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[Diamond Black Geezer]

Well... no steps forward, one step back. 


Ok, so quickly, last thing I had her idling at approx 800rpm, with the man vac hose disconnected and blanked off. Thus proving that the leak is in one of the thin vac hoses.

Tonight, start to narrow down which vac hose it can be. I pulled the hose with the T-piece, blanked it off. Still hunted by about 500rpm. OK, so it's not any of them fed by that pipe. So disconnect the single one after that. Still hunting revs. OK so its neither 

So after proving it definitely is one of them pipes the other night. I've now proven it's not!

So I thought, ok, lets just go through each of the 'bagpipes' and pull both hoses off, blank them off, and turn the engine over. Each time, still a hunting action.

OK, so I thought, let's just put things back to how they were the other night, back to a steadily idling car, and start again. Unplug the main vac hose from the plenum, blank off the plenum.... STILL hunting idle. AGGGH!!

I finally tried a little experiment, I unplugged and removed the ICV from its rubber mount, then used a spare ICV as a 'plug' for the hole. I then plugged the car's ICV back in, ran the engine, and spied down the hole. I was able to see a small amount of movement (only a few mm though) as I altered the revs and the car hunted. The car hunted in exactly the same way, which I imagine shows the ICV isn't at fault (as it wasn't actually helping the car control its idle)

Tonight's discovery are:
What I thought was wrong, isn't
The car starts to hunt at approx 95oC about the time the fans kick in.
The ICV doesn't appear to be at fault.
I have less hair on my head than I did at the start of the evening. 

So where now, what other pipes are there to check?

[omegod]

I assume a liberal spray of carb cleaner on all the vac pipes has occured here, revs rise=leak found as I was told on here many years ago ?

[SIR Philbutt]

I assume a liberal spray of carb cleaner on all the vac pipes has occured here, revs rise=leak found as I was told on here many years ago ?

Right idea but I have been advised to use brake cleaner as carb cleaner can be corrosive to some parts

This method helped me find a failed gasket (egr manifold) instead of a pipe on a bad tickover 4 pot

 

[Webby the Bear]

I think you should s imply replace them all mate. That is the thin vac pipes and the brake servo pipe. That is cheap and will do your elimination for you cos you could be searching for a hole that's invisible but most deffo there!!!!!

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Cheers boys. Well the carb cleaner method worked the other night to find the gap at the EGR. But all other areas got sprayed pretty well, too, to check for other leaks, and for no alteration of revs, sadly. The pipes want doing, definitely.

Really was hoping one of the 'bagppes' was at fault. Let's assume it's not one of these thin vac pipes - what else could it be - what other vac pipes are there to check? I'm thinking it's something at the back of the plenum, maybe. There's still that 'whistle'

Thanks again, all.

[Webby the Bear]

Cheers boys. Well the carb cleaner method worked the other night to find the gap at the EGR. But all other areas got sprayed pretty well, too, to check for other leaks, and for no alteration of revs, sadly. The pipes want doing, definitely.

Really was hoping one of the 'bagppes' was at fault. Let's assume it's not one of these thin vac pipes - what else could it be - what other vac pipes are there to check? I'm thinking it's something at the back of the plenum, maybe. There's still that 'whistle'

Thanks again, all.

The brake servo pipe runs back and around back of the plenum to make its way to brake servo 

Get it out of the engine bay and inspect it up close and personal 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Oh I know that  Yeah the pipe is a replacement, as the original (well, looks like a replacement cobbled out of several sections of other air hose) we swapped as a matter of course.

I've just replied to Mark DTM on my Progress Diary thread, who also suggested the same. I'll try and have a look tonight. I was thinking of the 'stuff' behind the plenum that doesn't look easy to check I think it's the 'rear multiram actuator'.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Right, logically that's suspect. Because after proving (I thought) that it is one of the thin vac pipes, then last night I blank off the main servo hose again, and the prob still persists, that does point to a dickey main servo hose.

I've got offer of a long plenum and some good vac pipework, just waiting on a price for that. Might re-investigate that join between EGR and the plenum, too. Just in case that's started to weep.

[Webby the Bear]

don't forget you may not have sealed it up well enough this time. could just be dodgy gaffa taping skills 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Yeah, That did cross my mind, actually. I was rushing that time. I'm assuming that even the tiniest leak will cause these issues. A bit like if you stopped the engine, pull a vac pipe off, and it hisses, so logically "Oh, that pipe's fine, then, no leak." well, actually, it could take minutes for the pressure to leak out of the system. I guess, anyway.

So I'm heading to the scrappy Sat if I can. I'm away next week on a dirty holiday with the new girlfriend. Sadly the plan was to cruise up to a swanky Country House-turned Hotel in a shiny Diamond Black CDX, purring like a kitten. Instead we're slumming it in the 'stop gap' Turbo Weasel, that grumbles like a flatulent old man that's lost his best shaking stick. Also got three styles of alloy wheel on it, and a red back bumper on a Nocturno Blue car! Looks swish, it does!

Oh, and the wishbone bush has gone again. The cheapy ebay special wasn't going to last years and years, I knew; but a single month is pushing it!!! 

[Webby the Bear]

Yeah, That did cross my mind, actually. I was rushing that time. I'm assuming that even the tiniest leak will cause these issues. A bit like if you stopped the engine, pull a vac pipe off, and it hisses, so logically "Oh, that pipe's fine, then, no leak." well, actually, it could take minutes for the pressure to leak out of the system. I guess, anyway.

So I'm heading to the scrappy Sat if I can. I'm away next week on a dirty holiday with the new girlfriend. Sadly the plan was to cruise up to a swanky Country House-turned Hotel in a shiny Diamond Black CDX, purring like a kitten. Instead we're slumming it in the 'stop gap' Turbo Weasel, that grumbles like a flatulent old man that's lost his best shaking stick. Also got three styles of alloy wheel on it, and a red back bumper on a Nocturno Blue car! Looks swish, it does!

Oh, and the wishbone bush has gone again. The cheapy ebay special wasn't going to last years and years, I knew; but a single month is pushing it!!! 

 

Taxi Al has a link to a good aftermarket set that includes drop links and rod ends. that's what I got and 6 months later still going well touch wood 

[Broomies Mate]

I feel your pain - My Steering Idler has managed all of 2,400 miles.

What's the craic with these now?  Lemforder still the preferred route?

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Last I heard was buy a genuine Vx and it'll go for about 70-90k / 10 years, whatever, almost fit and forget. Apparently the pattern ones often have play in them right from being fitted. There's a fair amount of force that goes through them, and hence their failure early. Lots of people now saying Lemforder aren't as good as they used to be.

So... Safe to say don't buy one from your last source, personally I would have thought Lemforder be fine - so long as there's a decent difference in price between it and a genuine Vx one, otherwise get genuine GM. Alternatively, given that genuine Vx ones do last a good many years, get down to a scrappy and get one for near-pennies. So long as the Omega you're getting it off is either low mileage or at least it 'feels tight' it's still going to be cost effective compared with the one you got that only lasted less than 3k.

It's cost vs longevity I suppose. I'm having this debate elsewhere on the forum for batteries. I reckon the 'brilliant Genuine GM' Go battery that cost about £70 lasted 6 - 7 years. So a tenner a year. Well there are people claiming 6 years and longer for Exide / Varta etc.. which are in the £50 region. On the other hand they're only guaranteed for 3 years, lots of them... so if it does go pop after 4 years, you were better getting genuine Vx... ARRRGH!!!


Just don't buy £4.99 vertical bushes   

[Broomies Mate]

Last I heard was buy a genuine Vx and it'll go for about 70-90k / 10 years, whatever, almost fit and forget. Apparently the pattern ones often have play in them right from being fitted. There's a fair amount of force that goes through them, and hence their failure early. Lots of people now saying Lemforder aren't as good as they used to be.

So... Safe to say don't buy one from your last source, personally I would have thought Lemforder be fine - so long as there's a decent difference in price between it and a genuine Vx one, otherwise get genuine GM. Alternatively, given that genuine Vx ones do last a good many years, get down to a scrappy and get one for near-pennies. So long as the Omega you're getting it off is either low mileage or at least it 'feels tight' it's still going to be cost effective compared with the one you got that only lasted less than 3k.

It's cost vs longevity I suppose. I'm having this debate elsewhere on the forum for batteries. I reckon the 'brilliant Genuine GM' Go battery that cost about £70 lasted 6 - 7 years. So a tenner a year. Well there are people claiming 6 years and longer for Exide / Varta etc.. which are in the £50 region. On the other hand they're only guaranteed for 3 years, lots of them... so if it does go pop after 4 years, you were better getting genuine Vx... ARRRGH!!!


Just don't buy £4.99 vertical bushes   

I doff my cap, good Sir. 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

No worries, you're welcome.


Now can you make my Omega work, pleease???