Pasky

Well, I couldnt figure out why my damn car wouldnt start, so i lifted the fuel rails and turned the key and nadda from the injectors . So I noticed I forgot to give the fuel injectors power. Wired them up and I got a back fire lol. I have a feeling the distributor wasn't installed correctly because I tripple checked the firing order and its good. Now my question is, can someone tell me exactly what I need to do to install the opti. Put it so an idiot can understand, thanks.

Allwaysbroke Z

Okay.. from one idiot to another. I changed my opti 2 days ago. so here it goes.... make sure to disconnect the battery.

1st. I drained the coolant. on the bottom of the radiator on the passanger side youll see a little black plug. make sure you have a bucket or something. turn it and the coolant will come out. also make sure the fill cap is off. of the radiator.

2nd. when thats done i disconnected my intake system "k&n" and took it out. took the lid out. which is the black plastic cover thats over the front part of the motor.

3rd. i disconected the hoses at the bottom of the radiator and pulled it out. had to take off the plugs for the fans there are 2 of them. be careful because i had more coolant come out... it got on the old opti but who cares.. it was bad anyways. just make sure you dry everything before you install.

4th. on the front of the motor on the right side is a black round box looking thing with 3 screws. undo them and move that thing out of the way. i think its the air box.

5. there is a metal bracket directly above/behind that black box. undo the screws and 1 bolt and remove it.

6.unplug the sensor on the water pump. and remove all the hoses that connect to it. again watch out for more coolant.

7.undo the i think 6 screws and remove the water pump. it might be stuck on the guides to you might have to work it off.

8. MARK YOUR PLUG WIRES. with tape and number them so youll remember where they go. then you can remove the wires. also take off the top right wire that is connected to the coil.

9.remove your belt. then remove the bottom pulley. 3 big screws. youll probably need a pulley puller. you can rent them at autozone.

10.unplug the wire harness going into the top of the optispark. and then unscrew the 3 screws holding it on. on the bottom of the opti there are 2 rubber hoses. pull em off. one is bigger then the other so youll know where they go.

11. pull off opti.


12. put the new opti on and go backwards threw all these steps. when you put your water pump back on make sure you scrape all the nasty old gasket crap off and put new ones on. they are like 2 bucks each at autozone. when everything is back on put in coolant and let er rip.


This is how i did it and it worked. im sure there are other methods. good luck.

Pasky

LOL, you detailed everything BUT what I needed to know. I need to know how the opti goes on exactly. Thanks for the help though, however I have no radiator, serpantine belt or AIR pump hooked up. Im swapping a LT1 into my 91 and just trying to make sure it will turn over before I put all the good stuff on. Pictures, anything will do.

Allwaysbroke Z

well... the opti has a round pin on the back... goins directly into the block. the cam has a dowel that sticks out and it just lines up with the back of the opti. press it on ... put the 3 screws in. and its in place.

Mtrhds94Z

Early [92-4] or late [95-7] opti?
It makes a difference...

Pasky

Does it need to be a certain groove, or just any of the 3 for the dowel?

Pasky

Sorry, 95

Mtrhds94Z

Here's a pic of the back of a 95-7 opti [from shoebox' site] that shows where the dowel pin goes into..:
http://shbox.com/1/opti_back.jpg

Pasky

Ok, just to be sure, that means the whole groove and not just the tiny bit that the arrow seems to be pointing at right?

cridom

dont you have to take a pulley out?

Pasky

Yea the harmonic balancer, but the distributor goes onto the groove and not the tiny groove the arrow is pointing at, it just has to be the groove the tiny one is apart of right?

Oh also, anyone know where I can find the two vacuum lines on the passenger side of the intake above the 4 & 6 injectors? Seems mine are broken, one came from the wiring harness, another from the back of the fuel rails. THanks guys, always appreciate the help.

97firechicken

the opti can go on only one way.

next you can probably get the hoses form autozone.

i did my opti yesterday, if you did get it replaced and still having problems, take your ignition module off and get it tested for free at autozone.

Pasky

It may go on only one way but mine is seriously out of time. So I do put the cam dowel in the groove with a small groove inside of it right?

97firechicken

yeah there is one square that is different i think it has the arrow on it. i think are cars are timed from the PCM anyways. are you installing it right now?

Pasky

Not currently, going to as soon as I get off work in about 1 hour. Hopefully gonna hear the rumble of real american tourque .