LS1LT1 Forum banner

GMPARTSFIRST.COM blew me off optispark

4K views 15 replies 4 participants last post by  SoCalChlln 
#1 · (Edited)
GMPARTSFIRST.COM was a ripoff artist.
He sent me a broke OPTISPARK broke in assembly .
Then I got a hold of him on phone and first he asked me if it got broke in shipping .
I told him no.
It got broke in assembly and was packed super well.
And he said hed claim it anyway.
he said he would send me one on thursday three thursdays ago.
he ducks my phone calls emails etc.
Hit every delco parts dealer in town.
Basically you are all alone.
and pushing your car out of traffic and waiting 8 hours to go pick car up every time.
Thats how I get to work every day.
But I found out I can fifty state mechanic parts lean all his personal bank accounts business accounts where no money can come in or out till I sign off the lean.
But it cost 350.00 bucks But it will be worth it.
Ill take a few months at least before I cash the check LOL
Im left trying to seal the base cover with the right stuff gasket maker and installing it.
Ill have to pay the dealer to install a new one later with me supplying another optispark.
because they cannot order one they said.
What a pain in the butt.
But I am fantasizing pealing that guys skull shrinking it on hot rocks and hanging it from my rear view mirror.
Is this the norm of what you have to go through to get a optispark?:frown2:
I even missed out on a run what you brung grudge night at fernley speedway during Hot August nights on
August 12-13 that I ran in last year with my Z28 that payed 2000 dollars to the winner so Im beside myself.:frown2::frown2:
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Sorry with your trouble with that dealer.

You should be able to buy a GM, Delco, or Delphi optispark from most any GM parts dealer. I believe Jegs & Summit Racing has them also.

If your any kind of a diy mechanic, you should be able to change out the opti. Save a bunch of labor $$$. Do a google search for opti replacement instructions. Or download the correct year factory service manual from the following link. There's 93, 94, 95, & 96. If you have a 97, use the 96 manual. My Files
 
#3 ·
Its ok coco I actually am a pretty good mechanic and can install a opti easily.
And the opti I got was actually very good Just they reused the plastic base cap and the edge was cooked and brittle
from being on a LT1 for a hundred thousand miles but its just the edge of the cap .
Im going to use the right stuff gasket maker and put a layer all around side of cap to protect it.
Its a super stong rubber impervious to oil and heat Stonger than a paper gasket and does not have give like silicone.
And sticks better .
I called delco and their worse than the clown that sold it to me .
They tried to tell me it was fake .
LOL
Any thing to get out of it But it was a pro grade part ment to fall apart after one year and the mechanic would have installed it as is.

But I took it apart thank god and It is delco rebuild with mitsubishi eye .
Its actually a marvel of engineering but they built it to fail the screws on rotor were easily spun out with fingers LoL
And I may use the base plate out of original opti.
If youve never used the right stuff from permatex try it the stuffs amazing .
Itl be the best sealed up opti ever made.
so dont sweat it Ill have it in this weekend and Ill get a hundred thousand miles out of it after threadlocking screws and sealing it.
And Ill get the cash back for it and then sum. LOL

I hated cutting the shrink rap on the plug though .
But Ill figure it out.
Thanks Coco.
 
#4 ·
Glad to hear you have it under control.

While you have water pump off engine, try this mod to wp. Drive in a plastic vacuum fitting into weep hole. Seal around vacuum fitting. Attach a piece of tubing to vac fitting. Route it sonext time wp seal fails coolant won't give opti a bath.
 
#12 ·
I tapped in a brake bleeder of the closest size to the weep hole. Attached flexible vacuum hose and then tie wrapped the hose to the water pump heater hose output tube so if It drips it will miss the optispark completely.
I suppose the plastic fitting would be easier but not by much. Threading the brake bleeder in was very easy to do.
 

Attachments

#6 ·
GMpartsfirst.com Is crookeder Than I thought.
You guys arent going to believe this.
After I pulled my GM Optispark I started comparing. Looking up numbers.
That jerk took a 59 dollar specter Optispark that got returned cause it didnt work.
cooked cap and all and swapped it with the AC Delco rebuild
In the AC Delco box.
Im going to get this guy locked up,
My Opti was in pretty good shape nice and clean inside bearing was good
Just the cap and rotor was toast .
So I bought a Accel rotor and cap American made it looks and fits better than the AC Delco.
Its all i could afford at 80 bucks.
So Im giving it a shot tomorrow.
Im not real thrilled about the center eye it looks like the specter instead of gm carbon.
But Im going to ride it out.
Im thinking this guy made about a grand off it all together.
Ill deal with him A little later.
 
#7 ·
1 question; how much did you pay for the opti from GMpartsfirst?

Your experience brings us to the danger of dealing with companies on the internet. Every scam artist & other types of crooks get web sites and try to grab as much money as they can. When they are found out, they simply close the site and open a new one. Business as usual.

I urge everyone who buys on the net to research the seller of the products you are looking for. You'll be surprised at the number of negative reviews you will find. Keep in mind that business is ruled by the Latin phrase " CAVEAT EMPTOR" which translated means "let the buyer beware".
 
#10 ·
I payed 308.00 distributor 70.00 core fee 40.00 delivery tax 40.00
I talked to delco and they said the only licenced distributor on the web is amazon.
Its realy hokey all their distributors dont carry their parts .
They all carry Standard a chinese company and charge delco prices for more mark up.
Ive returned about 5 parts from them that had no function LOL.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Great idea, I never thought of using a brake bleeder. Since the bleeder screw would stay open all the time, did you use locktite to keep it locked in the open position?

Sorry, but there are no scanned copies of the of the factory B body service manual that I know of. You can get wiring diagrams @ www.bbbind.com

Did a quick Ebay search. 1 seller had 96 FSM on cd for $37. Only had 1 left in stock. So you might want to jump on this. Much better deal than price of paper FSM, which is $139
 
#14 ·
Thank you GMPF for the heads up on the CD version FSM.
I appreciate it very much, you’re right, it’s a lot better deal and probably has better search capabilities and pictures.

There’s no need to use Loctite to keep it in the open position, it’s always open without a sealing flange in the WP like a brake caliper has.
The way a bleeder works, the seal portion is the angled flange part that seats around the outer edges of bleeder to the caliper seat, that then allows fluid to exit the flanged seal, and exit out the center hole which goes all the way through.
So tap it (make sure you use the right tap, standard or metric for the bleeder you pick), screw the bleeder in using loctite just to keep it in there, attach a flexible vacuum or fuel line to the nub on the top of the bleeder (you can also use a small tie wrap or safety wire to secure it so it can’t come off) and route it with tie wraps so if/when it leaks, it directs the fluid away from the optispark...
Don’t worry about keeping the bleeder open at all. It is open and will stay that way.
Good luck with it, it’s a very simple process, especially since the bleeder doesn’t hold anything or affect anything having to do with the running of the engine.
Just keeps opti dry...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top