A friend of mine did this job on his Corvette...try about a week or two! (He is 67 and retired, so he’s taking his time, but even still, he’s an experienced mechanic.)
My Optispark died last year, the bearing seized and the optispark shaft broke off in the cam chain sprocket. I dumped the whole system and replaced it with the TorqHead 24X system. It's a plug and play coil over plug system with a 2002 OB 11 ECM. Best thing I ever did. Paul at TorqHeads was great, answered every question I had and sent me the installation instructions prior to receiving the kit. Almost all the components are GM off the shelf items.
Just wanted to drop a note thanking you for your informative videos. Left a comment on one of your videos weeks ago trying to pinpoint the problem prior to working on my 1994 5.7 LT1 6 spd manual Firebird. I ended up replacing ignition module, ignition coil and cooling plate, along with a new OptiSpark Distributor, New O2 sensors, and a new motor to chassis ground wire. Also threw in a new water pump just because. Misfires are gone, difficult start is gone, and low idle after warm up is gone. Car is running well and pleasure to drive.
Glad to hear Art! The problems always seem just a little bit different for each of us, so you never know what might help, and what might not. That’s why I put every one of my trials in a video! Who knows if you needed all those parts or just one, but I am glad that they collectively got your car running like a champ again!
Add and extra ground from the front of your block to the frame of the car, about a foot of heavy gauge wire. This will extend the life of the opti and possibly help the mis. You can also run a small hose/tube from the WP seep hole around the opti. I did these two things on my LT1 base vette and have had great success. Good video and good luck!
The ignition module which is next to the ignition coil is prone to burning out overtime. If you replace it, just make sure you use thermal paste on the heat sink so the new module will last longer than the old one. I've seen people use dielectric grease but that will actually burn it. Awesome videos. I've learned a lot watching your channel. Thank you..
Bought my 96 blown up. Camaro z28. The head gasket was bad on the driver side between cylinder 5 and 7. The beginning stage is slow coolant consumption and a misfire. Then coolant, oil mixing. 100,000 miles is magical time of the head gaskets failing. My car was at 119,000 miles with a completely failed fire ring on said cylinders. Dropped engine out the bottom, replaced opti, plugs, wires, and water pump while replacing head gaskets. Did it on the ground, outside in my driveway. Pretty straight forward job. Runs like a scolded dog.
The drain port you referred to on the bottom was an improvement that took place in 1995. That port has a hose attached to it and the other end at the intake manifold. Air is sucked through the distributor to keep the interior of the Opti dry. That is the setup on my 1995 Base Corvette.
However, I’m done with OBD1. I’m waiting for the ignition upgrade from TorqueHead. Kit includes reluctor ring mounted behind the crank pulley, their “distributor” which no longer has spark plug wires. Individual coil packs with short plug wires, coil pack mount, wiring harness, and best of all a new computer that upgrades to Gen III OBD2.
@@Roadsterrick69I have the complete torqhead 24x kit in a box just waiting on my other cylinder head to get here before installing Trick flow heads, cam, double roller chain, new lifters, roller rockers, meziere water pump, and torqhead setup. Should be a fun little street car then. Just need a new torque converter and to find a good used 12 bolt rear end.
Here’s a helpful tip, set your crank to where the #1 piston is on TDC before installing the new distributor. Makes it a lot less time consuming and easier to know where the shaft lines up.
On my ws6 I replaced the mass air flow sensor and picked up a injector miss fire but it isn’t constant and the power level went way up so I’m leaving it this way.
I think 91-96 fleetwood also uses this design. I've had to replace my optispark probably 4 times now because it keeps cracking and getting alot of moisture inside causing misfires, especially bad if i hit a puddle wrong or go through one of those undercarriage car washes to get rid of gravel or salt
corvettez06ss thanks for the suggestions. I already replaced the injectors a few videos ago, but agree with you on the wires. Probably do wires and compression checks next.
The thing you where calling a ballast resistor is the ignition module. I replaced the optispark on my 94formula only to have it fail again. It's not a fun job . 3days I'll never get back . I'm doing away with optispark and going with the Torquehead coil on cylinder ignition system "after quarantine ".
Thanks Vincent. I'm reviewing videos to see what all I have done as well as what I may have missed and I don't think I ever replaced that ignition module. Going for that quick, easy swap next!
@@FearlessMods Glad to be of help one of the tell tell signs of the optispark going bad is when it fries the ignition module. Went through 3 of them in 2 months before the optispark went out completely. After this "plague "clears and I go back to work. I'll buy the Torquehead ignition system for my firebird.
After this "plague " goes away God willing . And I get more hours on my job which means more money in my pocket. I'll get that Torquehead ignition setup for my firebird . I might Try my hand at doing a install video . I guess owning this car since it was new taught me all The little evils of involved with it.
Fearlessmods just ran into this problem with my 95 ta gonna try the spark plugs and wires first. Wanted to see how hard it was to do the opti spark just incase it was that. It doesn't look as hard as I thought it would be granted I'm not a mechanic so most likely gonna be a little harder for me but good to know that I can do it myself and not have to take it somewhere to get done. You're video was a huge help!
Never done anything like this before . I've talked it so far I'm getting ready tom to take off that last bolt for the air pump . What did u fine was wrong with your car?
Its documented not well but it is documented that the 94 optispark distributer was poorly designed. You can mod the vents or just purchase an aftermarket optispark by MSD or any of the performance parts makers. The problem with the optispark which is reported is the placement is low and next to the water pump. Excessive moisture and water gets into the distibuter.
@** Well it has more to do with where the optispark is behind the water pump. Now the optispark can be had for 45 dollars on Amazon so not a big deal anymore. Just do a little research and look at the reviews on Amazon or ebay. I wouldn't buy the OEM part because it goes for 4 to 5 hundred. It should be fine if it dropped from 1 ft. The problems came from getting wet.
SBC don't need compression test. Better to do a leak - down test. This engines have more problems with heafs(valves not sealing, valve guide seals leaking)
Came across your channel and found it interesting. I have a 94 Z28 Camaro and had to replace the opti spark distributor at 34 thousand miles. According to the service manager at Chevrolet, my husband's lead foot caused it to go out. I didn't think anything about it at the time, because it was under warranty, but is that true? Can driving the car too hard cause that thing to go out? Just curious. Thanks. God bless.
I will probably have to do this on my 94 camaro aswell. I have a misfire and something more seems to be wierd. the car worked perfect recently. only had the car for 3 weeks. The car has only gone 5400 miles so it is in great chape at least!
@** the car did not burn all the fuel it was pumping in so the exhaust did pop sometimes from just running and was real jumpy but ordered the optispark and changed it. Took a whole day with me and my dad and some breaks because of the hot garage. But after the switch the car ran perfect and I could drive it without any problems! Now is the next problem months later. Probably something with the fuel pump 😅
Good videos. I am haveing the same problem with my 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood 5.7 lt1 engine. I have changed injecter, the same set of sensors you change in your video, plug and wires and my opitspark. Any suggestions I will be grateful because I don't live in the USA, I live in the Caribbean to be specific Trinidad and Tobago. So I don't have any access to experts or parts. The vehicle is just sitting there
I subscribed because you worked so hard only to have the same problem. Women should design engines. We have too much going on to have such a complicated monster. We would absolutely k.i.s.s. that motor. Guys would never have to work on an engine again. Just drive it and fast. I love my Camaro. Love driving him fast. He only has 110,000 miles on him. Anyway, good luck. God bless.
I like how you be "Him". haha,as us guys always called our cars by girls names cause they so sweet! I usta have a camaro many years ago,but I'm old now and drive a vette. She calls to me from the garage.....
@@paulmoss7940 Silly guy. Jack is definitely male. He has a really bad attitude at times. My husband does the same thing. His Harley-Davidson is Isabelle. His John Deere is Isabelle 2, and the Chevy Malibu is Isabelle 3. God bless. Hope you have a wonderful new year.
Not trying to be negative but new Coil to Optispark Replacement for a misfire is not the logical troubleshooting order...... Keep up the positive attitude & good work!! I dread replacing my OptiSpark 👎🏻
E Blonde true. I think it’s driven more by reluctance to want to go after the bigger job right away. Especially since I thought I had replaced it only 10,000 miles earlier! Thanks for watching and good luck on yours!
I've replaced the Optispark, Map Sensor, Idle Air Control Valve, Throttle Positioning Sensor and Mass Airflow Sensor on my 95 impala LT1 and its still throwing a code... just a few minutes ago it was running and I disconnected the Mass Airflow Sensor, the Throttle Positioning Sensor, the Idle Air Control Valve... I even loosened the hoses clamp and removed the hockey puck and the motor never even hiccuped.... I'm so freaked out... I thought the car would die or at least sputter or something... but if I try to drive it the car will die and acts like it wont start...
Did you have a pulley behind the harmonic balancer I have a pulley behind the harmonic balancer on my ta I cannot get it off to get the optispark on or off for that matter
@Arthur Bennett I'm going to say I didn't. I reviewed the vid and don't recall there being another. Not sure what it would be for since it's a serpentine system where everything runs off the same belt...
I saw some anomalies in the O2 sensors when I had it on a nice Snap-On scanner and I couldn't explain them definitively. So, I ran with the right sensor unplugged for a while (the one I thought was the problem), but that's also the side the bad plug wire was on, so it may have been telling the truth...
Please let me know what you think.... Would it be easier to align the Opti-spark shaft by removing the cover (3 or 4 female torx screws) and turn the rotor as you maneuver the unit into place? I'm at the point of removing the vibration dampener, which after 200,000 miles is rusted on pretty good. Sigh. Bolts are out. It's a C4 Vette, so no room to work. As you said, thanks GM.
I have 95 Trans Am and i am from the UK, and my car suddenly lost power on z Xmas day 2019, my mate changed Opti ,waterpump and did not start, changed battery plugs 2 months ago same, on Sunday changed coil and ICM and same, tries to start up but does not. Now my mate last year did OBD2 reader and bought up no spark so changed stuff, it does have spark now but no start. I do not have a garage, i am not a mechanic so this looks complicated plus i am clumsy
Great video. I need help though. I have a 94 Z28 and the problem I'm having is once the car gets to operating temperature it wants to stall out just like you turn ignition off. It'll start right back up. Other than that the car runs great. I've been told IAC or Optispark. Any help would be greatly appreciated
This is the reason I eventually had to get a PicoScope. I was replacing parts based on what people were recommending and that just adds up over time. I wish I could point you at the likely culprit, but instead, you may need to find a friend that has one of these or buy a cheap one ($150-$250 plus probes) on Amazon or eBay if you think this is going to be a tricky problem to locate.
I have a 1999 Camaro 3.8l... my car was driving fine then one day it just cut off wouldn't cut back on. I bought a new battery and drove for maybe 2 weeks then it cut off again. This time it just cranks no start though. Thought it was the fuel pump but I have a new pump so. What could it be?? When I first bought the car the check engine light would come on and go off some days it would stay one some days it wouldn't. Had it for about 2 months now it won't even turn on just cranks what's could this problem be??
All engines require 3 things: compression, fuel (air and gas) and ignition (spark). You'll have to systematically go through all of those to find the culprit. Spark, air and gas will be the easiest to rule out first. Remember that timing is a factor in those! If they're good, then move on to compression. Other than that, I haven't worked on the 3.8s, so good luck!
I have same problem at my Cadillac Fleetwood, i am goint to flush engine.......check engine light and low pressure oil light started blinking when i had dirty engine oil.
It's a misfire problem I've been chasing for years. Watch my more recent diagnostic videos as well and you'll see that I'm zeroing back in on having to replace the Opti again!
I think I'm having a similar problem with my 96' Firebird. My car started overheating so I put coolant in it but that still didn't do the job. A few days later my car stalled & wouldn't start back up. A local mechanic told me it was likely my Water Pump that was bad. I'm not sure if I should replace the distributor as well. Any Suggestions? Please help
SEE - THRU ! I know sometimes when you pull the water pump off it can leak water into the Opti. So I would either be really careful or if you’re worried that it is the Opti I would go ahead and replace it.
@@brennonfriemann yeah I'm gonna just take it to have a quick diagnosis before I spend unnecessary money then, but yeah I'm hoping its just the water pump
So I have a 94 z28 that this has happened to twice before and I’ve replaced it both times(2years apart), the car will die while driving and it has fixed it both times.And now it has happened again for a 3rd time in 5 years. Any suggestions on how to keep my optispark from getting moisture?
MSD makes a cap with the air vent system just like the 95 -97 lt1s were equipped with I have. it on my 94formula worked great till opti took a shit .I'm doing away with optispark and going with TORQUEHEAD ignition setup. heard a lot of good things about it.
Proubably the msd rotor it scrapes against the black isolator vince then over time you can get a plastic shaving in the opti disc slot timing wont read right then i used the msd cap and factory rotor the factory rotor wont scrape the black isolator.
Aha! Good eye Gene! Because this car is a 25th anniversary, there are only a few minor things I've done to modify anything. I put a set of Eibach lowering springs on it and polyurethane bushings, removed the honeycomb restriction from in front of the MAF, and installed that throttle body airflow splitter. You can find the splitters at JEGS.
Mine died on me today I got spark coming from coil but I can unplug spark plug wire and there's no spark. I'm guessing my opti went out. Been running rough and running hot.
@@shawngoff8290 I'd say it took 4-8 hours depending on how much you want to remove to give yourself room to work. I left the rad in, but it can be tight in there at times. No special tools that I didn't already have except for the long pry tool that I used to walk the balancer off the crank.
@@FearlessMods I know what you mean! My 1997 has 14,300 miles on it and it rained heavily Saturday and when I came to a red light the car acted like it was trying to get power and I know it's the optispark. My other option is not to drive it in the rain, it runs smoothly otherwise. My friends say sell or trade it but I love it too much, lol!
FearlessMods Sorry to say but you’ll be pulling that distributor out again because those are garbage. I hope it doesn’t but if it does fail there’s a guy on eBay who will rebuild your OEM opti. He will ONLY work on original optisparks. You can buy one off him too if you don’t have an original. His user name is optisparksolutions1. Good luck.
Keep your OEM delco opti & just change the cap and Rotor, use blue loctite on the rotor screws or 2k miles later the rotor will come loose.Any opti other than OeM is a downgrade because the OEM delco uses the best optical sensor.After market optis use a junk non mitsubishe one.
The parts store optisparks are sketchy. And GM quit making them ten year's ago.thats why you don't see too many lt1 engine cars on the road today besides they're a bitch to work on as you found out. Also 94 -95 cars are obd1 good luck finding a scanner. No longer available.
@@brendonwest9293 because the engine sits back under the windshield several inches. The spark plugs and wires as well have to be accessed from the bottom is very time consuming Also gen 2 lt1 motors are notorious for oil leaks. The LS motor done away with the headaches of the previous motor when it was installed in the f body in 1998.
Hey on a 1996 camaro ss LT1 it says to take the air bleed pipe out to do intake can’t I just cut it put hose instead of taking it out bolted to back of the heads anyone ever do this thanks
Do you know if it would be common for some optis not to go in by hand after putting a new o seal in I just did my Opti and water pump I’ve had this question on my mind for a few days the car started right up when I got every thing together every thing is aligned aka the timing for the distributor I used the bolts for the Opti to put it in it did not resist going on using the bolts I screwed them in by hand and the bracket is flush with the timing cover I also bought the felpro gasket set for lt1 timing cover I have no leaks I’m just very curious and I can’t stop picking my brain if I did some thing wrong
FearlessMods the only issue now is it’s missing on cylinders 3,4, and 6 I put new wires and plugs in it but I put plugs in before I put a new Opti in so it is possible that they were fouled I can’t pull any right now because it is raining currently but it’s possible the injectors are going out in those cylinders cause I did a pressure test and it holds 40 but when I shut it down pressure drops around 15 psi immediately there also isn’t any misfire codes but with a high quality scanner it tells me those 3 cylinders are missing I can feel it at idle all 3 it’s pinging and at higher rpms it might backfire once every thing is new on the ignition system but I did replace it all before putting a new Opti besides the wires
FearlessMods side note the car was not running at all before the new Opti battery voltage jumped every where it would backfire like crazy stall coolant temp would get up to 240 or so and all you smelled was unburnt gas I took the Opti apart and all the jump points had build up on them from moisture getting in someone had replaced the cap and rotor before I bought the car is my best guess because the cap was cracked
@@mrmech33 I hope you solved your issue. Sometimes these can take time if they're your project car like mine is. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.
If I do all that and it does not run right I'm going to drive it off a bridge ! Remind me to never buy another car that does not have a HEI and carb.....
Fuck that air pump has been a pain in my butt I was looking for a video that had 1 on there I just got that middle bolt off ahah thought the same thing this should do it nope that 1 behind the spark plug .. what a engine
Was it running before replacement? Have you double checked the coil wire and plug wires all installed in the correct order? Did it come with a new pigtail for the PCM to OPTi connection?
@@FearlessMods it ran but cut in and out and would make the rpm drop slow between shifts, it came with a new pigtail and I just put it on but I haven’t started it yet, and all of the plug wires and coil wire are installed correctly, what does the pigtail that came with the new opti do compared to the oem plug?
Perhaps you can correct the title, this only for F-body? It does not apply to Impala, Caprice, Roadmaster, Fleetwood, the timing cover and the Optispark have different couplings.
Experience tells me, a 26 minute video done by someone experienced in car repairs will take me about a day or two in my driveway.
A friend of mine did this job on his Corvette...try about a week or two! (He is 67 and retired, so he’s taking his time, but even still, he’s an experienced mechanic.)
Most underrated comment on TH-cam
Took me my whole weekend plus Monday
Especially if you do not have a deep e4 socket
Yall crazy man I just did my first one tear down complete was about 45 minutes put back together being OCD careful was about 2 hours
My Optispark died last year, the bearing seized and the optispark shaft broke off in the cam chain sprocket. I dumped the whole system and replaced it with the TorqHead 24X system. It's a plug and play coil over plug system with a 2002 OB 11 ECM. Best thing I ever did. Paul at TorqHeads was great, answered every question I had and sent me the installation instructions prior to receiving the kit. Almost all the components are GM off the shelf items.
Just wanted to drop a note thanking you for your informative videos. Left a comment on one of your videos weeks ago trying to pinpoint the problem prior to working on my 1994 5.7 LT1 6 spd manual Firebird. I ended up replacing ignition module, ignition coil and cooling plate, along with a new OptiSpark Distributor, New O2 sensors, and a new motor to chassis ground wire. Also threw in a new water pump just because. Misfires are gone, difficult start is gone, and low idle after warm up is gone. Car is running well and pleasure to drive.
Glad to hear Art! The problems always seem just a little bit different for each of us, so you never know what might help, and what might not. That’s why I put every one of my trials in a video! Who knows if you needed all those parts or just one, but I am glad that they collectively got your car running like a champ again!
Add and extra ground from the front of your block to the frame of the car, about a foot of heavy gauge wire. This will extend the life of the opti and possibly help the mis. You can also run a small hose/tube from the WP seep hole around the opti. I did these two things on my LT1 base vette and have had great success. Good video and good luck!
Please, what year corvette? Very helpful.
Good info thanks!
That little off. Lol ICM!!! Ignition control module.
Could you explain where you hooked up the ground wire to the block?
The optispark is "kryptonite " to us
owners of lt1 cars.
On my 93 mine is original, never had an issue with it. I’m about to change it though because I’m building a 383.
My 94 is doing the same thing. Please keep us posted on the chase! Thank you for these videos!
Wires did the trick...at least initially.
The ignition module which is next to the ignition coil is prone to burning out overtime. If you replace it, just make sure you use thermal paste on the heat sink so the new module will last longer than the old one. I've seen people use dielectric grease but that will actually burn it. Awesome videos. I've learned a lot watching your channel. Thank you..
@LTJohn I'm going to replace it next and I'll make sure I have thermal paste. Dumbass me...I forgot to ever replace it!
@** yes I am. What's your point???
@** cool. I have a 94 firehawk.
Bought my 96 blown up. Camaro z28. The head gasket was bad on the driver side between cylinder 5 and 7. The beginning stage is slow coolant consumption and a misfire. Then coolant, oil mixing. 100,000 miles is magical time of the head gaskets failing. My car was at 119,000 miles with a completely failed fire ring on said cylinders. Dropped engine out the bottom, replaced opti, plugs, wires, and water pump while replacing head gaskets. Did it on the ground, outside in my driveway. Pretty straight forward job. Runs like a scolded dog.
"Pro tip" it's 3 bolts and 2 plugs to pull that radiator (with fans attached) and give you about 12" more space to work
The drain port you referred to on the bottom was an improvement that took place in 1995. That port has a hose attached to it and the other end at the intake manifold. Air is sucked through the distributor to keep the interior of the Opti dry. That is the setup on my 1995 Base Corvette.
Can the vented optispark be added to a older model LT1 1994
@@nickyj3571…………yes
However, I’m done with OBD1. I’m waiting for the ignition upgrade from TorqueHead. Kit includes reluctor ring mounted behind the crank pulley, their “distributor” which no longer has spark plug wires. Individual coil packs with short plug wires, coil pack mount, wiring harness, and best of all a new computer that upgrades to Gen III OBD2.
@@Roadsterrick69 Yes, but Torqhead doesn't make anything for a 92-93 LT1.
@@Roadsterrick69I have the complete torqhead 24x kit in a box just waiting on my other cylinder head to get here before installing Trick flow heads, cam, double roller chain, new lifters, roller rockers, meziere water pump, and torqhead setup. Should be a fun little street car then. Just need a new torque converter and to find a good used 12 bolt rear end.
Here’s a helpful tip, set your crank to where the #1 piston is on TDC before installing the new distributor. Makes it a lot less time consuming and easier to know where the shaft lines up.
Thanks
BTW that bottom tube hole isn't a drain hole. That's where a vacuum hose plugs into it. Just FYI.
If you’re changing the optispark, you might as well do the water pump as well. Trust me, it will save you a major headache.
my 96 impala had a misfire. i did the same thing you did. i eventually changed the spark plugs and wires and the issue went away.
I’ve noticed your garage in my neighborhood I would love to stop by
I assume you’re not referring to Parkway Lakeside...that was this video
Good video man. I'm trying to figure out my misfire rn and I think the last thing for me to replace is the opti
On my ws6 I replaced the mass air flow sensor and picked up a injector miss fire but it isn’t constant and the power level went way up so I’m leaving it this way.
@@whodo4893 I spun a rod bearing on my lt1 and yeeted it. It has a 5.3 ls with an ls1 intake and injectors
Thanks, I have to do this on a 95 Fleetwood.
I think 91-96 fleetwood also uses this design.
I've had to replace my optispark probably 4 times now because it keeps cracking and getting alot of moisture inside causing misfires, especially bad if i hit a puddle wrong or go through one of those undercarriage car washes to get rid of gravel or salt
most likely its the spark plug wires. one last thing is to check the fuel injectors. unplug one by one to see if the idle changes.
corvettez06ss thanks for the suggestions. I already replaced the injectors a few videos ago, but agree with you on the wires. Probably do wires and compression checks next.
FearlessMods did you torque the 3 crank pulley bolts? and if so to what ft-lb
I like that hose with the extra bleeder instead of the one on the water neck one
The thing you where calling a ballast resistor is the ignition module. I replaced the optispark on my 94formula only
to have it fail again. It's not
a fun job . 3days I'll never get
back . I'm doing away with optispark and going with the
Torquehead coil on cylinder ignition system "after quarantine ".
Thanks Vincent. I'm reviewing videos to see what all I have done as well as what I may have missed and I don't think I ever replaced that ignition module. Going for that quick, easy swap next!
@@FearlessMods Glad to be of help one of the tell tell signs of the optispark going bad is when
it fries the ignition module. Went through 3 of them in 2 months before the optispark went out completely. After this
"plague "clears and I go back to work. I'll buy the Torquehead ignition system for my firebird.
After this "plague " goes away God willing . And I get more hours on my job which means
more money in my pocket. I'll
get that Torquehead ignition setup for my firebird . I might
Try my hand at doing a install
video . I guess owning this car
since it was new taught me all
The little evils of involved with
it.
Fearlessmods just ran into this problem with my 95 ta gonna try the spark plugs and wires first. Wanted to see how hard it was to do the opti spark just incase it was that. It doesn't look as hard as I thought it would be granted I'm not a mechanic so most likely gonna be a little harder for me but good to know that I can do it myself and not have to take it somewhere to get done. You're video was a huge help!
Good luck Al. It has its frustrations, but totally do-able. Just make sure you have another set of wheels in case it takes longer than expected! 😉
Never done anything like this before . I've talked it so far I'm getting ready tom to take off that last bolt for the air pump . What did u fine was wrong with your car?
My knees hurt just watching you. Lol
Not as bad as my back tho. I'd be laid up for a week after bending over that long.
Its documented not well but it is documented that the 94 optispark distributer was poorly designed. You can mod the vents or just purchase an aftermarket optispark by MSD or any of the performance parts makers.
The problem with the optispark which is reported is the placement is low and next to the water pump. Excessive moisture and water gets into the distibuter.
@** Well it has more to do with where the optispark is behind the water pump. Now the optispark can be had for 45 dollars on Amazon so not a big deal anymore.
Just do a little research and look at the reviews on Amazon or ebay.
I wouldn't buy the OEM part because it goes for 4 to 5 hundred.
It should be fine if it dropped from 1 ft. The problems came from getting wet.
Great video. I'm not a mechanic but wouldn't it been a good idea to do the compression test first to see what's causing the engine to run rough?
It’s like finding a needle in a haystack…sure, that may be good but that didn’t reveal anything either 😩
SBC don't need compression test. Better to do a leak - down test. This engines have more problems with heafs(valves not sealing, valve guide seals leaking)
Gotta love the ole drip pan drop 😂
Damn I need to soak my harmonic balancer in coolant too
:)
Ecm/pcm has failed before. Check cylinder compression too.
Id replace optispark for coil on plug layout.
nice video Sr, thank you!
Came across your channel and found it interesting. I have a 94 Z28 Camaro and had to replace the opti spark distributor at 34 thousand miles. According to the service manager at Chevrolet, my husband's lead foot caused it to go out. I didn't think anything about it at the time, because it was under warranty, but is that true? Can driving the car too hard cause that thing to go out? Just curious. Thanks. God bless.
@TAD It was under warranty at the time. I bought it in 96. No charge.
No....that will not cause it.
I will probably have to do this on my 94 camaro aswell. I have a misfire and something more seems to be wierd. the car worked perfect recently. only had the car for 3 weeks. The car has only gone 5400 miles so it is in great chape at least!
@** the car did not burn all the fuel it was pumping in so the exhaust did pop sometimes from just running and was real jumpy but ordered the optispark and changed it. Took a whole day with me and my dad and some breaks because of the hot garage. But after the switch the car ran perfect and I could drive it without any problems!
Now is the next problem months later. Probably something with the fuel pump 😅
Don't use DEX COOL. It causes more problems than it solves. That "ballast resistor" looks very similar to an ignition module.
ignition module...my bad! :)
Great video!
Good videos. I am haveing the same problem with my 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood 5.7 lt1 engine. I have changed injecter, the same set of sensors you change in your video, plug and wires and my opitspark. Any suggestions I will be grateful because I don't live in the USA, I live in the Caribbean to be specific Trinidad and Tobago. So I don't have any access to experts or parts. The vehicle is just sitting there
Your a machine, took the pulley with no special tool. Nice dude
i rewinded twice
I subscribed because you worked so hard only to have the same problem. Women should design engines. We have too much going on to have such a complicated monster. We would absolutely k.i.s.s. that motor. Guys would never have to work on an engine again. Just drive it and fast. I love my Camaro. Love driving him fast. He only has 110,000 miles on him. Anyway, good luck. God bless.
I like how you be "Him". haha,as us guys always called our cars by girls names cause they so sweet! I usta have a camaro many years ago,but I'm old now and drive a vette. She calls to me from the garage.....
@@paulmoss7940 Silly guy. Jack is definitely male. He has a really bad attitude at times. My husband does the same thing. His Harley-Davidson is Isabelle. His John Deere is Isabelle 2, and the Chevy Malibu is Isabelle 3. God bless. Hope you have a wonderful new year.
Paul Moss. When are you going to do some fishing? I see that blue crab you holding in your hands. I would subscribe and watch you fish.
@@brendafain9962 I fish a lot in NC,love blue crabs.Y'all sound like cool people. Where do you live?
If women designed engines they'd never last.
Not trying to be negative but new Coil to Optispark Replacement for a misfire is not the logical troubleshooting order...... Keep up the positive attitude & good work!! I dread replacing my OptiSpark 👎🏻
E Blonde true. I think it’s driven more by reluctance to want to go after the bigger job right away. Especially since I thought I had replaced it only 10,000 miles earlier! Thanks for watching and good luck on yours!
I've replaced the Optispark, Map Sensor, Idle Air Control Valve, Throttle Positioning Sensor and Mass Airflow Sensor on my 95 impala LT1 and its still throwing a code... just a few minutes ago it was running and I disconnected the Mass Airflow Sensor, the Throttle Positioning Sensor, the Idle Air Control Valve... I even loosened the hoses clamp and removed the hockey puck and the motor never even hiccuped.... I'm so freaked out... I thought the car would die or at least sputter or something... but if I try to drive it the car will die and acts like it wont start...
What is the code it is setting?
@TAD no sir... I even replaced the injectors
@@mrdeanv4414 I feel ya bro. Frustrating, these ignition problems!
@@FearlessMods Thanks! I think I'm gonna just get rid of it.. makes me very sad... life goes on
Endless hoses. I hate anything built after like 1972.
Did you have a pulley behind the harmonic balancer I have a pulley behind the harmonic balancer on my ta I cannot get it off to get the optispark on or off for that matter
@Arthur Bennett I'm going to say I didn't. I reviewed the vid and don't recall there being another. Not sure what it would be for since it's a serpentine system where everything runs off the same belt...
Great video I got 94 Caprice wit that same motor
Did you already check the oxygen sensors. I know that may seem ridiculous but I think that’s what’s wrong with mine
I saw some anomalies in the O2 sensors when I had it on a nice Snap-On scanner and I couldn't explain them definitively. So, I ran with the right sensor unplugged for a while (the one I thought was the problem), but that's also the side the bad plug wire was on, so it may have been telling the truth...
That on the coil is the ICM
Ignition control module
Please let me know what you think.... Would it be easier to align the Opti-spark shaft by removing the cover (3 or 4 female torx screws) and turn the rotor as you maneuver the unit into place? I'm at the point of removing the vibration dampener, which after 200,000 miles is rusted on pretty good. Sigh. Bolts are out. It's a C4 Vette, so no room to work. As you said, thanks GM.
Yes, that's definitely a great idea, and makes it easier. While you're at it, it's a great idea to loctite the rotor screw while you're in there.
Take it to the shop done it twice on my 95 ta
I have 95 Trans Am and i am from the UK, and my car suddenly lost power on z
Xmas day 2019, my mate changed Opti ,waterpump and did not start, changed battery plugs 2 months ago same, on Sunday changed coil and ICM and same, tries to start up but does not. Now my mate last year did OBD2 reader and bought up no spark so changed stuff, it does have spark now but no start.
I do not have a garage, i am not a mechanic so this looks complicated plus i am clumsy
Hi I just bought me a 94 Camaro with a lt1 misfire. Did you find the problem with your firebird?
Great video. I need help though. I have a 94 Z28 and the problem I'm having is once the car gets to operating temperature it wants to stall out just like you turn ignition off. It'll start right back up. Other than that the car runs great. I've been told IAC or Optispark. Any help would be greatly appreciated
This is the reason I eventually had to get a PicoScope. I was replacing parts based on what people were recommending and that just adds up over time. I wish I could point you at the likely culprit, but instead, you may need to find a friend that has one of these or buy a cheap one ($150-$250 plus probes) on Amazon or eBay if you think this is going to be a tricky problem to locate.
For me it was just fouled plugs from larger injectors that shouldn't be there yet before being tuned
10:31 That bolt is definitely hidden in there. I ended up breaking my mount trying to get it off because I didn’t see that bolt. 🤦🏼♂️
I took out one of the water pump bolts and it started to pour coolant🥴
replaced my options with a Torqhead unit works great.
I have a 1999 Camaro 3.8l... my car was driving fine then one day it just cut off wouldn't cut back on. I bought a new battery and drove for maybe 2 weeks then it cut off again. This time it just cranks no start though. Thought it was the fuel pump but I have a new pump so. What could it be?? When I first bought the car the check engine light would come on and go off some days it would stay one some days it wouldn't. Had it for about 2 months now it won't even turn on just cranks what's could this problem be??
All engines require 3 things: compression, fuel (air and gas) and ignition (spark). You'll have to systematically go through all of those to find the culprit. Spark, air and gas will be the easiest to rule out first. Remember that timing is a factor in those! If they're good, then move on to compression. Other than that, I haven't worked on the 3.8s, so good luck!
Thanks!
Do you have to take the center bolt out the harmonic balancer?
I have same problem at my Cadillac Fleetwood, i am goint to flush engine.......check engine light and low pressure oil light started blinking when i had dirty engine oil.
How did you/he know it needed the servicing?
It's a misfire problem I've been chasing for years. Watch my more recent diagnostic videos as well and you'll see that I'm zeroing back in on having to replace the Opti again!
If we can find a PCM from the first gen LS1's ... Can they replace the opti spark system?.. and how difficult would it be to install?
That's a good question! I'm going to start researching PCM swapouts and/or re-programming soon!
@@FearlessMods I sure do appreciate it I look forward to your findings
Search up 411 pcm for lt1 on youtube, you will see the video.
what size socket/wrench to remove the pulley?
I think I'm having a similar problem with my 96' Firebird. My car started overheating so I put coolant in it but that still didn't do the job. A few days later my car stalled & wouldn't start back up. A local mechanic told me it was likely my Water Pump that was bad. I'm not sure if I should replace the distributor as well. Any Suggestions? Please help
SEE - THRU ! I know sometimes when you pull the water pump off it can leak water into the Opti. So I would either be really careful or if you’re worried that it is the Opti I would go ahead and replace it.
@@brennonfriemann yeah I'm gonna just take it to have a quick diagnosis before I spend unnecessary money then, but yeah I'm hoping its just the water pump
PIA to do !
So it seems like you are learning as you go. Heck anyone can do that.
Exactly! That's why I like to put out videos that prove people don't have to rely on dealerships for everything. Thanks for the comment!
So I have a 94 z28 that this has happened to twice before and I’ve replaced it both times(2years apart), the car will die while driving and it has fixed it both times.And now it has happened again for a 3rd time in 5 years. Any suggestions on how to keep my optispark from getting moisture?
MSD makes a cap with the air vent system just like the 95 -97 lt1s were equipped with
I have. it on my 94formula
worked great till opti took a
shit .I'm doing away with optispark and going with
TORQUEHEAD ignition setup.
heard a lot of good things about it.
Proubably the msd rotor it scrapes against the black isolator vince then over time you can get a plastic shaving in the opti disc slot timing wont read right then i used the msd cap and factory rotor the factory rotor wont scrape the black isolator.
Thanks for the tutorial on optispark issue. I'm going with
The Torquehead coil per cylinder ignition system on my 94formula.
To deal with moisture issue look into the vented MSD cap and rotor set up austin.
Next time check your EMI fuse that can cause your car not to start as well
#7 on the opti cap turns to dust around 100,000klm
Did you have to put the motor on TDC?
Can I add the weep hole line after its back on the car, because I have it all back together already?
Mine doesn’t have a line, so I’m not sure about that. Sorry…good luck!
How about changing the spark plugs?
Done! Unfortunately, not the problem
What is the thing inside your throttle body?In the middle that looks like a hour glass shape
Aha! Good eye Gene! Because this car is a 25th anniversary, there are only a few minor things I've done to modify anything. I put a set of Eibach lowering springs on it and polyurethane bushings, removed the honeycomb restriction from in front of the MAF, and installed that throttle body airflow splitter. You can find the splitters at JEGS.
Mine died on me today I got spark coming from coil but I can unplug spark plug wire and there's no spark. I'm guessing my opti went out. Been running rough and running hot.
BlkWido uggghh these damn things that we love too much to get rid of!! 🤦♂️
@@FearlessMods yea I'll be doing this in a parking lot due to where it broke down on me at.
@fearlessmods how long did it take you to do this? Any special tools?
@@shawngoff8290 I'd say it took 4-8 hours depending on how much you want to remove to give yourself room to work. I left the rad in, but it can be tight in there at times. No special tools that I didn't already have except for the long pry tool that I used to walk the balancer off the crank.
@@FearlessMods I know what you mean! My 1997 has 14,300 miles on it and it rained heavily Saturday and when I came to a red light the car acted like it was trying to get power and I know it's the optispark. My other option is not to drive it in the rain, it runs smoothly otherwise. My friends say sell or trade it but I love it too much, lol!
Was your water pump drive seal leaking oil at all?
Mine wasn't, fortunately!
I know the LT1 puts out more HP than the L98 but is this PITA job worth the little bit of HP. Is the L98 a better buy for working on yourself
🤔 www.motortrend.com/features/1311-l98-engine-illustrated-corvette-designer-series/amp/ 🤨
Yes, the LT1 is a great engine with a shit distributor design. I wish mine was an L98
1992 TO 1996 CAPRICE ~~ ALSO SAME OPTISPARK
Do you know the torque specs for distributor bolts
If you could tell my94 5.7 firebird doesn't have a crankshaft sensor. I have a opti but no cs sensor
Only the OBD2 96-97 LT1’s had a crank sensor for misfire detection purposes.
Thank you
I'd rely say fuel injector or plug wire see same thing happen meany times
Hows everything holding up brand wise
Well...if the opti isn't still the source of my continued misfire, then I guess it's holding up ok! I don't think it is, but you never know!
What was the problem you were having
Wish I knew Big Mario. I haven’t gotten back to it yet. Too many other cars to work on!! As soon as I fix it tho, it’ll be on here!
I have a 1994 25th anniversary car and I am doing my opti. What opti did you use with the spline drive and the vent?
Garage Days9 I’ll have to go back and check, but I think it was just an Autozone replacement.
Thank you. Great video btw
FearlessMods Sorry to say but you’ll be pulling that distributor out again because those are garbage. I hope it doesn’t but if it does fail there’s a guy on eBay who will rebuild your OEM opti. He will ONLY work on original optisparks. You can buy one off him too if you don’t have an original. His user name is optisparksolutions1. Good luck.
Keep your OEM delco opti & just change the cap and Rotor, use blue loctite on the rotor screws or 2k miles later the rotor will come loose.Any opti other than OeM is a downgrade because the OEM delco uses the best optical sensor.After market optis use a junk non mitsubishe one.
@** He’ll warranty it out for you.
I’ve been doing this all weekend for 2 hours I was putting it on backwards thanks to the video I found that out 🤦🏻♂️
How is it coming along did you get it running right?
This dude looks like Steve Kerr
So was the miss ever found and repaired?
Bro, you gotta watch my channel! 🤣 I’ve been too busy on the orange car to touch the TA, but I’ll get back to it soon!
Lol yeah, after I typed this I realized I should’ve just watched more of your videos 😂.
Did you ever figure out your miss? Having problems with a miss in my 96 Z28.
it guy I haven’t fixed it yet, unfortunately. Too many other car projects in line ahead of it!
Serviceability was not a big priority when GM designed the fourth gen 93-97 lt1 cars.
The parts store optisparks are
sketchy. And GM quit making
them ten year's ago.thats why
you don't see too many lt1 engine cars on the road today
besides they're a bitch to work
on as you found out. Also 94
-95 cars are obd1 good luck
finding a scanner. No longer
available.
Why are they more difficult to work on vs the ls car beside the optispark?
@@brendonwest9293 because the engine sits back under the windshield several inches. The spark plugs and wires as well have to be accessed from the
bottom is very time consuming
Also gen 2 lt1 motors are notorious for oil leaks. The LS
motor done away with the headaches of the previous motor when it was installed in
the f body in 1998.
Cam sensor?
Maybe...?
Don’t these have to be programmed?
Nope. Its OEM style that is plug and play.
Does a 93 z28 camaro have a coil?
Hey on a 1996 camaro ss LT1 it says to take the air bleed pipe out to do intake can’t I just cut it put hose instead of taking it out bolted to back of the heads anyone ever do this thanks
Do you know if it would be common for some optis not to go in by hand after putting a new o seal in I just did my Opti and water pump I’ve had this question on my mind for a few days the car started right up when I got every thing together every thing is aligned aka the timing for the distributor I used the bolts for the Opti to put it in it did not resist going on using the bolts I screwed them in by hand and the bracket is flush with the timing cover I also bought the felpro gasket set for lt1 timing cover I have no leaks I’m just very curious and I can’t stop picking my brain if I did some thing wrong
mrmech33 it sounds like you did everything right. What is the issue it’s having now?
FearlessMods the only issue now is it’s missing on cylinders 3,4, and 6 I put new wires and plugs in it but I put plugs in before I put a new Opti in so it is possible that they were fouled I can’t pull any right now because it is raining currently but it’s possible the injectors are going out in those cylinders cause I did a pressure test and it holds 40 but when I shut it down pressure drops around 15 psi immediately there also isn’t any misfire codes but with a high quality scanner it tells me those 3 cylinders are missing I can feel it at idle all 3 it’s pinging and at higher rpms it might backfire once every thing is new on the ignition system but I did replace it all before putting a new Opti besides the wires
FearlessMods side note the car was not running at all before the new Opti battery voltage jumped every where it would backfire like crazy stall coolant temp would get up to 240 or so and all you smelled was unburnt gas I took the Opti apart and all the jump points had build up on them from moisture getting in someone had replaced the cap and rotor before I bought the car is my best guess because the cap was cracked
@@mrmech33 I hope you solved your issue. Sometimes these can take time if they're your project car like mine is. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.
If I do all that and it does not run right I'm going to drive it off a bridge ! Remind me to never buy another car that does not have a HEI and carb.....
Check fuel pressure
Fuck that air pump has been a pain in my butt I was looking for a video that had 1 on there I just got that middle bolt off ahah thought the same thing this should do it nope that 1 behind the spark plug .. what a engine
what opti spark did you use?
1:15 Duralast Gold
@@FearlessMods has it held up pretty good?
@@pedromonteverde64 well....as long as it's not the root of this damn stumbling issue I'm still trying to solve...then yes! :)
@@FearlessMods have you tested the injectors?
@@lelandcoberley8723 I replaced them!
I’m doing mine now and I got the same opti he has and I can’t get mine to even want to start
Was it running before replacement? Have you double checked the coil wire and plug wires all installed in the correct order? Did it come with a new pigtail for the PCM to OPTi connection?
@@FearlessMods it ran but cut in and out and would make the rpm drop slow between shifts, it came with a new pigtail and I just put it on but I haven’t started it yet, and all of the plug wires and coil wire are installed correctly, what does the pigtail that came with the new opti do compared to the oem plug?
@@Ws49x it’s a direct replacement, but sometimes can help if any of the old wires have cracked.
@@FearlessMods Would it run without the new pigtail? Is it required to get it to run?
Perhaps you can correct the title, this only for F-body? It does not apply to Impala, Caprice, Roadmaster, Fleetwood, the timing cover and the Optispark have different couplings.
Intake manifold gasket?
🤣 Previous video Kazin!
The spark distributor does not need to be balanced, as it is only installed in the right direction, I am surprised by your explanation and brandi
The #1 guaranteed fix to optispark ignition issues is lsx/vortec. May all 2nd gen LT1’s rest in peace
My 96 doesn't look like that
Can you please work on mine
🤷🏼♂️