My opti died on me today... its been 2 weeks since i put it in...
Only thing that could kill it that fast is the vacuum harness.

GM is replacing the opti for free and its being sent with the Vacuum harness.

Just letting u know so u dont have to go through the same headaches as me.

 

Explain. I don't understand what you are saying.

 

Heh, his opti died. He bought a new one and within two weeks it died again. He is dead set that it's his vacuum harness of course without any extensive testing to prove this.

I'm curious to see how long it actually lasts for this next one (i'm not so sure it's as simple as the vacuum lines causing the failure, but we'll see)

If ya need a hand though Leon let me know.

 

I'm confused too. Did you reuse your old vac line? Or just not put one on there?

 

Not enough details were given to explain anything. If you hook the lines up backwards, it will kill the opti in a very short time.

 

im very intersted myself

 

eh, i said hey... ooh the cat, the cat!!! eh eh kiwi yum .. ooh um, look fly wow! ayup. said so.

 

He only replaced the opti and left the original vacuum lines. He didn't hook it up backwards either.

I think he's just looking for the easiest explanation but I'm still not so sure that's the problem.

 

The only way the vacuum line could affect it is if ran without the 'restrictor' [or it is faulty] that reduces vacuum to the opti..
Full manifold vacuum can 'deform' the cap and destroy the rotor...
Otherwise, it's another problem causing it to go bad..

 

Just as Mtrhds94Z said and if the vent line to the elbow was clogged it could cause vacuum to build up inside with similar results. BTW, its not the only thing that will kill the opti in a short time. A dowel pin too long will too. If a new cam was put in, the dowel pin length should have been checked (especially if from CompCams)

It appears the vacuum harness was blamed without any real proof. I hope you find out what the cause was before the next new opti is toast. I bet they won't warranty another.

 

Didnt know about the cam pin bein to long.. well i hope thats not it or this is going to suck... cuz i really like my XE230/236. By chance do u know the exact length the dowel pin should be. I'll check that to when i yank it..

Well if anything putting in a new harness for 13 bucks is cheap insurance so why not do it.

 

It is frequently discussed on this board, but there is some debate over what the length should be. Some say total length should be .620" and others .685". I know that my stock pin length was .650 and it could have been longer without a problem. Measure the pin on your old cam.

 

according to the peice of paper that cam with my GM 847 cam the pin should protrude .380 past the timing gear when installed. But my comp cam that I am replacing sticks out a good half inch.
I know that if it is too long you can remove the cam and gently tap the pin in until the reguired length is reached.

 

The protrusion of my stock pin from the stock gear was .410". I don't know if every brand gear is the same depth, so that measurement may not be good for all situations.

Here is a comparison of my stock cam dowel to a CC pin in the 224/230 I put in. Way too long and would definitely destroy the opti. I matched it to the stock pin before I installed it.

 

The gear thickness is a question. I wonder if the gear is too thick how the back of the dist will mate against the cover, maybe causing a slight oil leak? Just a thought.