Its been 3 years since i did my last opti install...
Im having problems with the cam shaft pin going into the dowel on the opti..
Anyways i think its going in...
The opti bolt holes are about 2 centimeters from being flush.
I thought that if the pin is in the dowel the opti should be completely flush and the bolts wont be needed to pull it in...

Ive been pushing on the opti hard but it wont go in.......

 

If you have to force it on something is probably wrong. I have been able to put it into place easily the 2 times I've installed optis.

 

Never use the bolts to pull it on. Pull it back off, check position and put it back on. If you changed cams, make sure the dowel pin is not too long.

 

yeah thats what i thought...

Its pissing me off though.. ive pulled it off 10 times already...

i'd love to find a GM engineer right now to bitch at about that design

 

The rubber o-ring on my new opti made it difficult to slide into place (I test fit with and without the seal). A good hard shove solved the problem, though you might try a drop of engine oil on the o-ring.

 

mine needed to be shoved on with force. every time we put it on it would get ALMOST all the way on, but it wasn't. don't but any bolts on till the whole thing goes FLUSH on there.

 

Yep... it will snap in there flush when it is on there right. Don't install if its not on all the way. Sometimes it takes me one time.... sometimes 20 times go get it in.

 

I wonder if this is why the opti always seems to fail so quick? Never draw it on using the bolts. That's almost as bad as beating the crank hub on with a hammer.

I fitted mine at least a dozen times before it went on right. If memory serves me correct, it appears as though it will fit any of the three openings, but only one fits perfect. I too would like to pound the GM engineer who thought this up. There's no need to make an opti install like an Indiana Jones adventure.

 

I had JasonL's problem.
The new o-rings on the opti wouldnt allow me to push it in... So i reused the ones off the old opti and it went on like a charm.
The old o-rings have about 20k miles on them and are 3 years old.

thanks for the responses

 

That is strange. I've done a few optis over the years and never had that problem. Did you apply an ever so small amount of lube on them? I would have wanted to use new o-rings and not reuse the older ones. Those suckers can harden and crack with age and miles.

 

i agree don.. I tried my damndest to push it on .
The old orings were flatter.
The new ones were fatter around the edges.
I put engine oil on the new orings

When i changed the opti at about 70k the rings had broken apart and were letting oil seep past them.

These orings have about 20k on them but over 3 years. I dont drive the car much. So i figure these orings have at least 30K miles on them and or 3 years..

By then the car will have a new engine

 

Then it might work just fine. Regarding seals and some gaskets, the old one might not leak any sooner than a new one. Good luck with yours.

 

I had the same problem first time i did the swap. Finally took it off one last time, tried again, and it snapped right into place. Shrug. Guess you just need to find the perfect angle while pushing it.