well i pulled the coil bracket and went to autozone and the icm passed each test 3 times. i ran it the other day also with the scan tool hooked up and the map, coolant, tps and o2's all looked fine. it was still doing the same shit. my only guess is the opti. there is a guy on ls1tech that is designing a crank trigger to work with the lt1 pcm to get rid of the optical sensor, but its not ready yet. so i don't know what i should do. i dont want to buy and install a opti that isn't going to last and i can't afford a new gm right now. but the only way i can move forward is by spending money.

I hate to hear that I know those opti's are anywhere from $250-up

i tried messing with it more today and it just wont stay running. it not throwing any codes and everything seems to be working correctly as far as i can see. i just need to see if i can find something in the meantime. i have been getting some money the past few days. i just need to get a few more jobs in the next week or so and i might be able to work something out. my stupid ex gf was on my cellphone plan and ran over our minutes so i gotta pay for that cause she is just about useless and lost both jobs she had so i am stuck with the bill and her phone is now no longer my responsibility. its warm enough out that i started riding my bike, running and going to the gym again so hopefully that will prevent me from pissing too much money away cause it will be taking up my time. crosses fingers. i really could just find a well paying part time job, but i just hate people.

How old or how many miles are on the opti? As many as I seen fail, that wouldn't surprise me. And they generally won't set off any codes when they go bad.

its 2 years old i think. i dont know mileage. not many

i have been on ls1tech a bit lately and was reading that people have had some luck with the opti from chandler motorsports. it was $140 shipped so i put one on my credit card because regardless it NEEDS to be able to be driven even if the tune is not completed. so it should be here by wednesday. i am going to start taking it apart tomorrow. and i dont drive it so as long as its able to be driven thats all that matters. i am going to get the crank trigger setup that a member on ls1tech is designing. either way if i had to have the car moved it would be $100 tow bill. so i am in a way saving myself a headache.

Wow, that seems like a great price on the Opti!

i dont expect it to last. its not a gm unit. but it should at least run. that is all i need. if it last more then 3 months then i don't care its got a warranty on it.

Hopefully it will get it up and running.

i talked to a local tuner today. turns out there is a guy less then a 1/4mile down the road from my house.. we had a chat.. he is going to look over some stuff on my tune tomorrow for free. i need to get blood work done first thing in the morning but hopefully i will be able to function before he closes. but he is willing to help. my opti should be rolling in soon so i might be able to get that done soon too. who the hell knows.

hm... 1996 eliminates, to a degree, my #1 concern, the ICM harness. They have a tendency to wear over time on the earlier LT1s.

The Opti should throw a code if it is failing, electronically. And if it was the cap, I would suspect that one or 2 cylinders would fail, not the entire motor... odd.

I have fallen behind on this thread, so I am not 100% versed in the current suggestions or solutions that haven't worked.

My hit list:

1. ICM
2. Coil
3. Coil Wire
4. Coil Wire Harness
5. PCM (potential heat soak problem)
6. Fuel filter/pump
7. God hates you

I really don't believe it is the opti. If the electronics fail to send a signal, they fail, and the codes start flying. Mine sure did when the opti died a couple months ago.

Have you had to hack/tap into any of the wires on the opti harness? If so, check the solder joints and any heatshrink spots for ground outs.

That's all I got for now...

the wires are fairly new high end napa wires. plugs are pretty new. icm tested good. all the connectors are in good shape.. haven't checked the opti plug though. its got a new wix fuel filter on it. it has rock solid fuel pressure even when it shuts off. and if there is a god he really does hate me. my wires are well out of the way. it ran ok once i put the new pcm in but it was only for a few minutes and its back to its old ways.