optispark components

[David Curtis]

David Cooley, you wrote:

>>The 94/early 95's were of one design and the late 95's and up went to
another design... GM no longer sells parts or complete units for the
"older" ones, as it has superseded them with the new design. (Things are
slightly different in the new design other than just the vent tubes).
GM doesn't sell components for the new design, and the aftermarket
doesn't either.
My Father owns a garage and has tried for 3 different vehicles with bad
optispark units to get pieces from NAPA and other parts houses, but no
one is making them.  My dad's cost on the thing is about $340.00...
retail is $450+ from the dealer. Cleaning would be the only option, but
if the sensor is bad, or the "cap" and/or rotor is carbon tracked,
you're in for a replacement unit.

Later,
Dave<<


  Dave,

   I just replaced the cap and rotor on my '96 Impala SS, as it was
carbon tracked, as well as wet from a water pump melt down.
  I walked into my local Chevy parts counter, and after much searching
throuhg obscure computer pages as well as hard copies of parts books, we
found the thing.   I paid $128 for a '96 cap and rotor for my '96
optispark.
  I will admit that when i first started calling around for the parts, 3
Chevy dealers said "no way..have to replace the whole thing."

  I'm not sure why there is so much confusion...even among GM people
about this.  This also is not meant to question your father, as my local
shop ran into the brick wall as well when searching for the part.
In fact, the first Chevy shop I contacted, called their regional rep,
who also said no parts.
  The story i got is that GM just prefers to replace the entire unit, no
matter what the problem, under warranty, so that's what comes up in the
computer/parts books.  
   If you give me a few days, I can dig out the paper work and pass
along a part number for the cap and rotor kit from GM. 


  cheers,
 David Curtis
mailto:spdrcr at flash.net