Is there a good alternative to the LT1 optispark distributer? If so, what does it cost/entail?

 

Depends whether you want to keep the stock PCM, and how the car will be used - street or strip. There's a huge thread on this forum covering "Opti alternatives":

http://camaross.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25146

 

I will take the time to chime in and mention there is at least a few of us who have not been able to run either the LTCC or the Delteq

I spent over $2,000 trying to make the Delteq work....

 

What were the problems?

 

On our car it kept loosing spark. Delteq box(two different ones BTW) would not fire the coils. Three different Opti's and coil packs later I ripped it all off an put a new cap and rotor on the opti and now the car runn's great.

 

Has anybody done this?
Convert your mainifold( like the thirdgen guys do, LT1intakes.com) drop in a msd distributor with a digital 6 box. Pull the rotor out of the opti, and just use the hi low signals. You would lose all your timing controls through the PCM (and knock retard). Injection and everything would still be through PCM, but ignition would be through the MSD.

 

i did that on my old 94 ta 383... cost me 100 for the intake to be converted and 150 for the MSD low pro crab distributor.





never had a single issue

 

I have all the stuff to do it but would have to totally redo my N2O system if I did

 

I use only the Opti sensor, feeding the stock PCM to control the fuel pump, speedometer and idle air, and feeding in parallel an aftermarket engine management system that allows me to retain and control full sequential injection and direct fire ignition using 8 LS1-style coils. Been pumping out 800HP (w/N2O) for 6 years now. And the engine management system also incorporates full dual-stage nitrous control, including the equivalent of window switches, WOT switch, timing retard, fuel enrichment, etc.

I'm still waiting for someone to install the MSD CPC distributor stub, develop an interface that allows the CPC signals to emulate the Opti high and low res signals, and solve the entire Opti problem with nothing more than a hole in the stock manifold, the stub and the interface chip.