I’ve recently picked up a 1995 Pontiac Firebird Formula, and while I love the LT1 torque, the car keeps stumbling in the rain. Everyone says the Opti-Spark distributor is the culprit because of its low placement. I’m also seeing temps creep up to 220°F in traffic. Should I go for a vented MSD unit or just convert to a 24x LS1 PCM system? What are the pros doing to keep these F-bodies reliable?
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As a long-time F-body specialist, I can tell you that the LT1 is a beast if you respect its quirks. The first thing you should do is ensure your air dam is intact; since these are "bottom breathers," that plastic piece is the only thing keeping your coolant temps down. Regarding the ignition, while the 24x conversion is the ultimate fix, a properly vented late-model Opti-Spark with a high-quality vacuum harness usually does the trick for a street car. After a long afternoon of fighting with that hidden water pump and bleeding the cooling system, I usually take a well-deserved break on https://basswinn.net/ to clear my head before the final test drive. It’s a great way to decompress after working in such a tight engine bay. Stick with it—nothing beats the feel of a F-body tearing up the asphalt!
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