I cleaned the opti when I fixed up the oe motor and the motor fired up but was knocking and smoking on the left exhaust. It may be the culprit---I've got the hook up with a friend at a parts store, so I'll give him a buzz and go ahead and purchase the darn thing. As for the crank sensor, the car doesn't have one it is a 95 model.

 

atlasengr

I have the same problem right now, car runs like crap with all the mods in my sig. Car run very rich, from idle to WOT. It only trapped 102 at the Edinburg Race track.

I could lend you a hand this week-end, I am from McAllen. Hey, you wouldn't happen to have an OBD-1 pc cable lying around would you?

 

Red Devil,

Hey man, your car is atleast firing up. Mine doesn't want to. I started to think it may be the opti. Send me your phone number and I'll call you wnen I get back from lunch. By the way I don't have none of the sort lying around--sorry.

 

Actually I do.

My car was running very rough, and so rich that the exhaust fumes burn your eyes. It smells pig rich from valve cover oil fill-up hole.

I left the car lying around for more than a week without starting as I am trying to gather all the equipment I need to scan it. I tried to start it yesterday, it fired, but threw code 43. I checked my pcm connections, and the knock desentisizer, start it again, and blah!! it did not want to fire unless I assist it with the gas pedal I got fed up, and left it alone. You have the same sysmptoms I had when I first fired up my baby.

When it does fire, it runs very rough. It settles down after a while, but it is a dogg at higher rpms.

I do have a opti-rebuild kit, laying around. give it to you for $$75. You spend around $160 at the local parts dealer.

I will be glad to assist you.

But after reading all of the posts, you might have one last hope. Check you ICM (Ignition Control Module), on top of your coil bracket. That goes bad, things start to act up. You can also try to give it some gas as you try to crank it. Make sure your trottle blades are set at the right position. You might have bent the trottle body cable bracket around the stop screw area. Make sure you do not have any vaccumm leaks, and that your injectors are in the right position. 95's should have them marked. Check you injector and ignition fuses. There are 2 ignition fuses, and I believe 1 for injectors (might be two). Those are under hood. For the ignition, one is under the hood, one is inside.

As for the opti, the only way to tell if it is good is to see that there is spark at the wire, given that there is spark from coil output. Given this, if there is no spark, opti is no good.

By the way. I am at work. My number is 632-8100 X2157.

Good Luck.

 

Thanks for all the info. I need to really spend some time on the car and track everything I connected. I don't feel that the connections to the LT1 are that troublesome. I pulled the top end once already and then last week I pulled the old motor out and installed the shortblock I had bought for it. So, the removing and all seems to be easy with me. It is the cam installation, which was my first, that has me thinking??????? Anyway, I might not be at home this weekend, my grandfather is kind of sick and I may have to go and visit him. If I don't I'll give you a call. Send me your phone at home and cell, incase I have a question or could use your personal help.

my email is:

pablo.ledezma@lmco.com
or
chevyracing@msn.com

 

just an FYI, when a shop changed the opti on my 96 T/A they somehow managed to bust the crankshaft position sensor. The car would not fire at all. I know theoretically its not supposed to matter but it seemed to in my case...

 

I don't think the 95 has a crankshaft sensor. It is in the opti, right? I saw it on the manual, but my opti doesn't have one.

 

Alright, I might be repeating myself for no reason, but it doesnt sound like you checked this. You said you heard a vacuum noise from the pass side of the engine. I had the exact same noise. Even though you have fuel pressure and the injectors are fine, that doesnt mean fuel is getting into the rail. It has to go throught the regulator first. Check to see if you hooked up the vacuum hose to the fuel pressure regulator. My car did the exact same thing when I first tried starting it. A cam error would not cause a vacuum noise, a vacuum hose causes a vacuum noise, and even if it is connected, check if its broken, when I tried reconnecting mine it snapped in half because it is very hard brittle plastic.

I just dont want you spending money on an opti when the problem was free. let me know.

 

The vaccum is connected from the fuel pressure regualtor to the passenger side of the intake manifold. Should I disconnect it and crank it to see if it does something?

 

Well what happened when I did it, if i put the pedal to the floor it would start, but only then. Im not an expert, but I would think that if it was a cam error, it would at least fire every couple turns, because there would still be fuel getting into the chamber and there would still be spark. So even if its the cam I would think one of the other two is missin, fuel or spark. Try taking the vacuum hose off the manifold and blow hard into it when its being cranked, if thats possible, need another person. If that doesnt do anything, take a wire off a plug and see if it arcs. If not: opti, wires crossed, probly not the coil, those hardly ever go bad. check that stuff

 

By the way, do you have a laptop, or any way to record sound and send it to us. I could tell you if its the same noise i heard.