ok guys i'm the proud owner of another lt1 (94 formula firebird) and the first problem with my car was the alternator and power steering was not working i assumed i was gonna have to change both but ended up noticing my belt had broke but my temp gauge doesn't work i assumed that the thermostat was sticking or it didn't have one.......so i removed my intake and unbolted the thermostat cover and when i did coolant spewed out leaking down below i didnt think anything of it......but i had bought a 180* thermostat and it already had one but i put it in anyway put everything back together and now it wn't start just turns over......got good battery power and i had started it right before this to move it into the shop...so i have two question is this my opti fried from the coolant? and what else could be making my temp gauge not work??? also do know that the cat is cut off the car right now and runny very ****ty....being open exaust....plz help?

 

Let the car set for a day or two and see if it starts. The opti might just need to dry out. Or you could try spraying it with WD40.

 

Dry off anything that got wet with coolant. Pull the plug wires and the coil wire out of the Opti and dry everything off. Look for corrosion. Ditto with the Opti harness connector. Coolant doesn't evaporate very quickly. Dry off everything around the coilIC module bracket.

Dash coolant temp gauge is driven off the sensor in the driver's side, head, between the #1 and #3 plugs. Make sure the harness connector is on it. You can also check the sensor using the "how to" on Shoebox's website:

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

Are you saying that there is nothing on the exhaust after the end of the Y-pipe? That shouldn't affect the way the engine runs. Might destroy your hearing....