just replaced the opti in my car and i cant get it to start ive checked plugs and wires over and over again and alll my connections. It keeps cauging out the intake when i try to start it. The only way to get it started is to put my foot to the floor then the car willl start and idle but it runs really rough any suggestions. please i want to drive my car!!!

 

somebody must know something anything

 

Well, if you have made absolutely certain that the plug wires are on there correctly, then I would suspect the opti itself. Tell me, does yours have a spline input shaft? If so, you could have it off and not realize it. It sounds like a timing issue to me, what with the backfire into the intake and all..

Dave C.

 

Your OPTI spark is in the wrong way.
I just put one in my 97 and they only go in one way.
Yea right it went in wrong.
It went on like butter too.
The car would barely run.
The timing was retarded a lot.
So I hate to say it but I think it's in wrong.
Best thing to do is take it off reinstall it but don't put the water pump back on.
Put the harmonic balancer on and see if it run's right.
If it's ok then you know it's in right and you can put it back together.

Hope it helps,

Chris.

 

thats EXACTLY what mine did when I had the opti just 1 spline off. take it back off and make sure it is on the right spline. it takes a while to get it to line up perfectly, but when you do you'll know it. all 3 sides of the opti where it mounts up to the timing cover will be touching without having to force it on. I guarantee this is your problem.

 

What he said

 

so this is definately my opti???? my plugs are very fouled could that be possible??

 

my opti lined up fine an how is it possible to not line the spline up properly it only fits one way doesn't it??

 

Look at this pic and read what WeirdRich said. I'd bet that thats the problem.

Dave C.

 

I understand how that works but what i dont get is if the spline slid on fine and the opti went on fine how could it be misaligned? It's keyed so there is only one way for it to fit right?? or am i wrong.

 

It is keyed to supposedly fit only one way but trust me, It will go on in a different position. My brother did his 94 Z28 and needless to say he installed it a notch off. So I tore it all down and had to reinstall it. Soon as I was done I fired it up and all was well. Little trick I did was fired the engine up before putting the water pump and all the stuff back on the front. Saves alot of time if it is still in the wrong postion.

 

when you do that you blow coolant all out of your block though. How do you know its in the right spot then? isn't that wy its keyed?

 

anybody else know??

 

its a spline off. take it back apart and see if the dowel that goes from the cam gear to the opti is stuck in eather end (as in hard to pull out by hand). this will show you that it was definately a spline off. to test it, just put the opti and the balancer back on and fire it up (short period of time of course). if you dont install the water pump then there is no chance of shooting water out of the block...

yes its keyed...but still very possible to put on the wrong way....Ive done it

 

it's keyed so you don't put it on wrong, but you can get it slightly off by a tooth or two and it will drop down most of the way but the back of the opti usually won't fit flush with the 3 mounting holes on the front cover, but if you tighten them down, then you'll never really know the difference. plus, if you don't mount up the water pump right away, and just start the motor to see if it starts and runs right, then no, water will not come out of the block.. they call it a water pump because it pumps water, it does all the water movent for the engine, so no worries.. unfortunately, it's sounding like you need to take the hour and a half to tear it back down and check that opti key.. oh, and this is why i used a tube of blue rtv, because water pump gaskets were harder to come by and could usually only be used once...