Got my Optispark yesterday from Jason. So today I will do the optispark and the Waterpump install. I know I need 2 gallons of Antifreeze, and I know to make sure the opti is flush and the cam dowel is aligned corectly. And I know the fans have to come off. Anything else a first timer should know / be aware of ?

 

The opti being flush is the biggest one... even if two legs are flush and one is almost flush it's not on there right. Try again. You'll have to take the balancer off the hub and rotate the crank to get the opti off (you don't need to take the hub off). Good luck

 

Serious ? I have to take off the balancer ?

 

I thought just the pulley? I'm gonna do mine next week. Do I need any other gasket besides the waterpump?

 

Pulley/ Balancer is all one peice... You remove it from the hub on the crank but the hub stays put.
Once you get the opti on plug the coil wire, plug wires and the opti connection together and start the car up for a sec to make sure the opti in on right.. The last thing you want is to pull the car apart again becouse the opti is not lined up right!!
You will need a nice 1/2 impact to Remove the balancer bolts and to put them back on..(easy way)
Later,
Jason Coffman
JDC PERFORMANCE

 

Yep.. just remove the balancer/pulley (3 bolts). You don't need to remove the hub from the crankshaft.

 

i didnt remove the fans when i changed my WP and opti. however, it was hell to take the waterpump off. other than that, it should take you no more than 5 hours to do both. good luck

 

This is the best instruction set I've ever seen for installing an Opti.

http://www.streetillusionsracing.com.../opti/opti.htm

Greg

 

Ahh Greg, I thought I had seen a install guide somewhere and serached everwhere, including Shoeboxes own pages. This is perfect, thankyou. Thankyou to all, much appreciated.

 

I dont have a impact, Can the 3 bolts be taken off by hand ?

 

Yes, they can - I just did this myself, although my Opti was still good, I'm taking some long trips this year and I didn't want to chance it. The impact gun just makes it easy. If the bolts are on there really good, just use a breaker bar and go easy.

Greg

 

If the opti isnt flush, what will happen? I replaced mine last night and the car cranks but wont start up

 

I use a method a little hard to describe... [I'll try]
say one bolt is at '12 o'clock'...
Put your breaker bar on it and have it orientated at about '4-5 o' clock'
I find that doing it that way rather than say...
The bolt at 6 o'clock' and the breaker bar straight down...
It's like the leverage is better [on the BOLT] my way...
[less turning leverage,more 'bolt turning' leverage?]
Try it.. it usually works[ and a tap with a big hammer helps a lot too to break it loose?]

 

That is EXACTLY what I was gonna say, DO NOT try and tighten the Opti to the block

BamaZ28