Learn me Optispark…

Many of you know I had the 97 formula LT1 a while ago. It had 171,428 miles on the original optispark. Sat in the woods for over 7 years. Oil change, fuel pump,  tossed ten gallons fresh 87 gas in on top of 7+ year old half tank, charged the 10 year old battery, and it started right up. 
That car really did want to not go to scrap yard!

Anyway, I did a lot of online reading, but have never touched a wrench to an LT1 

My wife now has a cream puff 94 Roadmaster. High miles for a cream puff at 124K, but it's about perfect. 
I does have a low speed miss, although it revs out fine. No tach, and with 2:56 rear gears, it's over the speed limit before ya run out of 2nd gear, but nice an smooth, and trans is perfect. 
Good chance it's the original spark plugs. Service manual said plugs at 100k, but she was getting old by then, and the dealer she used for EVERYTHING was starting to not treat her right, looking through the receipts. Only ripped her off on the AC (4 grand in 5 or 6 trips, from '13 to '16, and only 8K miles!

Anyway, the 94 Opti did not have the weep hole, so a local guy (don't have time to service it myself this week) ; he's positive it's condensation in cap. 
Problem is I've read that all the available parts for the relatively old and rare opti's are such cheaply made parts, it's a 50/50 chance it is worse new than a running one!

TLDR: my 94 LT 1 Buick 124k miles. Super well maintained, has a low end miss. 
Opti cap, rotor, wires and plug has been suggested. I've heard new parts are VERY  poorly made, though. 
orig. cap likely. Non vented in 94. . But it's behind the original water pump. 
Suggestions?

edit: Found out that all the 94 B-Body's got the upgraded opti., that others got in 95. Good news. Vented, and other minor things, that helped a lot. 

If it's original plugs, could also be original wires. Easier to do plugs and wires first.

Then if that doesn't fix it, a vented opti conversion would be the way to go. You could try pulling one from a 95-96 junkyard. May have better luck with used OEM instead of a reman. I've also heard of the 'optidoctor' on eBay who rebuilds and converts them to vented, supposedly he is pretty good. I recall there is more to the conversion than just the opti - I think a different timing cover and possibly camshaft dowel? Others will be here soon to chime in I'm sure...

I have a friend with an LT1 in his Jeep. He had his optispark rebuilt by a hobbiest ex-aviation machinist who made some new parts that you could not buy, and fully tested rebuilt units. I will try to get a contact.

Try new, quality wires. Extreme emphasis on quality. The routing goes under and through a cast bracket (power steering, I think .) Its a bastard to get them through. Put in new plugs, too. Eliminate the cheap variables.

I had a 95 9C1, that had 115,000 hard cop miles on it. A set of wires and plugs, and the LT1 ran like a top. Never leaked or burnt oil. Rust finally killed it 12 years later at 197,000 miles. It died with the Optispark that was put in by GM at the plant  in 1994.

Thanks to both. Yep, after finding and organizing all the paperwork since new (window sticker and receipt, first half dozen oil changes, and then last half dozen... few missing in between ???

Maint. records, even assuming a few missing, indicate plugs, wires... and just about everything else on the car is factory!

Has had two serpentine belts, last at 110K. One thermostat, a few sensors (looking at dealer wo, most of them were shotgun approach band aids. ) 

did get Trans. rebuilt at 80K (I actually know the shop... he's good) after dealer jerked them around some, due to obvious poor diagnostic skills. Back in (to dealer, sadly) month later for same symptoms. Got jerked around for 6 trips in next few months, at a bill or three each time. Finallly accidentally changed the part obviously causing the initial problem... shifts great ever since. Hey, good for me; I get a known low miles trans., but dealer cost them about $3500, for a hundred dollar shift solinoid. 
Only one receipt for the first set of tires. So I don't know if current set is second or third. I think third, as they were brand new in 09, with 110K miles!

Since the LT1 water pump is so much different than I'm used to and is working fine, should it be replaced if I go into Opti? Can cap even be changed without removing pump?

Thanks to all!

In reply to Appleseed :

That's great. Glad ya got some good miles out of her. 
Plug purchase, I can handle, and unlike that tiny f body engine bay, I would imagine the b body, you can actually access the plugs!

Any recommendations on wires? I don't even mind an upgrade in wires, but I hear fat wires are a pain to fit  through routing. 

I'm going to convert my 96 to 24x, and will have a vented Opti.  But I don't think it is compatible with a 94 camshaft.

In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :

I think that's not had to overcome. But don't remember how! Read a lot of Opti stuff online a few years ago, but retaining said info...

I was reading up on some coil on plug conversions back then, cool stuff. Way outa my price range at the time... bet they are outa sight now. Would definitely be a good way to go. 
I'm gonna go with the" plugs, wires and see where it stands" approach, and hope I'm blessed enough to not have to touch the Opti!

edit: Since all b body's are the vented upgrade, I'm now pretty sure this will do it. Yay!

03Panther said:

Since the LT1 water pump is so much different than I'm used to and is working fine, should it be replaced if I go into Opti? Can cap even be changed without removing pump?

Thanks to all!

Yes. From what I remember when you lose your pump you lose your Opti.

preach (dudeist priest) said:

03Panther said:

Since the LT1 water pump is so much different than I'm used to and is working fine, should it be replaced if I go into Opti? Can cap even be changed without removing pump?

Thanks to all!

Yes. From what I remember when you lose your pump you lose your Opti.

GM just had to put the sparky thing by the water thing.

In reply to preach (dudeist priest) :

I put 3 turd rebuilt Vatozone water pumps on the 9C1. All barfed coolant out the weep hole all over the Opti. It didn't care. 

In reply to 03Panther :

You have to pull the pump to get at the Opti. No recommendation on the wires. I've been out of the B-Body game for over 10 years, I  not sure. Fat wires can be done, but it's a pain in the ass.

maschinenbau said:

If it's original plugs, could also be original wires. Easier to do plugs and wires first.

Is it really?  

People comment about asinine layouts, but the LT1 plug wire routing takes the cake.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

I wish you were closer! I be glad to pay you to make this cream puff RIGHT!

I never minded paying for good work; I hate paying for hacks that shouldn't be allowed to touch a lawnmower. 70% of the time I've taken a car to a shop, I've been disappointed. Sometimes even shops I know are good, and have done me right other times. 
Time is money, so even good guys get caught in corner cutting sometimes. 
Id trust you 100%

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

GM just had to put the sparky thing by the water thing.

That reminds me of an old joke, but it's in VERY poor taste

matthewmcl said:

I have a friend with an LT1 in his Jeep. He had his optispark rebuilt by a hobbiest ex-aviation machinist who made some new parts that you could not buy, and fully tested rebuilt units. I will try to get a contact.

It was this guy:

https://www.ebay.com/p/2211552581

seller ID: berrington1(608)

eBay does not show him as being an existing account, anymore.

preach (dudeist priest) said:

Yes. From what I remember when you lose your pump you lose your Opti.

Have read that a lot. Some disagree. Hard to sort out. 
Parts problem these days, with last lt1 being built decades ago, is the pumps are more likely to fail brand new. So spend more money than the cheap china part. But it's same part, in a different box.. 

In reply to matthewmcl :

That's a shame he's gone. The rabbit hole that sent me down, everyone said good things of him. 
Also led me to Petris Performance. They are considered kinda pricey , but also the best! I'm ok with that. Also in AL, but about as far from me as can get, and still be in the same state! Atlanta is closer. 

In reply to 03Panther :

Does it involve the proximity of playgrounds?  Was that a Carlin joke?

I don't remember if that was one of Carlin's or not. My wife would just lump it in with what she calls my 5th graders sense of humor.

she rolls her eyes a lot, around here! Or stamps her foot, when she gets mad at herself for letting a little school girl giggle out. 
says she never giggled a day in her life, before me - not even as a school girl!

Good news... knew the LT1 came out several years before they got put in b body's (94) and GM upgraded the opti in 95. One of the things I was worried about this being a 94. 
Fortunately for us, all b body's got the late upgraded Opti. 
Since it's vented, and water pump is not weeping, prevailing wisdom dictates "don't touch it, till ya try everything else ya can!!!"

That fact, me not being  only a "troubleshoot by throwing customer paid for parts at it, till you accidentally find the bad one" kinda guy, is good news. 

In reply to 03Panther :

I agree, if it's still starting and running it's not the Opti, throw some plugs and wires on it and keep on truckin...

Is this an option?

Bailey Engineering

And a Motor Trend story to go with it.

Optispark Problem