https://www.camaroz28.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=715467
Here is a link the the car i just drove down to Kentucky and bought. It is an awsome car, there is just one problem. It will run fine for 10-15 min and then it will die and wont start. Gearhead66 thought it was the MSD 6al-2 box because it started doing it ever since he put it on. I took off the msd and no change. Ive read alot about people having similar problems and ive had the icm tested and its good. I took the colil wire off and had my brother crank it over, it is still arching. I have another opti i can use but im pretty sure i have to take the turbo off the get at it and want to make damn sure thats the problem. Has anyone ever heard of a 6al box srewing up the opti? The opti is also fairly new. Could i just take the opti apart and clean it or maybe just a cap and rotor? Lol as long as ive been messing with lt1's ive never had any opti problems.

Dispite this problem im still happy I finally have a turbo car...even though i didn't get to build it. Banks are more willing to give you a loan for a built car than parts to build one lol...

 

I ran my 6AL box for a while and it never killed the opti (other stuff did). Your problem sounds like the ICM though. It's heat that can kill it, so it can still test good. Next time it dies, let the engine cool for like 10 minutes. Then try starting it again. If it starts, it's the ICM.

 

Ya autozone did heat it up but not as much as the headers being reversed and running closer to it than normal. It actually takes an hour or better before the car will start again. Just talked to the original owner and he said the opti was a cheap ebay one.

 

Its likely the optical sensor in the distrib. Ive had a couple that did exactly that. Watch the tach next time and see if it gets all crazy erratic just b4 it dies out. Thats a sure as **** telltale sign of a failing optical pickup.

 

Hmm...this weekend I will have to find the wire and hook the tach up and see what it does.

 

Pretty cool project. I just got another LT1, but it only came with a SLP CAI and a flowmaster muffler.

-Dustin-

 

Cool i think ill always be an lt1 guy. Also i see you have a 5.9 cummins, i bought an 07 megacab last year and thats what i pulled the car home with. It sure pulls nice, i didnt really even notice the gooseneck trailer behind me for 2300 miles.

 

The Cummins is a damn good motor, I wish the bottom end in the camaro was as tough as a Cummins. I towed my new camaro home with it. I also towed my 1994 Z28 and a 03 Lightning on my 40ft Gooseneck from Southern New Hampshire to Southern New Mexico with it. I've owned and worked on all 3 diesels, Duramax, Powerstoke, and Cummins. The Cummins is toughest by far, but each has it's uses. My Cummins is pretty highly modified. If you want a good website to start going to for Cummins stuff, let me know. And yes, I'm not sure I could ever dump the LT1 platform, I kinda like the LSX guys thinking I'm the underdog.

-Dustin-

 

An update...before I went to work today I drove the car into my friends shop to put a 50/50 coolant mix in because its alittle colder where the car is at now. I added the coolant and let the car heat up to get it mixed in good, ran for 10 min total or so. An hour and a half later my dad wanted to go look at the car and it wouldn't start, and everything was nice and cool by then. I will put money on the fact that it will start tommorrow...but only once. Oh and this weekend i plan on getting a tester and running the tests on shbox.com. I just can figure out why it will only run for awhile and wont even start again if its cool.

 

Pretty sure i found the problem. I put my car up on my friends lift this morning and noticed that the vents were not hooked up on the opti! Ive already got the opti off...just haven't taken it apart yet. Im sure its full of dirt and moisture. Do guys think it killed it or can i just take it apart and let it dry out? Is there anything I can clean on it and what should i use to clean it?

Thanks
James

 

I think I'd buy an opti from thepartsladi on ebay. Really good price for a genuine GM.

 

You can try to clean it out, and sometimes you get lucky. Depends how many more times you want to pull it off I guess. Ive gone both routes depending on the age of the unit and internal condition. Any debris inside will blind the optical eye at times, but once you get alot of moisture inside and corrosion buildup or rust on the wheel I say ditch it. Sometimes you clean it out and re-seal it and yer good to go but with this one I wouldnt try since its likely the sensor itself failing. Did you scan it for codes? If you try to clean it use the electromotive cleaner for sensitive electronics, because they have 2 kinds. And if you re-seal it, let the rtv dry b4 you fire it up as it can produce gasses which might cause any # of issues when you introduce spark.

 

The ICM could be good but make sure excessive heat is not getting to it. It sits on the heat sink.. make sure its making good contact. That heats up it'll shut off..

If you change your opti i'd highly recommend changing the PCM to opti wire and also the vacuum tube if your running a vented 1. But if you have a 94 your not... That electrical wire leads in the opti may build blue crystal corrosion crap all over them because water gets down in there easily.. I'd look and make sure this hasn't happened.

 

Another update. I cleaned it, it was full of water especially on the optical disk. Put it all back together and it will start, but runs worse lol. Ill order a new opti when i get paid. It wasn't a total was of time since i have more time than money at the moment. I found out that i can get it off without removing the turbo so its not that hard. I also checked all the wires to the opti and icm and they are pretty new. Not sure if i can scan it because it has c-com fast ecm on it and i havent messed with that at all yet...not sure why lol. Oh and i ran new vacuume hoses as they werent even on the car at all.

 

You might want to seal off the new opti with some RTV. I sealed the upper and lower portion of the optispark with putting a line of RTV along the outside casing. Tired of changing them due to water getting down in there.