Catastrophic Opti failure...pics

camarossguy2
11-13-2005, 05:31 PM
I guess the opti doesn't like the blower or something lol
This will be #5 opti for me

(note) i posted this here because of my limited bandwidth...too many ppl look at lt1 tech :) please dont move it there)

http://home.graffiti.net/camarossguy2:graffiti.net/P1010017resize.JPG


Just sucks that here are no alternatives for the opti. LTCC and that delque thing still require and opti, motec etc systems are serveral grand and the MSD and dyna spark are unreasonably priced optis that are all still cursed by the fact that they are still and opti.(there just red)

96TurboTA
11-13-2005, 07:25 PM
I had the same thing happen to mine. Looks like the the rotor contacted the cap at some point and all hell broke loose. It sucks because I only had <10k on the opti.

Brady
11-13-2005, 07:50 PM
oh yeah, I've been there
The pics have captions, but basically it shows how I modified the opti to work with the LTCC.. I never had another one blow up after I "fixed" it..

http://teamprickracing.com/twinturbo/rebuild2003/another_opti/

mzgp5x
11-13-2005, 08:19 PM
I've had 3 opti failures. All with the broke rotor. I assume you run a CD high voltage ignition. Like mine (MSD 6a) the spark energy heats the copper contact to a temperature which melts the sonic welded plastic nub. When nub melts, copper comes loose, and all he** breaks loose. When I buy a new opti (gm replacement) I drill out the plastic and use an alum rivet (1/8) in both places. Some rivet fab alter required @ the copper contact due to clearance. I have not had a failure yet. Also, I have a vented opti, and, don't like the filter (very restrictive to flow). So, I removed the filter for better flow, and, cooling. The vac tube is connected near the blower intake. Been lucky so-far. Don't like the towing fees. I have no clue what the plastic rotor small fastener size is. I've tried every thing. A dremmel works.
____
97 383 D1 15 psi with Acceleronics & 72# injectors. Broke the 7 1/2.

GS355
11-13-2005, 08:33 PM
The MSD version (Rotor and cap) is a high quality peice. The rotor is built way better than the stock one and is beefed up in all the right places. As for the cap, couldn't see any difference in the 95-97. But the 92-94 have a vent incorperated into them. Just my .02.

GS355

camarossguy2
11-13-2005, 09:22 PM
I've had 3 opti failures. All with the broke rotor. I assume you run a CD high voltage ignition. Like mine (MSD 6a) the spark energy heats the copper contact to a temperature which melts the sonic welded plastic nub. When nub melts, copper comes loose, and all he** breaks loose. When I buy a new opti (gm replacement) I drill out the plastic and use an alum rivet (1/8) in both places. Some rivet fab alter required @ the copper contact due to clearance. I have not had a failure yet. Also, I have a vented opti, and, don't like the filter (very restrictive to flow). So, I removed the filter for better flow, and, cooling. The vac tube is connected near the blower intake. Been lucky so-far. Don't like the towing fees. I have no clue what the plastic rotor small fastener size is. I've tried every thing. A dremmel works.
____
97 383 D1 15 psi with Acceleronics & 72# injectors. Broke the 7 1/2.



Ignition is stock.
Haven't heard anything great about the ignition boxes to sway me to use them. But i guess it sounds like they might increase the likelyness of an optifailure again.

Far as i know, new GM optis come with a 1 year warrantee, so if it doesn't fail in a year, and the bearings stay good i will prolly tear into it and remove the rotor and do a LTCC i guess.