LT-1 optispark

[Chevyracincamaro]

what's this stuff you guys are talkin about with the optispark? there a reliability issue with lt-1 ignition? im upgrading to an lt-1 prolly this summer, had ruled out the ls-1 cause of cash flow and cause i thought it might be better to use lt for my 94. please gimme some feed back on this...thnx

[89IROC&RS]

the problem with the optispark is that the housing is made of plastic. as you put more demands on the bearin in the rotor, it heats up, demands being more power, and higher rpms. as it heats up, it starts to melt the distributor cap. as this happens the timing is altered, causing poor running, and in extream cases, the system will ground out and send a spark to all 8 cylenders at the same time. not that big of a deal on a stock engine, it just wont start, but on a higher performance setup, or if you are running nitrous, it can be disasterous. like i have said a hundred times before, im sure there are plenty of guys who are running them with no trouble. i for one, just do not trust them. thats all. just my 2cents

[DVS LT1]

Never heard of that IROC (now you've given me and RacingCamaro something else to worry about! ). Most of the complaints I've heard is the optisparks tendancy to die or malfunction(perhaps like IROC described) as a result from moisture accumulation or fluid leaks. The optispark is located directly under the water pump and any pump, crank, manifold, or valve leaks often trickle down and build up on the ignition wires.

I know dudes who have had to replace their opticrap more than once for no apparent reason (other than it dying). In my case, I've mentioned before that oil has been building up on/around my opti for some time yet its still firing (although I often clean away the oil to try and find that damn top-end leak). If it makes any difference I'm running a Crane Cams coil, MSD module and wires with a bit of timing advance. Everything has been fine so far - knock on wood. Guess nitro is out of the question now eh?

There is quite an expensive aftermarket optispark available for over $500 that is made of aluminum, powdercoated, vented, etc... that is apparently better than the OEM unit in no less than 10 ways and also provides more high RPM spark potential.

I wouldn't let the Optispark deter you from picking the LT1 engine - but it is definitely something to be aware of. I'm sure I've seen Gen II LT1's running more conventional distributors located behind the intake manifold.

[Chevyracincamaro]

excellent info guys, it is much appreciated...

[drvngstorm05]

can u give me a link to check out that aftermarket optispark, i'm putting an lt in my 92 rs and i plan on increasing my red line. so i'm thinkin that might be a good investment.

[DVS LT1]

http://www.dynotech-eng.com/dynaspark.htm

I wouldn't necessarily spring $599 on this thing just because you want to raise you redline. I mean, its supposed to let your engine run smoother to redline to provide higher RPM potential, but I doubt if the gains would be that noticeable. (for the money anyways)

If you want to beef up the LT1's spark, a good ignition module from Crane or MSD, ignition coil, and some aftermarket wires and sparkplugs would definitely provide a noticeable improvement (& a few extra horses).

I think the biggest selling feature of the Dynaspark opti is its construction and reliability. Nevertheless, it sounds like a solid unit - personally, its something I wouldn't get until my optispark finally dies (fingers crossed), or I finally get the coin to put together my dream engine. But ya, I would never consider buying another factory opti.

If you do end up getting this unit let us know how it turns out.