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[LC0112G]

Some of the ladder bolts are actually the main baring retainer cap bolts. So with the ladder off you can lift off the main baring caps. This means you can see the lower half of the barings.





There is signs of wear, but it doesn't look that bad to me - this is a 210K mile engine remember. I didn't take the rear baring off - can't actually - I can't get the flexi plate undone. But i see no reason to suspect it'll be any worse than the other three.

So what to the main baring crank journals look like?




 
Again, nothing too worrying. However, from here on it's not for the squemish. You have been warned

[LC0112G]

So lets take a look at the big ends. Rotate the crank (I've stilll got the timing belt on the front of the engine) so 5 and 6 are accessible. Undo the con rod bolts on #6 and remove the cap. F***. The bearing shell has spun. Prize it apart, and remove it. 



Continue down the engine removing all the big ends. Most of the big ends have play in them - you can waggle them back and forwards on the crank. Big end cap 3 comes out looking like this - chunks of swarf stuck to it.



Once all the big ends are out, line them up for a team photo.





Those of you with an O level in counting may notice a problem. How many pairs of shells are there in the photo. And how many should there be? The answer is that there was no sign of big end #2. This is what the crank journal looks like.





Big end #2 appears to have been completly destroyed - either melted or reduced to swarf. No wonder the engine was knocking. Most of the surviving bearings had started to spin. I think this crank is going to need a bit more than a good polish to save it.

[martin42]

Wow,thats some damage,looks like a complete crank regrind and new shells,must have been on its way out for a while then 

[Andy H]

Wow,thats some damage,looks like a complete crank regrind and new shells,must have been on its way out for a while then 

It doesn't take long to destroy the big end bearings if the oil stops while the engine is under load 

If you are on the motorway when the oil light comes on you probably won't look down until you either hear a change in engine note or feel the engine tighten up - by that time the shells are already scrap  if you coast to the hard shoulder you may get away with a polish and new big end shells. Drive to the next exit and you will suffer the same as LC0112G 

[2woody]

I'll have a spare crank and some, although not a full set of, con rods to replace your spun-bearing items.

This is usual fare for these - every engine I've stripped ( maybe twelve ) has been in some form of big-end failure,

[LC0112G]

I'll have a spare crank and some, although not a full set of, con rods to replace your spun-bearing items.

This is usual fare for these - every engine I've stripped ( maybe twelve ) has been in some form of big-end failure,

Stu,
Some of the guys on the ABS forum have said it's a common-ish problem with the engines in the Saab too. The plan at the moment is to go fetch a replacement engine from Guilford next Saturday. That should get me enough bits to get the car back on the road again, although it will take me till the Easter weekend to do the work.

I did consider just re-building the bottom end, but I can't see any way to do it properly without taking the heads off too, at which time you're into full rebuild territory. So I'll probably just strip this engine down, keep the re-usable parts for spares and scrap the rest. Whilst an engine is still running and in the car I'd subscribe to the "if it aint broke dont fix it" philosophy, but now it's out I'd end up replacing everything - oil-cooler, thermostat, oil pump, etc, etc. There is a 3.0 V6 in the Clay Pidgeon scrap yard. Trouble is, it's still in the car (engine under the bonned, heads in the boot), and there are 3 other cars piled on top of it, so getting the required parts out is, shall we say, a challenge.

If you're passing, or in the area drop me a PM and I'll arrange access to the bat-cave if you want to come and have a laugh I'm out this week on Tuesday and next week from Mon-Wed though.

Cheers
Malcolm

[LC0112G]

Ok,
Picked up the new engine last weekend, and ordered a few new bits which arrived on Thursday, so today started stripping down the new engine to replace a few bits and pieces. Never simple is it. 

Started to replace the thermostat, and couldn't get the pipe to separate. I  began to think i was going to have to take the cam sprockets off and remove the timing case. However, after much effing and blinding it finally let go and the cause became apparant. There is some orange sealant goo in there as well as the two O rings that are shown on EPC. So Question number 1 - is there supposed to be any sealant goo in there? If there is, what's the Vx P/n? Odds on I haven't ordered it, and the local Vx dealer won't have it.

Second problem - the plan was to do a timing belt swap whilst I'm in there. The rollers and tensioners on the old engine had only done 2-3K miles. So took it all off, and tried to fit it to the new engine. Trouble is, new engine has the 'other' sort of tensioner plate. So I swapped the rollers onto the existing backing plate (relaining the existing spacer and bolt- Question 2 - I assume this is Ok?
 
Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit more straightforward.

[Shackeng]

Just two seals IIRC, no sealant.

[The Red Baron]

Just two seals IIRC, no sealant.

correct. 

[Andy B]

...
 So I swapped the rollers onto the existing backing plate (relaining the existing spacer and bolt- Question 2 - I assume this is Ok?
 
.......

Yes! 

[LC0112G]

Ok, top end and timing stuff all back together. Then started on the bottom end. Stripped off both the lower and upper sumps, only to discover that this is the earlier upper sump which needs a gasket, and of course I hadn't ordered one. So down Vx again this lunchtime. I therefore spent the weekend cleaning the sump and other easily accessible bottom end parts.

I've just been looking at the HowTo's etc. Haynes seems to be saying the upper sump sealant should be P/n 15-03-298, and you spread it in two arcs inside and outside the rubber sump gasket, plus sploges on the oil pump and rear main bearing joins. That P/n doesn't come up in my copy of EPC, either as an Opel or Vx part number.

The reply here http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=67874.msg951922#msg951922 says to use the grey oil cooler sealant, which is P/n 93165267. EPC says to use 90543772, which my dealer says has been superceeded to 93165267. So some agreement there at least. Trouble is, 93165267 comes in an 80ml tube and I doubt 80 ml will be enough to follow the pattern shown in Haynes.

So has anyone done their bottom sump recently - and how many tubes of grey goo do I need?

[Andy B]

.....

So has anyone done their bottom sump recently - and how many tubes of grey goo do I need?

Just one ..... it's a mini version of a bathroom sealant type tube for use in a mastic gun 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Yes, one is more than enough.

As for bottom end failure, only ever seen it following oil starvation which only occurs due to 'other' issues.

The bottom end bearings I have seen all show some light dulling from running and the odd dragged spec which I suspect is from debris floowingmanufacture but, nothing else.
 
Hence I dont prescribe to the 'bottom end wear' statements above for all the power units as I have only ever observed exactly what I expect for a mass produced engine of this type.

[LC0112G]

Just one ..... it's a mini version of a bathroom sealant type tube for use in a mastic gun 

Yes, one is more than enough.

Ok - Dealer actually has some more in stock, so I bought another tube just in case. I'm expecting you two to contribute to the swear box fund though if one isnt enough though 

As for bottom end failure, only ever seen it following oil starvation which only occurs due to 'other' issues.

The bottom end bearings I have seen all show some light dulling from running and the odd dragged spec which I suspect is from debris floowingmanufacture but, nothing else.
 
Hence I dont prescribe to the 'bottom end wear' statements above for all the power units as I have only ever observed exactly what I expect for a mass produced engine of this type.

Not sure what bottom end wear statements you're refering to, but the only bearings I've got that made me think "Ar5e, thats FUBAR then" were the big end ones. I did eventually find #2 big end bearing - welded to the crank journal. I managed to chisel the two halves apart and extract it. It's a bit worse than light dulling and a few dragged spect though 

[omega3000]

I'll have a spare crank and some, although not a full set of, con rods to replace your spun-bearing items.

This is usual fare for these - every engine I've stripped ( maybe twelve ) has been in some form of big-end failure,