lt1 nightmare

[robscars]

we pulled the motor and changed cam for a cam only build on a 97 t/a m6 car. lunati .571 in .587 ex 231in 239ex at .050 advertised duration 282in 288ex. cam specs by Lloyd Elliot,ground by lunatti. heads received new intake valves and springs and used ford 30# injectors with a racetronix 255. reprogramed ecm by brad fayhee out of Arizona. 1.6 Harland sharp roller rockers, new msd blaster coil, new richporter opti from orielly auto parts (recommended by brad fayhee). it has shorty headers, k&n air filter in the ram air box. the carstarted ran for 1 min then stalled with no spark immediately after build was assembled. we changed opti back to the original stock one and it ran for about 30 min, started spark knocking and stalled. opti code low resolution on the obd2 computer. changed opti again on a warranty (lifetime from oreilly) codes still present, low resolution so thought bad ecm. so we installed the tuned obd1 ecm from brad,tuned as a 95 that was programed to be used in this 97 trans am. the tuning is nearly the same as the one brad uses in his personal car. the car ran good for 20 min and then stalled. code 16 so I overlaid the 4 wires from opti to ecm in case the harness itself was bad,but nothing changed.

is this just a bad run of opti's or am just missing something stupid? any help would be great customer wants me dead!!!!! (edited by car owner for grammar...I don want him dead but I might kick him in the balls)

[Fastbird]

Dude. Break that up into coherent sentences please. I tried to read it and even being a smart guy, that's just impossible to make heads or tails out of.

[robscars]

grammar fixed by car owner

[popo8]

I have been following some of ur customers issues on our fb page. You def found the right place for some brain storming. Let me begin by asking brand and distributor of the optis u have been using.

LTXtech.com is my drug.

[AdamG]

http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#opti_test

read this and follow the instructions
(http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#opti_test)

[robscars]

it is a O'Reilly Auto Parts GM05 Rich Porter Technology's

[popo8]

I hate to cross link to THAT site, but Im not seeing good reviews on that opti. Optis are a finicky animal... but I can def say, imho the opti is a you get what you pay for item.

http://ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt4-modifications/1372566-rich-porter-technology-optispark.html

[popo8]

I have run all kinds of optis.... and honestly the only one that didnt fail for me, or the person I sold it to was my MSD Billet one. But i tried Dynaspark and although their customer service was great, the 4th one just failed on me. (the first three were failures out of the box). Now I am running a GM unit from one of our sponsors here on the site @American Powerhouse

[popo8]

http://www.google.com/#q=Auto+Parts+GM05+Rich+Porter+Technology+opti+rev iew

[AdamG]

well all i have to say is test every component. I have seen a lot of guys throw optis at the car hoping to resolve misfire/no start issues with out ever testing any components some get luck others end up buying 3-4 optis before they decide well maybe its another component on the car. Im not going to lie I would be pissed to if I was paying someone to work on my car and they fixed it by trial and error. The link I posted will help you test everything and then find the bad part. It may be the opti It may not.

[robscars]

I have gone through the opti test over and over the end is the opti but when changed is temporary at best started with some cheap after market opti then put stock unit in. now the Oreilly unit twice

[robscars]

the thing I forgot to say the thing runs 10 maybe 20 min then will stall and set code will restart but run real bad

[robscars]

Adam my customer has not been charged anything extra for the extra time spent he is a good guy and until I am able to give him a running car I will not be happy. when diagnostics keep going to the same place time to go to some thing else.

[AdamG]

Adam my customer has not been charged anything extra for the extra time spent he is a good guy and until I am able to give him a running car I will not be happy. when diagnostics keep going to the same place time to go to some thing else.

Thats rare and goes to show ur a stand up guy.

Sent from my SCH-I110 using Tapatalk 2

[popo8]

I have gone through the opti test over and over the end is the opti but when changed is temporary at best started with some cheap after market opti then put stock unit in. now the Oreilly unit twice

what part of the opti do u find has failed when u test?



LTXtech.com is my drug.

[englundjd]

Is the pigtail on the wiring harness that connects to the opti in good shape? no corrosion or bent pins?

[SSlowBoat]

the thing I forgot to say the thing runs 10 maybe 20 min then will stall and set code will restart but run real bad

Opti is most likely toast. My car does the same thing except no codes because it happens so fast, and then chills out then does it again. I only got a high res code once or twice. Get a better opti. Delco or msd.

[fullforce]

my cheap ebay opti has been great, Ive ran it HARD for over a year and never has a single issue. it was only $70 and came with the pigtail


EDIT: I actually just tried to find them and it looks like he wants $500 for them now????? WTF???

[SexyTransAm]

U test the ignition control module?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

[popo8]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/12/07/4yraza6e.jpg

LTXtech.com is my drug.

[robscars]

the new opti came with pigtail I cut off connector and ran new wires from it to the computer englundgjd also changed the ignition control module with a known good one

[robscars]

I have also tried a known good crank sensor

[englundjd]

do you have a funky connection somewhere on those new wires you ran? i'd check that

[popo8]

the new opti came with pigtail I cut off connector and ran new wires from it to the computer englundgjd also changed the ignition control module with a known good one

Are u saying u cut the pigtail of the new opti...or off the cars harness that plugs into the opti harness?

LTXtech.com is my drug.

[robscars]

I cut off the wire end on the new opti wire and ran from there to the computer also disconnecting wire ends and running 12 volts thru with a head light hooked up to test wires checked good

[popo8]

I cut off the wire end on the new opti wire and ran from there to the computer also disconnecting wire ends and running 12 volts thru with a head light hooked up to test wires checked good

may i ask, why? why not just plug in the way it was designed?

LTXtech.com is my drug.

[robscars]

because I wanted to take away any doubt of connection problem's i was already tired of getting wet changing opti's

[popo8]

Makes sense..any chance u have a crossed or bad connection? I still think the prob is subpar optis

LTXtech.com is my drug.

[robscars]

no I changed the wires one at a time

I

[SSlowBoat]

you most likely changed the resistance of the signal wires from the opti to the computer as well

[Ugod02010]

I think I have the same opti as full force. It's an eBay special for $70. I run the car pretty hard all summer and she's still kicking. I might have missed it but what part of the opti are u getting the failure on ur tests? The 5volt reference or high voltage side of things?

[956spdz]

This may just be something I have had an issue with and may not help but my old black 97 z had a similar issue with a new cam. Each opti just lasted a very short time, after checking dowel pin length and not finding an issue i finally figured out the hole in the center of the cam needed enlarged just a little to let the opti shaft slide in fully. Car has done tfine since. I am by no means a ltx master but I thought I would share my issue.

[robscars]

I pulled opti off again to check if being held out by a to small of hole in cam . Took apart first bad opti so all there was is the shaft . Slid it in cam the body fully seated to timing cover no sign of being held out. ordered another opti

[popo8]

in my honest opinion... stop using the same opti that has been failing for u. Talk to our sponsor re her delco optis. @american powerhouse hooked me up on my last one when my opti shit the bed. The only issue i see u running into is the harness is integrated into the delcos she offers...

LTXtech.com is my drug.

[AdamG]

I pulled opti off again to check if being held out by a to small of hole in cam . Took apart first bad opti so all there was is the shaft . Slid it in cam the body fully seated to timing cover no sign of being held out. ordered another opti

did you notice any foreign contamination when you opened the opti? Like oil or coolant? Did you look at the opti to see if the cap touched the rotor? I have heard of optis having an issue where the venting system malfunctioned and acted as like a vacuum sucking the cap down onto the rotor.

[BALLSS]

OP

I would buy either a AC Delco or Delphi Opti. yeah they are not cheap but frankly the "cheap" offshore made ones just have to many issues. I would also preserve the stock electrical connectors.

My experience with the MSD "billet" Opti was not good. It had a high RPM miss so I sent it in to MSD for a "rebuild" for $100...a "new" one came back...and I sold it. The MSD cap & rotor are a good replacement for those parts on a AC or Delphi Opti should they need a cap/rotor

[robscars]

I have been talking to the customer about a better opti here in Michigan I called dealer about factory opti they said discontinued also have noticed A/C delco parts are no longer US made and on this site not liking MSD so what is the answer ? not being smart just want to make a wise decision

[robscars]

the opti I took apart was clean the thing I noticed funny was the tone ring was not flat and the top of the sensor has a cap and it was loose

[popo8]

I have been talking to the customer about a better opti here in Michigan I called dealer about factory opti they said discontinued also have noticed A/C delco parts are no longer US made and on this site not liking MSD so what is the answer ? not being smart just want to make a wise decision

When I ordered the delco from our sponsor...I priced it against the GM piece (directly from gm) so they are out there...unsure why they told u its discontinued).

Hit up our sponsor American-Powerhouse

LTXtech.com is my drug.

[American-Powerhouse]

Thank you for tagging me in this thread and hopefully I can help you with this situation.

First off, I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for. I am not a fan of the lesser expensive optis on the market today for these cars. The failure rate is way too high.

I am an ACDelco distributor and I ONLY recommend their optis.

I have spent several months researching and physically checking these ACDelco optis, both from ACDelco and at the local dealer.
When you purchase one from the dealer direct, an ACDelco opti is what you will receive.

I have sold many and find that they are a quality product and reliable.

What the dealer there may be misinformed about is that there are no longer any brand new optis. If you can find one out there online then you are extremely lucky.
All ACDelco optis are remanufactured units, but that does not affect the quality of the product.

For your reference, I recently posted up pricing for both styles of opti with the corresponding GM/ACDelco part numbers and they can be found here:

http://ltxtech.com/forums/showthread.php?25389-Genuine-ACDelco-Optisparks-Part-19212299

http://ltxtech.com/forums/showthread.php?25390-Genuine-ACDelco-Optisparks-Part-19212300

If I can be other any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

[BALLSS]

I have been talking to the customer about a better opti here in Michigan I called dealer about factory opti they said discontinued also have noticed A/C delco parts are no longer US made and on this site not liking MSD so what is the answer ? not being smart just want to make a wise decision

the AC Delco is now only available as a reman. One good thing is the remans come with the pigtail attached. This eliminates one source of moisture entering from where the harness used to plug into

The sponser, American-Powerhouse is offering the AC Delcos and they can also be purchased at places like Summit for $375 after core credit

The other option is the Delphi unit which is available at rockauto.com http://www.rockauto.com/dbphp/x,catalog,43,partnum,CZ20003,d,DELPHI_CZ20003.html for $283. It is new and require no core exchange. It is made in Mexico for Delphi. I bought one several years ago when they were cheaper as a spare. I have used my old AC Delco on my newer motor with a MSD cap/rotor but will swap to the Delphi should it ever fail

[American-Powerhouse]

the AC Delco is now only available as a reman. One good thing is the remans come with the pigtail attached. This eliminates one source of moisture entering from where the harness used to plug into

The sponser, American-Powerhouse is offering the AC Delcos and they can also be purchased at places like Summit for $375 after core credit

The other option is the Delphi unit which is available at rockauto.com http://www.rockauto.com/dbphp/x,catalog,43,partnum,CZ20003,d,DELPHI_CZ20003.html for $283. It is new and require no core exchange. It is made in Mexico for Delphi. I bought one several years ago when they were cheaper as a spare. I have used my old AC Delco on my newer motor with a MSD cap/rotor but will swap to the Delphi should it ever fail


Thank you for responding to the thread, BALLSS, but unfortunately there is some misinformation in your post.

While I have already stated that ACDelco optis are all remanufactured units, I do attest to their quality and performance. I would definitely have put one in my BBB LT1.

I also highly recommend ACDelco over the other lesser expensive optis like mentioned.

However, your mention of Summit's pricing on these optis is incorrect.
For example, part #19212300 is listed on their website for $444.97. At check out, an additional $75.00 is added on top of the selling price for the core charge.
That makes a total price of $519.97, plus whatever handling charge, $9-$13 dollars they then add to your order.
Once you send back a usable core, your final cost is $453.97-457.97, shipped to you.

My final cost after core credit is only $373.00, shipped to you. That's over $80.00+ less expensive than my competitors. No comparison in my opinion.

There is similar savings on part #19212299, as well.

[BALLSS]

apologies Power, my read was the $75 was included in the Summit $, not added so yes Summit would be more.

The Delphi, from a $ standpoint, is less and is regarded as a comparable replacement to the AC Delco. For those chosing a AC, your $ is good. Thanks for clarifying

[American-Powerhouse]

No problem. Just wanted to be clear.

However, we still stand by the quality of the ACDelco unit over others.

The opti is a job you should only want to do once.

[BALLSS]

one very key componet in the Opti is the optical sensor.the Mitsubishi which was in the original AC Delco. I don't know if AC Delco remans retain this and am not sure if Mitsubishi still makes them. The Delphi did have the Mitsubishi back when I got mine, don't know if the current one does.

[Large]

Car owner here. I'll be hopefully getting a full refund for this opti brand we've been replacing. Once that happens I'll order one from American Powerhouse.

If the car doesn't run after that you'll see a for sale thread.

[popo8]

Car owner here. I'll be hopefully getting a full refund for this opti brand we've been replacing. Once that happens I'll order one from American Powerhouse.

If the car doesn't run after that you'll see a for sale thread.

Dont give up...but AMERICAN POWER HOUSE' opti will be a good start. Got rid of my 600 dollar dynaspark for one.

LTXtech.com is my drug.

[Large]

If this new opti doesn't do it I'm selling for sure. I've got other projects on hold because of this money pit. I only started this project because thought it would be a simple build for a cool little street cruiser and summer daily. Frankly,I hate the car now.

[popo8]

oh.

LTXtech.com is my drug.

[fullforce]

This is why you can pick up a decent lt1 car for under 3 grand.

[SS RRR]

I know the coil has already been replaced, but why not try and swap it with a known good one. The symptoms described can also fall under a failing coil.

[RedThunder]

I (http://I) have a mild-cam built lt1 as well and my Opti needed replaced during the build.

I'm using a Summit Racing brand one with good luck and it looked pretty nice.

Part #SUM-850059

[American-Powerhouse]

one very key componet in the Opti is the optical sensor.the Mitsubishi which was in the original AC Delco. I don't know if AC Delco remans retain this and am not sure if Mitsubishi still makes them. The Delphi did have the Mitsubishi back when I got mine, don't know if the current one does.

Unsure about the Delphi unit, but ACDelcos should still come with the Mits. sensor.

[American-Powerhouse]

I (http://I) have a mild-cam built lt1 as well and my Opti needed replaced during the build.

I'm using a Summit Racing brand one with good luck and it looked pretty nice.

Part #SUM-850059

While I'm sure there are people out there that are happy with those, we don't recommend them.

I'm not sure how long you've been using it, but I'd interested in hearing what you had to say about it in 6-8 months.

[American-Powerhouse]

Car owner here. I'll be hopefully getting a full refund for this opti brand we've been replacing. Once that happens I'll order one from American Powerhouse.

If the car doesn't run after that you'll see a for sale thread.

Be happy to help whenever you're ready.

[RedThunder]

While I'm sure there are people out there that are happy with those, we don't recommend them.

I'm not sure how long you've been using it, but I'd interested in hearing what you had to say about it in 6-8 months.

I plan on having this car serve as a weekend only car. I only plan putting between 5-6k miles over the next few years on the current set up. I'll be sure to have some feedback by then on it.