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[amba]

My best advise would be to stop titting about with that old knackered part and just buy a new part .It will fit /stop the leak and you can then move on to the next problem

[terry paget]

the original  seal is STILL in the grove to the right of the extra seal you have now added on the pipe Terry
the black and rust section between 2 metal flares of the pipe 

I suspect you are right, Dave. It just looks so little alike the other seal. I shall consult my local Vx dealer, if he's open.

[dave the builder]

the original  seal is STILL in the grove to the right of the extra seal you have now added on the pipe Terry
the black and rust section between 2 metal flares of the pipe 

I suspect you are right, Dave. It just looks so little alike the other seal. I shall consult my local Vx dealer, if he's open.

But Terry .....
your grounded and not allowed out 
have you missed the news 
so no rush to fix the Vectra either
get a family member to see if the seal is available or order online 

[terry paget]

the original  seal is STILL in the grove to the right of the extra seal you have now added on the pipe Terry
the black and rust section between 2 metal flares of the pipe 

I suspect you are right, Dave. It just looks so little alike the other seal. I shall consult my local Vx dealer, if he's open.

But Terry .....
your grounded and not allowed out 
have you missed the news 
so no rush to fix the Vectra either
get a family member to see if the seal is available or order online 

My own children, even my dear wife, try to boss me around, and tell me I must not leave the house for 90 days. What a grim prospect! I might as well be on a cruise ship. Son Ben, who runs his business in my house so comes here every day, orders me not to go to Tesco's lest I catch coronavirus, infect him, thereby infecting his wife. Yet he goes to Tesco's every day.
Is there any way I can order parts like those seals online?

[Viral_Jim]

If you can get the part numbers, give autovaux a call. I've always had good service from them.

They supplied the crankshaft sensor for my Desmond that more or less everyone on here told me can only ever be bought from a VX dealer or it would be fake and the sky would fall. Mine came in a VX branded bag and has so far lasted about 4yrs and 45k. 

[terry paget]

If you can get the part numbers, give autovaux a call. I've always had good service from them.

They supplied the crankshaft sensor for my Desmond that more or less everyone on here told me can only ever be bought from a VX dealer or it would be fake and the sky would fall. Mine came in a VX branded bag and has so far lasted about 4yrs and 45k. 

Is there an online version of the Vectra parts list I can access? There must be one!

[terry paget]

No-one could tell me how to acess a Vx parts list, so I went my local dealer, ordered the sealing rings, and they arrived today, see above. I note the tunnel end ring has been replaced by an 'O' ring, while the thermostat end ring remains rectangular.
I should like to pressure test the system before I replace the exhaust manifold. How do I do this? I have a spare header tank cap.

[Doctor Gollum]

How many of each should you have? The O ring may well fit at the back of the water pump or gearbox end of the engine rather than in the centre fitting

[amba]

Great to hear you now have the correct parts to fix the leak,so best of luck getting it all back together.

You need to create a means to pump air into the coolant system to around 12/14 psi.Most tend to fit a tyre valve to a coolant cap and then use a pump to add air to the system to check for the leak.In the maintenance guide there is a" how to " but not being a computer savy I cant do a link ,sorry.

I have before just removed 1 of the coolant pipes to the throttle body and pushed in a valve secured with a jubilee clip to make airtight then applied pressure from a hand pump...really any way of getting air under pressure into the coolant space will work but dont exceed 12/14psi.   

[terry paget]

Great to hear you now have the correct parts to fix the leak,so best of luck getting it all back together.

You need to create a means to pump air into the coolant system to around 12/14 psi.Most tend to fit a tyre valve to a coolant cap and then use a pump to add air to the system to check for the leak.In the maintenance guide there is a" how to " but not being a computer savy I cant do a link ,sorry.

I have before just removed 1 of the coolant pipes to the throttle body and pushed in a valve secured with a jubilee clip to make airtight then applied pressure from a hand pump...really any way of getting air under pressure into the coolant space will work but dont exceed 12/14psi.

As high as that? I feared that might blow off or burst a hose. The old metal caps had a blow off pressure stamped upon them, but the yellow plastic caps on the Vectra and Astra are less helpful. The top is labelled
                                       ACHTUNG!
                               HEISS LNGSAM OFFNEN
                                     small blob
                       picture of radiator low of coolant   
                                    WARNING!                 
                               NEVER OPEN HOT
         and around the rubber seal on the bottom is written
87153850    PA66.0F  30<    GM    '9292 followed by oo with vv beneath'
                   all of which means nothing to me. 
The old metal caps were stamped around 5 PSI I recall, which I could arrange by hanging a funnel full of coolant high in the garage roof. 14 PSI is nearly atmospheric pressure of 15 PSI, a head of 32 feet of water or 30 inches of mercury.

[amba]

Read page 6 of our maintenance guide...line #7 tells you all you need to know.

[terry paget]

Read page 6 of our maintenance guide...line #7 tells you all you need to know.

Thanks. I did not expect to find a maintenance guide on pressure testing. In fact the earlier Razzle guide is more useful, as I am working on a Vectra, not a V6 Omega.

The manager at my local Vx dealer knows his stuff, and could tell me that the mysterious item behind the tunnel is the oil cooler.

[terry paget]

How many of each should you have? The O ring may well fit at the back of the water pump or gearbox end of the engine rather than in the centre fitting

Interesting thought, Doc. I did not stand close to the man or the screen on strict orders from SWMBO and son Ben, so cannot confirm that he ordered the right parts. I took in the pipe, so he was in no doubt what parts I wanted. As said above, he seemed to know his business, he is an older man (60s), said he knew the parts required, even thought he might have them in stock, but found he had not, so got then from a main dealer in Trowbridge. In the morning I will measure them up, and see if they can be expected to do the job.
Cost was £3.36.

[Nick W]

I have before just removed 1 of the coolant pipes to the throttle body and pushed in a valve secured with a jubilee clip to make airtight then applied pressure from a hand pump...really any way of getting air under pressure into the coolant space will work but dont exceed 12/14psi.

As high as that? I feared that might blow off or burst a hose. The old metal caps had a blow off pressure stamped upon them, but the yellow plastic caps on the Vectra and Astra are less helpful.
             
The old metal caps were stamped around 5 PSI I recall, which I could arrange by hanging a funnel full of coolant high in the garage roof. 14 PSI is nearly atmospheric pressure of 15 PSI, a head of 32 feet of water or 30 inches of mercury.

all the cooling systems I've worked on run at about 1bar - about 14psi for those stuck in the 19th century -, which includes several cars designed(and a couple built) in the fifties.


Drill a hole in your 'radiator' cap to fit an entire tyre valve, fit the valve into the hole in the same way it fits a wheel, and seal it with your favourite flexible gunge. Pressurise the system with a manual pump; a bike pump will work well. Check for leaks by listening, and spraying suspect areas with soapy water. When you've fixed all the leaks, fit a new radiator cap and store the Cooling System Pressure Test Adapter Thingy(CSPTAT ) with all your other car junk. A battered cardboard box kicked under the bench is the traditional way.


You can test radiators off the car by cutting a mountain bike inner tub cut opposite the valve, and clamping it to the radiator stubs with hose clamps

[terry paget]

I have before just removed 1 of the coolant pipes to the throttle body and pushed in a valve secured with a jubilee clip to make airtight then applied pressure from a hand pump...really any way of getting air under pressure into the coolant space will work but dont exceed 12/14psi.

As high as that? I feared that might blow off or burst a hose. The old metal caps had a blow off pressure stamped upon them, but the yellow plastic caps on the Vectra and Astra are less helpful.
             
The old metal caps were stamped around 5 PSI I recall, which I could arrange by hanging a funnel full of coolant high in the garage roof. 14 PSI is nearly atmospheric pressure of 15 PSI, a head of 32 feet of water or 30 inches of mercury.

all the cooling systems I've worked on run at about 1bar - about 14psi for those stuck in the 19th century -, which includes several cars designed(and a couple built) in the fifties.


Drill a hole in your 'radiator' cap to fit an entire tyre valve, fit the valve into the hole in the same way it fits a wheel, and seal it with your favourite flexible gunge. Pressurise the system with a manual pump; a bike pump will work well. Check for leaks by listening, and spraying suspect areas with soapy water. When you've fixed all the leaks, fit a new radiator cap and store the Cooling System Pressure Test Adapter Thingy(CSPTAT ) with all your other car junk. A battered cardboard box kicked under the bench is the traditional way.


You can test radiators off the car by cutting a mountain bike inner tub cut opposite the valve, and clamping it to the radiator stubs with hose clamps

Thank you. That's the way Razzle did it in his guide, but your post goes further.
You are right, after 20 years I have so much Senator and Omega junk lying around that it is hard to find anything.