97 Camaro Z28, V8, Automatic

To start this out I know absolutely nothing about vehicles and what goes into fixing them. But I’m hit with a huge gut punch on this one. The check engine light was flashing and upon inspection it’s going to cost me 1500 … the distributor needs to be replaced.

the labor cost is a whats killing me because the front of the engine and accessories need to be removed to
do it.

Is this something I should shop around to other spots? Is this price going to be what I expect everywhere? This isn’t something I’m capable of pulling off on my own. I don’t have any of the tools or know-how to not screw stuff up any more.

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And I screwed up and put this in the wrong section. My fault.

 

Did you scan for codes? Flashing “SES” light indicates “misfire”…. can be caused by many different problems.

What led you to believe it is the Optispark distributor? What are the symptoms? Very common for people without the correct knowledge to tell you “it's the Opti”.

There is only one reliable Opti available. Everything else has a high failure rate:

https://petrisenterprises.com/collections/frontpage

You probably only need the Optispark (assuming the Opti is actually the problem), not a complete “kit”.

The replacement can be DIY for someone with basic mechanical skills and a few tools. All that needs to come off the front of the engine are the damper (simple 3 bolts), water pump, and AIR pump. You can gain some insight to the process by reviewing Shoebox's cam removal/install guide. Just focus on sections covering front of engine:

4th Gen LT1 F-body Cam Removal

4th Gen LT1 F-body Cam Install

I'll move to correct forum.

 

OP. Assuming it is an Opti failure, the ONLY replacement Opti to get is the Petris one. The various car store brands are all offshore junk. Whatever shop who quoted the repair needs to understand this. Yes the Petris Opti is a few hundred more than the crap ones.

Your Opti may just have some oil or coolant inside it which can be cleaned out. Any shop won't do that, they just bolt on new parts. If your current Opti is an original AC Delco (yellowish/orange cap), keep it.

As mentioned, your Opti may not be the problem. OBD2 scanners are not expensive, and you just plug them in to read codes which is the only way to see what codes are turning the engine light. You don't need to be a mechanic to use a scan tool.

Labor generally is around $600-750 to R&R an Opti.

No offense, but if you are going to own a 25+ year old car, you need to learn to work on or minimally diagnose issues or have a thick wallet. The links to shbox site walk you through the process for the swap. If you don't feel this is something you can do, get another quote. Unfortunately, not a lot of shops are familiar with the LT1/Optispark...even Dealerhips.

 

An additional resource if considering replacing it yourself (if actually needed) is the 1996 factory service manual. 96 an 97 are virtually identical. Free download, courtesy of GaryDoug:

https://www.mediafire.com/?40mfgeoe4ctti

 

Do you own a Camaro in INDIA, where you post your SPAM? Please post a photo. lol