Battery warning and my turn for plug wire questions. (long)

[Sean 94z28]

Warning: Do not buy the chain store batteries (forgot exact brand) that are called "Nascar". Mine was from Kragen. They are vented in a location right next to your radiator and mine ate a hole in my 18 mo old radiator from battery venting fumes and acid.

Next:
My car is in a shambles and it is smog /registration time. Besides the radiator and coolant res, I need to change the opti (this will be my 3rd in 156,000 miles). I will also do plugs and replace the original wires.

Do all plugs get gapped at .050 even if the plug manufacturer recommends .060 for our application?

Do MSD8.5 fit the stock looms and routing without much trouble? (Although I am leaning towards stock since they held up so well for many miles)

Is it worth $40-50 to replace the original coil preventively? I have no reason to believe it is bad, but am replacing the rest of the ignition system. Does their performance degrade significantly over time, or do they typically work well up to failure? Same Q for original (150,000+ mile) EGR?

How should I go about fixing my torn drivers seat bottom (left hand side)? You guys know what I mean, every 4th gen in the salvage yard is ripped the same way.

If I were to get the LT1 to LT4 conversion package, I will need to upgrade to vented opti, correct? Just building ammo for the wife to spend 2Gs now and save the price of the opti down the road

Are any headers legal in CA?

Thanks for the help!

Sean
1994 Z28 - pretty much stock

[Joe 1320]

First, the recommended plug gap is .050 not .060..... there have been a few parts stores with the errant info. They start to misfire once the gap approaches .070, so you'll get twice the life by following the recommended gap.

Second, 8.5 wires won't fit but 8s will. Darned if a few said their 8.5s fit, but they wouldn't on a few that I've seen, including mine.

Third, if the coil is working fine don't change it. If the resistance checks fine and it is working, why change it?

Fourth, As far as the EGR, some fail early, other keep going. I have 126K miles on mine and it works perfectly. Again, if it's not broke, don't fix it.

Fifth, in my opinion, the stock leather bites. Most every one wears in the same place. A competant intoerior shop that does seats can stitch in a new panel fair cheap.

Lastly, the purpose of the vented optispark is to eliminate the buildup of ionized gas (ozone) with the distributer. It will reduce corrosion and offer a longer service life. It's the way to go, besides it's cheaper too.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Exide is who makes the NASCAR select battery. I have had similar problems with Exide batteries. I will never buy one again. BTW Exide is who makes Diehards too. I think there are 3 battery MFG around that make all of the batteries with other companies names on them. I can't think of who they are.