Ok, see the sig for parts and whatnot, the car has 51,000 miles on it.

Here's the story: I installed a nitrous wet kit a couple months ago, and changed out the plugs for Autolite 103's, and threw in some MSD 8.5mm super conductor wires. Resolved a misfire issue by putting the right injector into the right plug on the injector harness (previous owner mistake)

Installed an MSD which worked once, so I sent it back to MSD for repairs. They tell me that a bad or dying coil would cook the MSD, so I got a new coil, MSD repaired, and the car ran great for a month. I also had the water pump changed as it was weeping.

Fast forward to this past weekend, I hit the juice on a nice deserted backroad and there is a "pop" from under the hood and the car shuts off. Great, what did I do? Turned out the 10A fuse to "Gages" was burned, so I replaced it and away I went.

The next day the car was very hard to start, I get preignition and it coughs and sputters, but never really starts. Cranks fine though. I bypass the MSD, same problem. Replace the coil again, same problem. It will start eventually, but it takes 3-4 tries. It has plenty of fuel.

I'm thinking ICM or Opti, but I've read the ICM works or it doesn't, not much of a "dying" phase, and that the Opti shouldn't be crapping out after 51,000 miles. The car drives fine, no misses, codes, hesitation, stumbles (at any RPM) or hiccups. I've checked the wiring so many times I can't even count.

What could it be?

 

Opti/Fuel Pump or ICM..... Coil and plugs/wires have been elimanated as they have been replaced.. Opti's are weird, they can go whenever they want to... ICM I think can be tested at a parts store but a new one is only about 30 bux...

 

The stock fuel pump is working fine, so is the inline MSD pump. i was reading last night about ICM's costing closer to $100 bucks, but I don't know the symptoms of a dying ICM (or do they have a "dying" period?

I'm trying to avoid the Opti replacement if I can, don't have the time to do it or the funds to pay for it, but how often do Optis wear out at 51,000 miles? Will an MSD wipe one out?

 

Dang, Kragens wants $116 for a new one, no warranty, and no machine to test the original!

Autozone: $80, lifetime warranty, and they can test the old one. Gee, let me think about this one for a while....

 

Any other things to check? I yanked the ICM tonight so I can have it tested tomorrow, but is there anything else it could be?