Coolformula

I change the T-stat twice a year. Between the 180 and 160. I did this yesterday, and always try to catch most of the fluid from the T-stat housing with a rag. Did that, reporgramed my fans as always. Crank the car right up and back up about 10 feet on the pavement. I was going to do some other stuff to it. (this is where I think i messed up I usually always go drive it for 10 min). So I turn the car off, now the car will turn over, but won't crank. I did this at 2:00 yesterday, so hopefully the opti will dry out, becuase it don't have that many miles on it and I don't have the money or going to change the piece out. I'm going to give it a 4 days. I always do this like twice a year I have done this like 8 times no issues. This time I guess it got some coolant where I didnt' like it at. But it looks like it wouldn't have fired off the first time that quick. So i'm going to let it sit for a couple of days and see what happens.

Thanks

Coolformula

Car still won't crank. I had to charge my battery becuase trying to crank it ran it down.

Saturday going to replace the opti. Getting a replacement from orealisy since I can get a good deal on one....

Do you guy remove the radiator or just the fans when doing this? I got a friend who is going to help who has done this several times. Think we can do this in less than 5 hours. And do it right.

GMRL

I always drive around with the 160 in, heater works fine an all. But the times that Ive had to remove it when doing other stuff, I just stuff some rags around it and squeeze one of the hoses to keep the water from gushing out.
Have you tried blowing hot air at it with a hair dryer? you never know.

Chris 96 WS6

I don't even remove the fans, but then again my AIR pump & bracketry on the driver's side head is removed, which makes it easier to get the water pump out.

Just pull the fans. Rad should not be necessary.

infinitebird

Why do you change the T-stat around, especially if it's causing you to wet the opti? Plenty of people leave the 160 in all year (even in cold climates) with no problems.

Coolformula

yea I always have rags there. Just more came out than normally it seemed.

I'm going to try the hair dyer idea.

I change it out becuase the car will get decently warm, but no where close to the 180 in the winter. And in the winter with the 160 its always below the first mark. I got a brand new heater core so I dont' think that is it.

I think after this since the bird is just my fun car, I'll leave teh 160 in year around since I drive my beater mostly.

Anybody go with an orealiy replacement my friend works there and can get me a cheaper opti and I have an extra core. I just dont' feel like paying 300 bucks for a new one like I did last time when this one is not that old at all.

Thanks

v8pwrdz28

i have the opti swap down to an hour.

Coolformula

How do you do it in an hour? Want to come and help lol....

Any speical tips?

FuryZ28

Delteq!!! Delteq!!!

baddboy1705

good lord.....!

FuryZ28

Thanks to having to replace my ring & pinion 5 times in 1.5 years (thanks to a bowed, out-of-balance driveshaft), I managed to improve my ring & pinion install time to ~3 hours...

romoranger

i can do an opti in between 50minutes to an hour and a half. depends how motivated i am. oh yeah, i took it on and off 5 times in one week once. that was an angry week

oh yeah, just buy a GM unit. if you buy a reman., you could have an angry week like i did at one point.

Coolformula

I looked at deltetq or whatever lol. I just don't drive my lt1 much anymore and just want the thing to run. And don't want to put another dime in the car. I love it, but of crap like this. I don't care how you do it changing a t-sta on any card shouldn't make the car not be able to crank. Thats so stuipd. I just going to get it back running, wash it, and tuck in the car cover for the winter.

Thanks guys i'll let u know how it goes

Buying a reman i'm not spending 300 on a new one. Got to buy everyhting and hopefully do this on saturday.

jsetzer

I don't even remove my fans to get the waterpump out.

It can be done fairly quickly, with experience.

I wouldn't chance a remanufactured one from O/Autozone. I have been through about a dozen of them. Yes they come with lifetime warantees, but they don't pay for your time/labor. Get a new one from Jason in Florida. It is cheaper than the budy price at the parts store. (Done that too)

Check all your little stuff. People jump too quickly to say the opti is bad, I have never had one that was so bad that the car would not start except for one where I bent the pins in that deep connector.

FatalZ28

When you take shortcuts **** happens.. And you get what you pay for.. I personally am going with the Delteq. Even if you don't drive it that much in the end it will be cheaper then replacing the opti everytime it goes out..