captainofiron
03-22-2009, 02:01 PM
I posted this on LS1tech and LS1LT1.com a while ago and I thought I would share it on here as well since this is a LTx site.
Well about 2 years ago my GM opti took a crap on me, and I purchased a MSD Pro Billet Optispark. A few people had asked me to take some pictures and to make a comparison on the GM Opti and the MSD Opti.
So here is a write up and a comparison to the OEM GM unit.
MSD Pros and Cons
Pros: Adjustable timing, better one piece housing design, less likely to leak, no connectors to leak from. beefier opti sensor, beefier opti disk. extra cap bolt. MSD Cap is thicker and seems stronger. Rotor is beefier and indexed. Brass contacts all around.
Cons: Cost, O-ring gasket is a PAIN! to install.
Write Up:
The MSD unit is made from one piece of aluminum, therefore allowing for less possible leak points opposed to the two piece GM Cap. Also since the harness is sealed from the inside and has no connector hole it again allows for less possible leak points. The MSD unit has adjustable timing, but MSD techs told me that you needed to fab up a timing reference like on the older SBC before you attempt to adjust the timing. The MSD Cap is alot thicker and does not have the recesses that the GM unit has, therefore it would be stronger and resist cracking more. The MSD cap has all brass contacts which means better conduction than that of the GM mystery steel contacts.
Here are the comparison pics:
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/IamStonePhillipsthe1/1997%20Trans%20Am%20WS-6/optiComparison.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/IamStonePhillipsthe1/1997%20Trans%20Am%20WS-6/Opticapcomparison.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/IamStonePhillipsthe1/1997%20Trans%20Am%20WS-6/MSDoptirotor.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/IamStonePhillipsthe1/1997%20Trans%20Am%20WS-6/MSDoptisensor.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/IamStonePhillipsthe1/1997%20Trans%20Am%20WS-6/GMOptirotor.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/IamStonePhillipsthe1/1997%20Trans%20Am%20WS-6/GMOptiSensor.jpg
Installation notes:
Make SURE you install the Oring correctly, if you dont the rotor will rub on the optical disk cover and it will fail. MSD is now making a gasket as a replacement to the Oring, you can get one from them.
The Oring installs on the small machined lip on the middle of the aluminum flange, DO NOT mount it inbetween the plastic optical disk cover and the aluminum flange.
My opti has run 100% perfect since about a week after I installed it, initially I installed the oring wrong and it ran not so great. But after I fixed it, it ran AWESOME, way better than the GM unit, it was alot smoother, especially at high RPMs.
Well I just wanted to post this here as a resource for anybody who needed it.
Well about 2 years ago my GM opti took a crap on me, and I purchased a MSD Pro Billet Optispark. A few people had asked me to take some pictures and to make a comparison on the GM Opti and the MSD Opti.
So here is a write up and a comparison to the OEM GM unit.
MSD Pros and Cons
Pros: Adjustable timing, better one piece housing design, less likely to leak, no connectors to leak from. beefier opti sensor, beefier opti disk. extra cap bolt. MSD Cap is thicker and seems stronger. Rotor is beefier and indexed. Brass contacts all around.
Cons: Cost, O-ring gasket is a PAIN! to install.
Write Up:
The MSD unit is made from one piece of aluminum, therefore allowing for less possible leak points opposed to the two piece GM Cap. Also since the harness is sealed from the inside and has no connector hole it again allows for less possible leak points. The MSD unit has adjustable timing, but MSD techs told me that you needed to fab up a timing reference like on the older SBC before you attempt to adjust the timing. The MSD Cap is alot thicker and does not have the recesses that the GM unit has, therefore it would be stronger and resist cracking more. The MSD cap has all brass contacts which means better conduction than that of the GM mystery steel contacts.
Here are the comparison pics:
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/IamStonePhillipsthe1/1997%20Trans%20Am%20WS-6/optiComparison.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/IamStonePhillipsthe1/1997%20Trans%20Am%20WS-6/Opticapcomparison.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/IamStonePhillipsthe1/1997%20Trans%20Am%20WS-6/MSDoptirotor.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/IamStonePhillipsthe1/1997%20Trans%20Am%20WS-6/MSDoptisensor.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/IamStonePhillipsthe1/1997%20Trans%20Am%20WS-6/GMOptirotor.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/IamStonePhillipsthe1/1997%20Trans%20Am%20WS-6/GMOptiSensor.jpg
Installation notes:
Make SURE you install the Oring correctly, if you dont the rotor will rub on the optical disk cover and it will fail. MSD is now making a gasket as a replacement to the Oring, you can get one from them.
The Oring installs on the small machined lip on the middle of the aluminum flange, DO NOT mount it inbetween the plastic optical disk cover and the aluminum flange.
My opti has run 100% perfect since about a week after I installed it, initially I installed the oring wrong and it ran not so great. But after I fixed it, it ran AWESOME, way better than the GM unit, it was alot smoother, especially at high RPMs.
Well I just wanted to post this here as a resource for anybody who needed it.