Consider the Bailey LTCC. Removes the high voltage from the Opti, and provides 8 LS1-style coils in direct fire mode. Requires a healthy optical sensor in the Opti.

Those of us running the GM vented Opti, without the high voltage in the case, generally have not had any problems. My engine's been running reliably for 8 years with a similar setup. A buddy of mine was turning 8,000RPM and making 1,125HP on a Vortech blown 383 LT1, using the vented Opti as a cam position sensor for the same aftermarket ECU/8 LS1 coils that I have.

http://www.bailey-eng.com/LTCC.html

 

A cam dowel pin too long will destroy a pin drive opti in a short time. I assume yours is a spline drive, but I would hope the cam dowel is in no way contacting anything on the opti.

 

i dont see whats wrong wit the ac delco opti? thats the only kind i would use. MSD opti is crap and not worth the money. the plastic they use warps under heat causing the rotor to rub and fail. the seal has problems, the screws that hold the rotor in place back out.

 

I use the MSD cap and rotor on a stock 80K mile base, works fine but next time I open it I am going to replace the rotor screws.

The optical sensors in them are unreliable simple as that, the timing adjustment is also unreliable and serves more often to help guys cause themselves trouble than to be of any real use.

The extra screw is almost pointless. Monday on my bone stock 94 wagon I had a tranny line spring a pinhole leak pointing up and doused the whole passenger side of the underhood in tranny fluid even the hood liner, half a gallon of Simple Green and a high pressure end on the garden hose did the cleanup. I paid particular attention to clean the opti and plug wires since tranny fluid tends to eat rubber. Not even a stumble on startup. Bought it recently and the previous owner mentioned opti replacement by GM at some point in the past, car has 128K and he had bought at 20K I do not know where along the way it got that opti but it is sealed well and is just a new Delco.

I have three LT1 cars in my driveway put up around 190K on them myself, the low milage one has 128K, I have had one cap and rotor wear to the point of affecting performance, no other opti troubles. I don't know how guys make them fail other than neglecting cap and rotor changes which are wear items afterall. My sedan was cammed 5 years ago and got heads and more cam 2 years ago and one of the wagons has been down the strip, not like mine is light duty use.

 

i tried my spare icm the first time around and same issue..no start just cranking.

thanks for the info guys.i ll check with the engine builder and make sure the cam dowel pin is the right length.i ll check into that ls1 style setup for sure but fred isnt that delteq system simalar being that it does have the coil packs and uses the optical sensor...how did delteq end up basically going under??

im all about ac delco but i need something reliable when my when my car is spinning at high rpm..i just heard that the stock optis just cant handle high rpm..especially since im planning on spraying it in the future

i still pray they refund my money for that msd opti.

 

The MSD cap and rotor kit seems to solve the high rpm rotor issues, or some guys simply rivet the stock rotor.

The owner of Delteq is ill and that has shut the company down, this year in particular it seems a LOT of the Delteq setups died and without the company there to fix the stuff a lot of folks are unhappy.

The LTCC is similar in that it uses the stock optical sensor but multiple coils but is better executed and has more features but far as I know is not offered as such a complete kit.

 

YOU guys have to to hear this...

i just got a call from my engine builder and he said that they tested the coil and it was giving off low resistance so they put a new coil on and it fired right up!! they even started and shut it off throughout the day and test drove it and it runs great!Dont even ask just my luck when i pick it up and drive it down the street the coil then goes.WTF

well in conclusion they think maybe with the new opti it caused the coil to have low resistance somehow.the coil could of also been a bit weak but it def needed the opti bc it wouldnt start the first time with my spare coil and it scanned no rpm when trying to start..then the coil goes also
its sweet though he didnt charge me labor or the tow lol he just charged me for the coil

well thanks for your help guys thank god it wasnt anything more serious like the cam pin..bc thats what i was bankin on what the problem was.it was also fun hearing how much the msd opti sucks now but what r ya gonna do..maybe i ll end up adding on that ltcc bailey setup inconjunction with the msd opti!r

 

I said in my first post check wiring, the MSD was not my first guess but it is NOT a very good piece. When Injuneer shoebox and I are all saying the same thing there is probably something to our collective opinion.

Spoken to several guys with genuinely fast cars that tried the MSD and went back to stock, one car goes 146mph in the quater at 4400lbs not a typo, he just modifies the stock rotor a little. If the stocker works for something like that it is laughable that every kid with a 12 second f-body thinks he has to ditch the opti.

 

i saw what u said when u mentioned check wiring...it wasnt even wireing it was the coil anyway..so what did u call.i cant just go out to the driveway and check it thats why i didnt have a damn answer.the car was towed back to the shop when it shut down(meaning i cant just go out and check the wiring)

congrats u know someone with a stock opti that goes 146 in the 1/4 but my STOCK opti went a few years ago at 100k and again last week so obiously one wouldnt go with just the stocker again the 3rd time.Whos ditching the opti? i think if anyone could "Ditch" the opti every lt1 owner would

 

I installed a MSD cap and rotor on the stock opti a month ago and the rotor ground a groove into the cap and left me stranded.

Put a new stock one on and so far so good, the stock ones seem to be much better for the LT1.

I know it was installed right but I'll never use another one.

 

I just submitted an email to msd tech about the issue regarding the catostrophic failures on their opti's. I will be sure to let you all know their response to these clames. My problem is I've only put roughly 20 miles on my $500 opti that I purchased from them 2 years ago and the fact that their is only a 1 year warrenty on the product is outragous! There should have been some sort of recall on the product due to the vast majority of failures on their opti.

 

I was on the verge of getting an MSD when I was trying to get my car running after it sat in storage for several years. I'm glad I went with a stock replacement.

 

I also agree that the GM vented opti is the best deal going. I went with a DynaSpark back in Jan 2003 an paid $535 for it then. I supposedly got it for a discount at the time and haven't seen prices on them lately. It is beautiful billet alum housing with well made components, wiring, etc. They are designed much better to prevent water damage.

But, they are not bullet proof. When I had the stroker engine done about three years ago. The engine builder told me the Dynaspark went bad. I had less than 5k miles on it. How or why I don't know. I do know that my engine builder/tuner sent it back to Dynaspark, then under new ownership, and it cost me about $400 for a rebuild. Do I like the Dynaspark? Yes, but for what I have invested, I think a good old GM would be the best deal and basically work just about as good.

 

Good luck on that one I was in the same boat, the first time the optical sensor went south within 6 months of me having the thing. 8 months afterwards I started having more issues ( same) , called MSD , bunch of jerks they fell back on their 1-year warranty and said they couldnt do anything about it. Yea, $500 down the dam drain, lucky I had a Accel opti as a spare and has been performing fine and paid a hell of a lot less for it. I'm sure one day I will get motivated to fix the MSD, but I am still angry about the whole situation.

 

Nothing like standing behind a "bullet proof" product that you sell huh?