I mentioned this earlier, and searched and searched on carcraft but can't find it, anyone know any more information, or where to find it, about coverting an LT1 to a Cadillac Northstar coilpack system?
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Dec. 8, 2010 3:30 p.m. BowtieBandit New Reader
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Dec. 8, 2010 4:08 p.m. patgizz SuperDork
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Dec. 8, 2010 7:19 p.m. Lugnut HalfDork
Ugh $800 is right about what I bought that Roadmaster for. Here is where I wonder about all of these people saying, "You can pick up a 6.0 liter truck engine for forty three cents anywhere in the country," when just a coil controller swap is $800!
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Dec. 8, 2010 9:28 p.m. Appleseed SuperDork
Ah, sounds like you've found Optispark = devil.
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Dec. 8, 2010 9:49 p.m. orphancars Reader
There is a bunch of stuff out there that will let you replace the optispark system.
Google the following stuff:
delteq LTCC dynaspark eficonnection.com
All 4 companies make parts or systems that will replace the opti on an LT1. I forget -- either delteq or LTCC is basically out of business today.........
From people I have talked to and teh intarwebz, either the Opti system is either grossly misunderstood or teh devil. I just look at the system and think we can do better -- having something that generates ignition sparks located just under/below the waterpump doesn't seem like the best idea.
FWIW I have an LT1 planned to motorvate my TVR when it is complete. I am planning on replacing the Opti.....when I get to that stage I'll make a decision to move forward with some sort of aftermarket system. If that day were today (and cost were no object) I think I would use a dynaspark optical trigger unit and use that to ignite some type of external coil(s) to get the spark to the cylinders. I think it is also possible to use just the opti part of the optispark and use that to trigger some sort of external coil(s).
Then there is also the thought of modding the LT1 intake to use a regular old time proven distributor......
Decisions, decisions..........................
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Dec. 8, 2010 10:57 p.m. curtis73 HalfDork
Appleseed wrote:
Ah, sounds like you've found Optispark = devil.
Grr. I really disagree. Blaming the optispark for failing is such a problem point for me.
Having spent insane amounts of time with the LT1, I think the Optispark is one of the finer setups. The optical part is ridiculously accurate and foolproof. The spark part is perfectly fine except for two things: 1) its proximity to a leak-prone water pump, and 2) that people expect berkeleying miracles from it an never service it. After 130k, I finally serviced mine with a new cap and rotor and it has been flawless.
How well do you think an HEI would perform at 130k?
My soap box...
1) people expect miracles from a cap and rotor - maybe because they have been absent from ignition class or because they don't like the idea of taking off the water pump and crank pulley to get to it. Trust me... on an LT1, the pump will fail 3 times before the opti does. 2) People go big bucks to bypass the "spark" part but keep the "opti" part... and they do it by replacing it with Northstar coils and a big-dollar aftermarket controller... one of the most failure-prone setups with an insane cost of coil replacement... all because they don't want to put a cap and rotor on their optispark???? I don't get it.The optispark is quite honestly one of the greatest things since overhead valves (ok, not really, but its incredibly accurate) and people go nuts with Northstar junkyard parts and an aftermarket controller to bypass the secondary side when the problem is not the secondary side. Optisparks need servicing just like any cap and rotor. It also helps if the weep hole for the leak-prone water pump isn't located directly above the Optispark.
I modified my pumps with a vacuum nipple, a touch of JB weld, and a piece of vacuum line to route any water pump weepage away from the distributor. And, anyone who is running a non-vented Optispark needs simply to switch to the 96-up vented unit. The vent tubing for the intake is something like $18.78, and that is retail from the dealer.
The optispark kicks ass. Period. Blaming it for the water pump leaking coolant all over it is ridiculous, but it sure has lined the pockets of Delteq over the years.
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Dec. 8, 2010 11:14 p.m. BowtieBandit New Reader
In reply to Appleseed:
Not quite, I'm kicking around engine swap ideas for the Camaro again, and the biggest thing that kept me from getting one was the possible opti spark issues. I figured that the coilpack conversion would nip any future problems in the bud. I've always been interested in the LT1, mainly because of the reverse cooling.
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Dec. 8, 2010 11:24 p.m. curtis73 HalfDork
BowtieBandit wrote:
In reply to Appleseed:
Not quite, I'm kicking around engine swap ideas for the Camaro again, and the biggest thing that kept me from getting one was the possible opti spark issues.
Having owned 5 LT1s and put an average of about 75k miles on each one, don't worry about the optispark. Seriously.
... and don't spend a penny on an aftermarket coil-on-plug setup that uses Northstar coils. Or... at least before you do that, price out what it costs to replace one of those coils and read up on how often they fail.
LT1 owners got some kind of hard on for the optispark not lasting for 3 million miles and they think its terrible., but when you have a water pump that drips coolant all over the cap, what do you expect.
Its like this.... Lets say you build a wonderful campfire and then start spraying it with a hose and the fire keeps going out... so you curse the fire pit, or the wood, or the quality of the flame. The problem isn't the fire, its the fact that you're spraying water on it. There are two solutions - either spend huge dollars on re-engineering the entire firepit (like buying a delteq kit) or to just stop berkeleying spraying water on the fire.
Seriously, a vented Opti along with a vacuum nipple in the pump's weep hole is a genius setup.
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Dec. 9, 2010 8:49 a.m. stan_d Dork
If you watch eBay you can get a replacement optispark for 60 that's what I did and if you use a roadmaster water pump it's about half the cost of camaro one just requires some fancy plumg of heater hoses. If the water pump comes off for any reason it gets changed. I will be incorporating the vacuum hose to the weep hole idea.
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Dec. 9, 2010 11:57 a.m. orphancars Reader
Curtis,
Thanks for the real world info. I think I will actually be going with the stock setup. I do appreciate it!!
@stan_d -- got any pics of the roadmaster water pump setup? I thought all LT1s used the same pump......
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Dec. 9, 2010 12:00 p.m. Appleseed SuperDork
In all fairness, I'm spouting internet "knowledge." I've got 75,000 on mine without a hiccup. God knows how many miles were put on it by the cops.
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Dec. 10, 2010 7:41 a.m. novaderrik HalfDork
orphancars wrote:
Curtis,
Thanks for the real world info. I think I will actually be going with the stock setup. I do appreciate it!!
@stan_d -- got any pics of the roadmaster water pump setup? I thought all LT1s used the same pump......
same pump, different pipe fittings for the heater hoses pressed into different holes. go to your favorite online auto parts web site- i like www.napaonline or www.rockauto.com - and look up water pumps for a 94 Caprice, 94 Corvette, and 94 Camaro and you will see the differences.
when i had to put a water pump in the 94 Caprice i had a while back, i think the cost at the local Carquest was $65 after i brought the core back, and i think it took me about an hour to put it in- and most of that time was spent figuring out how to get the smog pump out of the way. the opti is right behind the pump, and comes out with only a few small bolts.
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Dec. 10, 2010 9:55 a.m. curtis73 HalfDork
Just a word of caution if you replace an opti...
Putting the opti on is kinda like putting a torque converter in. You need to make sure it seats properly before putting the bolts on. Like when you put a torque converter in - if the converter hits the flywheel before you get the trans bolted up, its not right.
Line up the pin on the drive with the funky thing on the back of the opti and make sure you can seat the distributor on the cover the whole way by hand. Dont draw it in with the bolts or you'll tear up your new opti when you crank it.
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Dec. 10, 2010 9:57 a.m. curtis73 HalfDork
See if Dal Slabaugh is still working at VanDevere Buick in Akron. He's a B-body lover and he gives us Impala SS guys super cheap parts.
Last I checked he had retired about 6 times and he's probably 134 years old, so he might be actually retired by now
