just got done changing out the optispark and
Wow!
what a difference....
full power, smooth idle, quick strong and sharp...
I suddenly remember why I bought her in the first place.....

gotta thank everyone on here for all of the great tips on making the job go smoothly.....

 

 

....any observations, and tips you could provide to one that is facing the same thing without any experience?......

 

Feels good to have the Vette running at full power again, doesn't it.

 

Here is a little light reading for you if you want a little background: https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...=231&TopicID=2

 

Hi Frank. Congrats on successful surgery on te optispark. I have started changing mine (code 16, car died). Not in a huge hurry, have two other cars, but thought that yesterday I'd make some progress at dis-assembly. Got as far as water pump off. Didn't have to pull power steering pulley, right choice of universals, etc. But once I got to the vibration damper I hit a snag, and it was a good excuse to come back into the A/Ced house (I'm in Awstin, TX). The snag was the crank turning as I was wrenching the damper bolts. I expected a bit more resistance from it. The engine is tight, but how did you get the damper to not move? Also, was it easy to get the damper off once the bolts were out? Last, what year is yours? Any problem with orienting the spline shaft on the opti? Any secrets there?

I'm looking forward to the possibility of a smoother idle. Going to change wires and water pump while at it. I had just changed plugs 2 weeks before the opti expired. Bosch quad tip. Even that had improved idle and power. But when I changed the thermostat, and went to bleed the air on top of the thermostat housing I wasn't paying attention, and it must have been that coolant flow that nuked the opti. Because I only got 5 miles away after changing teh stat that it died.

Take care, and happy waving!

-George Csahanin
92 Red/Red

 

Ok guys....
first of all..., set the whole day aside
you definately want to take your time....
it was alot easier than i thought....
and I think you guys are going to feel the same way if/when you need to change it out...
the only tools i needed where my socket set,
3/8 socket swivel, and a bigger flat head screwdriver.
as far as parts go..., you will just need waterpump gaskets.....
here is what i did....on my 94, it was a piece of cake..., and I think you guys will think so too.
first drain your radiator, disconnect your air intake thingy and wires connected to the maf and get them out of the way, remove your water pump (6 bolts total..., you'll need your 3/8 swivel for one)
Now for the balancer...,
after reading this tip in the archives.....
there are three outer bolts that I loosened slightly (a turn or two)
(on my 94 auto, the balancer wanted to rotate...., but with quick sharp turns, the bolts broke loose...... or...., seeing how the serpintine belt is still on now...., you could stop it from spinning at any point in the serpintine belt path, by using a scredriver in/through one of the holes in another pulley.)
next, I started the engine for about 5-10 seconds to loosen the pulley from the hub,
removed the serpintine belt and tensioner,
removed the already loose three outer balancer bolts, and gently pryed off the balancer from the hub with my screwdriver on opposite sides, as it was already very loose from starting the motor.....
removed the opti (3 bolts)

as far as making sure the opti spline is lined up...., its pretty straight forward..., take your time and line up the grove on your new opti to the same genereal area as the grove in the coupling/front of the motor....
when its lined up correctly...., it will go in freely and easily with no resistance at all...
when buttoning everything back together,
remember to line up the arrow on the balancer to the arrow on the hub, and of course make sure your water pump coupling is still in place....

 

I used a small puller to get the balancer off. I don't know what brand it is, but I found it in my grandfather's garage as I was scrathing my head trying to figure out how to get the balancer off. It was almost too small to get around the balancer, but it just grabbed the outside grooves. Saved me a lot of aggrevation!

good luck!