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[R-vin]

i am asking for some assistance concerning my Omega B  GL, a 2.0L 16V X20XEV engine with auto tranny,

i currently frequent brasil and they have the Omega A models there, a SOHC 2.0 / 2.2, SOHC I6 3.0L and a chevrolet I6 4.1L engines, 
from my research, it appears that when GM revised the Omega A to the Omega B model in Europe around 1994, they sent all the Omega A manufacturing equipment to Brasil to manufacture the Omega A as a brand new model for the 1993 model year to 1998, after which the omega model car was imported directly from Australia... i think it was the current model commodore from Australia at that time (all came with the V6 engine)..

can any one tell me if the components from the Omega A and Omega B are similar / same, in refference to front shock absorbers and associated parts (shock heads and dust boots etc), front lower control arm and ball joint, steering components /  linkages ( note brasil is LHD and my omega is RHD), propeller shaft Cardan Rubber (the rubber substitute to the conventional universal joints), rear shock absorbers, rear control arms (mine has adjustment for rear toe)

also i recently started using Valvoline High mileage oil in my engine and there started some oil leaks from the engine, most annoying is oil dripping onto the hot exhaust next to the rear of the engine and burning...

my A/C compressor has a leak, a red Dye was put into the system and i can see drops of oil accumulating on the body of the compressor, and with time the oil disappears (as if it evaporated, confirming that it is refrigerant lubricant and not the powersteering fluid).. occasionally a knocking sound was heard from the compressor and this stopped immediately as A/C lubricant was injected into the A/C system>>>> i`d like to know what model Compressor can work on my engine (considering i may not be able to source a genunine part).. the Sanden 508 is a easy obtainable compressor...
can you give me some advice or direct me to someone that has the info i seek...
much regards
R-vin

[05omegav6]

I believe the suspension has a fair bit in common with the Omega A, but given your location, have you looked on www.ebay.com 

The Cadillac Catera is a rebadged Omega B, albeit it 3.0 V6 only, but the suspension is all the same

Some reasonable prices on alot of parts...

When you say 'higher mileage' oil do you mean longer service intervals or older engines? Whgat grade is the oil you have used? 5W30 can weep where 10W40 didn't previously due to having a lower viscosity 

Think the X20XE engine is used in some Saturn models, and also Opel Astras and Vectras if they're widely used in the Caribbean 

The 2.0/2.2 8v used in Brazil is a different engine.

HTH

[05omegav6]

Just to add, have you seen this site...

http://www.trinituner.com/v3/

Might be some local who can point you in the right direction for parts supply

Of course most bits are readily available here if you get stuck, but not sure on shipping costs/exchange rates etc...

[Mr Gav]

The front hubs are the same as are brakes and discs, the shock absorbers are similar, they will fit but the damping and spring rates may be different.
The track control arms are different but again will fit, I think it`s just the offset of the ball joint that differs, I`ve used Omega A arms on my Omega B.

The rear wishbones are the same as are hubs and brakes (non vented). Springs and dampers will fit but again not sure on the spring and damper rates.
In the UK the Senators and Carlton GSi`s (Omega A) had ACT suspension which was carried over to the Omega B whereas the lower spec models didn`t have it.
The wishbone bushes will be the same as long as they both have the rear control arms (part of the ACT suspension) or both don`t. The outer bush is the same but the inner bush is a void bush and must be replaced with like for like.

Hope this helps 

[2woody]

not quite......

front dampers fit the same holes, but are different rates.
front hub carriers are the same up to Omega B Lowered Sports Chassis
front steering arms are different
front wishbones are different
front brake calipers are the same
front brake caliper brackets are different - Omega B being thicker
steering box is different
front anti-roll bar is different
front subframe different and won't fit without work

rear semi-trailing arms are mostly the same :-
       Omega B saloon same as Omega A six-cylinder
       Omega B estate same as Omega A estate
rear donut not the same
rear anti-roll bar is the same
rear dampers fit the same holes, but rates differ
rear springs fit the same holes but the rates differ

[R-vin]

I believe the suspension has a fair bit in common with the Omega A, but given your location, have you looked on www.ebay.com 

The Cadillac Catera is a rebadged Omega B, albeit it 3.0 V6 only, but the suspension is all the same

Some reasonable prices on alot of parts...

When you say 'higher mileage' oil do you mean longer service intervals or older engines? Whgat grade is the oil you have used? 5W30 can weep where 10W40 didn't previously due to having a lower viscosity 

Think the X20XE engine is used in some Saturn models, and also Opel Astras and Vectras if they're widely used in the Caribbean 

The 2.0/2.2 8v used in Brazil is a different engine.

HTH

I`ve used various oils, all 20W50 in my X20XEV engine, with the Valvoline High Mileage being the only oil that stopped the tapping sound from one of the hydraulic valve lifters... the car is a 96` with 38K Km`s when i got it in 2008, since then i`ve done about 10K Km`s with various problems.... i was reluctant to go inside the engine and since the Valvoline oil stopped the tapping noise, i continued using it till it started seeping down the side of the engine onto the exhaust....

In my country few opel`s were imported and the dealership has long since went under.... as for parts...good luck.... hence me seeking else where.... as i have frequented Brasil on a 28 -28 rotation and now due to work restrictions, i now reside here....and facing the language barrier.... i`m slowly getting to know the various part names in portugese 
as for my omega B, its in Trinidad gathering dust.....  till i return.....

[R-vin]

Just to add, have you seen this site...

http://www.trinituner.com/v3/

Might be some local who can point you in the right direction for parts supply

Of course most bits are readily available here if you get stuck, but not sure on shipping costs/exchange rates etc...

i am very familiar with that site, but from experience no one really offers genuine assistance,  once i had a trouble code for a cam sensor, i was recommended to someone that does scanning on European cars to discover this trouble code, then i decided to just buy a new sensor, turns out someone had in stock and sold at a ridiculous price, turns out the sensor on the car just needed a little cleaning (some metal filings accumulated on it) and the new sensor had the GM part number removed as well as the serial number, Try returning something like this....   since then i started looking online for assistance and this site has been very helpful... even the pedal trick to retrieve the trouble codes could have save me that ridiculous cost of the scan.

As i`m now based in Brasil, i realise its just as difficult to get parts here, most have to be ordered at a parts retail outlet, and to my surprise, these parts places buy online... so thats what i`m looking into... eliminate the middle man and his price mark up...

as for suspension components.... all the original equipment get destroyed quickly on the brasilian roads, i can only find remanufactured suspension components which come with a 2 year warranty...... may be if Chevrolet had done their research, more people would have bought these cars..... they got a bad reputation here, and for many simple problems...

[R-vin]

The front hubs are the same as are brakes and discs, the shock absorbers are similar, they will fit but the damping and spring rates may be different.
The track control arms are different but again will fit, I think it`s just the offset of the ball joint that differs, I`ve used Omega A arms on my Omega B.

The rear wishbones are the same as are hubs and brakes (non vented). Springs and dampers will fit but again not sure on the spring and damper rates.
In the UK the Senators and Carlton GSi`s (Omega A) had ACT suspension which was carried over to the Omega B whereas the lower spec models didn`t have it.
The wishbone bushes will be the same as long as they both have the rear control arms (part of the ACT suspension) or both don`t. The outer bush is the same but the inner bush is a void bush and must be replaced with like for like.

Hope this helps 

hi,
if the Track control arms (front) are different from the Omega A to B,  are the Bushings and Ball Joints the same?  here in brasil i can only get remanufactured arms or remanufactured bushings and ball joints.... not much price difference between these....and they come with a 2 year warranty.... the original GM parts did not stand up to brasil`s roads...  the same goes for the shock absorbers.... only available remanufactured....

do you have any idea for the rubber couplings on the propeller (drive ) shaft?  here in brasil there are two types, that available on the 4 cylinder and that for the 6 cylinder, my problem is that my omega B is a X20XEV with a 4 speed auto, brasil only had the auto on the 6 cyl....

[R-vin]

not quite......

front dampers fit the same holes, but are different rates.
front hub carriers are the same up to Omega B Lowered Sports Chassis
front steering arms are different
front wishbones are different
front brake calipers are the same
front brake caliper brackets are different - Omega B being thicker
steering box is different
front anti-roll bar is different
front subframe different and won't fit without work

rear semi-trailing arms are mostly the same :-
       Omega B saloon same as Omega A six-cylinder
       Omega B estate same as Omega A estate
rear donut not the same
rear anti-roll bar is the same
rear dampers fit the same holes, but rates differ
rear springs fit the same holes but the rates differ

do you know if the bushings and ball joint installed on the front wishbones are the same from the Omega A to B??? if so i can locate remanufactured components here,
what about the Cardan Joint rubber on the Propeller Shaft?  brasil has the 4 cyl rubber and a 6 cyl rubber,  my omega is a X20XEV with a 4 spd auto, brasil only had the auto on the 6cyl Omega A....

[Mr Gav]

The bushings for the front wishbone on the omega a are totally different to the omega b. The omega a has a vertical front bush and a horizontal rear bush, whereas the omega b has a horizontal front bush and a vertical rear. It's possible the ball joint is the same but I'm not sure and I don't know out the prop shaft damper rubbers are the same either. 2woody would know.

[Keith ABS]

I am fairly cettain the ball joints are diferant omega a to omega b going by the ones I have in the abs club shop for both car types
Keith B

[R-vin]

The bushings for the front wishbone on the omega a are totally different to the omega b. The omega a has a vertical front bush and a horizontal rear bush, whereas the omega b has a horizontal front bush and a vertical rear. It's possible the ball joint is the same but I'm not sure and I don't know out the prop shaft damper rubbers are the same either. 2woody would know.

if these horizontal and vertical bush are in different positions on the A to B models, are the bushes the same, i can have them pressed into my control arms easily....?

[Mr Gav]

I`m not sure about that, maybe a check on EPC might say that they are but without having them side by side to measure them I really can`t say.

[R-vin]

not quite......

front dampers fit the same holes, but are different rates.
front hub carriers are the same up to Omega B Lowered Sports Chassis
front steering arms are different
front wishbones are different
front brake calipers are the same
front brake caliper brackets are different - Omega B being thicker
steering box is different
front anti-roll bar is different
front subframe different and won't fit without work

rear semi-trailing arms are mostly the same :-
       Omega B saloon same as Omega A six-cylinder
       Omega B estate same as Omega A estate
rear donut not the same
rear anti-roll bar is the same
rear dampers fit the same holes, but rates differ
rear springs fit the same holes but the rates differ

do you know if the bushings and ball joint installed on the front wishbones are the same from the Omega A to B??? if so i can locate remanufactured components here,
what about the Cardan Joint rubber on the Propeller Shaft?  brasil has the 4 cyl rubber and a 6 cyl rubber,  my omega is a X20XEV with a 4 spd auto, brasil only had the auto on the 6cyl Omega A....

hey, what is your opinion on remanufactured shock absorbers.... here in brasil the original GM shocks / dampers didn`t hold up to the brasilian roads or what can be considered a pathway from one place to the next.., in a short time they would burst (leak oil) , industries began remanufacturing these shocks together with the suspension bushings, which all come with a warranty... 3 - 6 months on the shocks /dampers... an original GM shock sells for R$300 (one unit) or so on the Mercadolivre (internet version of ebay in brasil), where as the remanufactured shock can be found for R$75 each with R$42 (per pair) shipping to my residence in brasil...
to note the Original GM shocks usually dont last more than 3 months here....
Is there any safety concerns / things to be aware of when installing / using remanufactured shocks?  for the price i`m willing to go this way.... 
also as some one has mentioned, >>> do you know if the front suspension bushings (both horizontal and vertical) are the same from the Omega A to Omega B models... i understand the control arms had the two bushings in opposite positions from the A to B models..