 45 degree boots on the coil ends & 90 degree boots on the spark plug ends, just walked in from test fitting everything on the Pass side...

 

Thats a nice install! What did you use for plug wire guide? Are they something that are available somewhere? And did you make all your aluminum spacers or are they off the shelf parts at your local hardware store? It appears that you drilled your valve covers and bolted them directly to the covers. How about a picture of the drivers side installation.

 

If I remember correctly, the electrical engineer's name listed on the Delteq site is the same person that was involved with the Electromotive Opti-Eliminator years ago -- but, I've been wrong before.

If this is the same person, I had an interesting email convesation with him back then. He is a very knowledgeable person and was very aware of the difficulties that had to be overcome.

I think what killed the Electromotive Opti-Eliminator was it wasn't compatible with the sequential fire LT1 that came out in '94; plus, I think the owner of Electromotive (a highly respected person in the automotive field) died about the same time.

Do a web search on "Electromotive Opti-Eliminator."

Tom Piper

 

Does this eliminate the opti-spark altogether?

Hey Mojo (Frank) isn't this a mod you recently did?

:lurk:

 

:iagree: Nice job!

 

I'll call him tomorrow or Tuesday, I've ran the Electromotive stuff in the past. I had their Tec-II FI & Direct fire coil system on my RX-7 years ago, it was very reliable.

Thanks guys, don't want to hijack this post so I'll start another post to deal with my LTCC install, just wanted to address the initial plug wire issue...

 

Ed it's very similar, same principle, just a different setup.

 

so does it eliminate the POS distributor on the front of the block? Or just replace it with something (hopefully better)?

 

No it doesn't replace it completely but from their webiste it appears that you can install some better optical components that works with their system. I hope to get more information on there system and what coil paks are being used versus the GM CNP coil paks. Seeing how they are using a 4 coil package and using a waste spark method versus individual coils.

 

It sounds like the Stage 2 system does replace the opti completely

http://www.delteq.com/opti_stage2.htm

I wish they had more pictures of it! For that much moeny, I would think people would want to see what they are buying.

 

The way I understand it, with the Opti-Plus, you are completely gutting the Opti-Spark -- you eliminate the high-voltage section (in my opinion, this is the most troublesome section) and replace the optical sensor with some other type of sensor (I'm guessing it is a Hall-Effect or similar that can't be blinded like the optical sensor).

To me, the nice thing about it is: if your high voltage section only goes out, you won't have to pull the Opti-Spark. You can just install the first stage product and, in a couple of hours, your on your way.

Here is a quote from that site:
"The use of aftermarket Capacitive Discharge ignitions with the Delteq Opti-Direct system is also a possibility, since there is no longer the chance of arc-over in the distributor cap. High-load engines will benefit from this fact as well."

Talk about a waste of time and money. Since a four coil "Kettering" system is the best available (better than CD, that's why CD has multiple strike -- at low rpm the short spark duration has a hard time igniting the mixture) to about 12K rpm and an eight coil is the best to about 24K rpm (and that's assuming a single coil Kettering system is only good to 3K rpm, which is an understatement) why would anyone want to handicap the system?
I'm sure this engineer knows better, but for the "masses", I guess it is another selling point. I'm sure there will be some that will insist they want CD too.


Tom Piper


[Modified by Tom Piper, 7:06 AM 12/8/2003]

 

superlund,

That is a nice installation, especially considering you had 8 coils and a house full of wiring to work with.

Do you think some would have problems with roller rockers and the bolts through the valve covers?

Where did you put the "box"?

Tom Piper

 

Soperlund, where did you get those fuel rails?


Tony

 

I called this morning about this system. I don't think I'm too impressed. The person I spoke to couldn't tell me too much about the system. All of the answers I got were very vague. The one thing he could tell me is that they are at least 2 months away from production :(

I need a better solution than a regular aptispark. :cuss


Tony

 

Since this is a new company just getting off the ground, it doesn't suprise me that things are not up to snuff yet.

However, as I stated in an earlier post, if the chief electrical engineer is the same one ai talked to in the past, he does know his stuff and what the Opti-Spark shortcomings are. I think, in the end, you will be suprised by this one.
My guess is, from the Electromotive experience with the Opti-Eliminator (which worked fine on the batch fire engines), he will have a solid product.

But, as was mentioned before about the DynaSpark, any new company with a new product is going to have "qrowth" problems to deal with -- it is to our benefit to be patient. You probably have one person that is the marketing, sales, support, engineer, and cleaner of the "john."

My guess is, at this stage, you probably talked to a new-hire that just answers the phone.

Tom Piper

 

I never caught they guys name, but he did say that he worked for MSD around the time Opti-spark equipped cars came out. He mention that the MSD box took out the Opti.

I hope this unit is all that it is hoped to be.

Tony

 

Just got off the phone W/ Peter over at Delteq, their trigger system/output signal won't be compatible with the Bob Bailey LTCC unit, so I won't be able to use their Opti-Plus parts. Very nice guy, he explained where they are at on the system & how it is designed.

Tom Piper, I have 1.6 ratio Comp Cam Pro Mag roller rockers, the bolts don't thread into the composite valve covers, the stand-offs do. The stand-offs have a male 1/4-20 UNC THD X .20 long on the valve cover side & female 1/4-20 threads on the coil side. The stand-offs are bonded (permanently) into the valve covers with a specific Locktite industrial product for bonding aluminum to composite.
The web thickness of the valve covers is roughly .20 so I don't have any stud protruding thru the valve covers into the rocker area

The LTCC control box will be mounted in the area where the battery was once located. It will be mounted vertically on rubber isolators…

Tony, I built the fuel rails myself. Machined the rails & TIG welded a custom machined -6 AN fitting into each rail.

-Jim

 

So what is this Loktite specific industrial adhesive that is used to bond the stand offs to the valve covers?