is the optispark worth spending the money on? what gains can i expect? i have a 94 camaro z28 with a rebuilt 350. The motor was rebuilt when i bought it, the guy i bought it didnt know anything about the rebuild. i have magnaflow exhaust and cold air intake

 

The opti is not a performance mod.

 

it is your distributor, essentially, and poorly designed, particularly the 93-95 optis.

 

Mine had 100K on it when I replaced it. It made a big difference in the car but only if it is going bad.

 

The original one went on mine at 16,000 mi. as the h20 pump took a dump thus killing it!The next one threw a code36@95,000 mi. but b/c it got wet 2 times it was running poor way b/f that.I put in a MSD opti last yr and it was definitely better than orig.garbage.Msd opti is also better esp. on the 93/94 as it is vented and has a replaceable cap/rotor.

 

So does the factory unit..... which doesn't seem to display the MSD's propensity for losing the rotor screws......

The jury is still out on the MSD, which has required numerous problems to be corrected over the years. I personally would only use an AC/Delco (Delphi) unit.

 

replace it with a vented one when it goes :P

 

To do a factory "vented" Opti conversion, you have to change numerous parts, including the timing cover, timing set, cam and stub harness from the side of the intake manifold to the Opti. Then buy the vacuum harness.

 

A reputable local shop quoted me over$ 400.00 for a cap/rotor for my 94 and another GM dealer said the cap/rotor wasn,t a servicable item for 93/94 opti,s,but that the 95-97 had serviceable cap/rotor.In regards to the Msd my trap speeds last yr.@track were all very consistent/best to date and besides i got the Msd for a great price,even lower than Gm opti.As for reliability,well so far,so good but i will have to keep an eye on this

 

GM dealer prices are ridiculous. I can't speak for your "reputable shop". I can assure you, based on 14+ years of owning my 94, and having removed and dissected the stock 94 unvented Opti, that the cap and rotor is fully replaceable, simply by removing the inverted E4 Torx screws that hold it on, and the tow Torx scres that hold the rotor on. You need to learn more about your car, and not accept blindly what a "dealer" tells you. I did the vented Opti conversion when I did the stroker, and I still have the old stock Opti sitting in my garage, with the cap loosely attached, so I can use it for reference when people ask questions.

"thepartladi" on eBay sells complete factory AC/Delco (Delphi) Optis for $200-250. Are you telling us you bought a complete MSD Opti for less than that price? If so, tell us all where, so we can get a bargain too.