distribitor help... asap.. thanks

[97z28convt]

So the last item for me to iron out on My lt1 build is the distributor. I was thinking msd.. then got told msd is crap.. then was thinking stock.. but gm only sells remans and they said those are crap. Since they are all 500 ish... Sounds like no good option.. My original distributor on has 55k on it and worls fine.. so i was just gonna do the msd cap n rotor..

[steveo]

yeah keep your original with an msd cap & rotor, and loctite the rotor screws

problem is, the key to a healthy opti is a mitsubishi optical sensor that isn't made anymore

still, reman GM opti is probably the highest quality one, followed closely by MSD

[GearHead33]

I have a TSP opti made by Terry Walters Performance Shop, it was only $130 but its been on there for almost a year and seems to work just fine. But these opti's are just a crap shoot.

[steveo]

any opti you buy in the $75-$150 price range is one of the new chinese clones that have been kicking around in ebay

they're sold under dozens of different names right now

not much is known about them to be honest. could be good, could be bad. really, there's only three things that should make an aftermarket opti a 'bad bet':

- poor sealing cases
- rotor screws that fly out
- poor quality optical sensor or poor timing wheel alignment

i wish someone would make a good aftermarket one; but it's an old engine platform. i think MSD will become the most popular option in the future.

[Stootz01]

If it only has 55k I'd say keep it also. I think the reason MSD gets a bad rap is because so many people actually buy them. No one writes reviews on how awesome there opti is, only when it takes a crap. Just like the original, when there are so many installed, there are going to be some bad apples. I've read that if your spinning under 7k there is no reason to spend the money. I personally bought one due to there warranty and their better rep then the other brands and have had no problems.

[steveo]

there are other reasons to consider the msd...

aftermarket high output coils eat the stock cap up.. msd builds their wiring pigtail in (no plug); and msd provides an easy way to put a vented opti on earlier models, if you go gm, you're changing opti drive, timing cover, and all sorts of other stuff..

[MrCompton]

I would go with the GM replacement myself. Had a 1998 S10 with 198k on the Vortec 4.3 I paid $400 for not running. Started replacing stuff with non-gm factory replacements and it wouldn't really run right. The two culprits, the cheapy ignition coil and distributor. Everything else cheap was fine, but I won't go cheap on that stuff on anything again.

[Roger Mabry]

Mine has been on for a couple of years and works 100%. Rebuildable if you should have a problem down the road...not cheap but good quality.

[cocobolo95]

Another reason to consider msd is they will completely rebuild it for around $120 plus shipping. My msd is still working strong after 5 years.

[sweetbmxrider]

Never had an issue with my msd in the couple thousand miles its been on there. I hit 7k on my shifts too

[97z28convt]

And the debate continues... Seems like ya can go either way on this one .. I'm gonna stick with My plan and just grab cap n rotor... Time to place the order.. thx guys..

[USMC]

I have used MSD and was very very pleased after I installed it. Only problem with MSD is their quality assurance dept. It took three yep three MSD opti's to get a good one. However, I am super pleased. The thing that makes it interesting is they repair their opti's for less than a new one costs....if you manage to tear it up that is. East Coast performance can sell you one for $436 if you ask nicely. Inspect it before install and ensure its built the way it should be ( internally). It'll be worth it when you put it on. Oh and the reason I say check is that their internal timing adjuster is sometimes put together incorrectly. Best of luck

[usmc_0811]

I used one from summit racing for my build, around 200-250 i believe, been on there for 5000+ miles, no problems yet

[95 Firehawk]

Summit has the GM opti on clearance for $299 if that helps make up your mind.

Summit Racing - GM Performance Optispark Distributors

[DUDBIRD113]

My msd is till going strong been running it for almost 7 months. The few times i thought it shit out on me turned out to be something else. Its a nice part for the money