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76

General Car Chat / Engine musings

« on: 06 September 2016, 16:25:23 »

Lots has been spoken about taking various versions of the V6 but I've been looking at the internal dimensions and got wondering if it would be possible, by using the crankshaft and/or conrods from a 3-litre in a 2.5 (whichever alters the stroke) and making another 'Dr Frankenstein's Monster' of the 2.5 

Because...
X25XE = 81.6 mm bore  79.6 mm stroke
X30XE = 86 mm bore 85mm stroke
Y32SE = 87.5 mm bore 88mm stroke

The displacement would be increased from 2498cc to ...
3.0 crank/conrods = 2668cc
3.2 crank/conrods = 2762cc

for the purposes of this I'm asking no-one chip in with 'it's not worth it, just buy a 3-litre' etc, because I'm theorising, only. Certainly not the time or resources to do it!  Just a bit of engineering fun. The road of 'what can you swap between the V6s?' is a well-trodden one, It just occurred to me that I don't recall anyone mentioning this particular change. 

77

Omega General Help / Lovely service- now I've got a whine/whistle

« on: 06 September 2016, 08:59:42 »

So after lavishing attention on the old girl, there's two odd little whines/whistles appeared since the service...

Whistle - Hear it in the cabin - more so on pass side? Sounds like a Clanger in a box. Yes, a whistle, high-pitched but quiet, which rises in pitch depending on revs. My theory is it's vac related. I have changed the purge valve, and no more petrol smell on startup. Fuse pulled for SAI. The front multiram has been changed too. Nothing else vac related (that I can think of) has been changed.

Whine - Fractionally audible from interior, obvious when stood next to car. Coming from the front end. Disappears under any revs, so only occurs at idle. Pulley/ belt related? Will check for anything rubbing against the aux belt, but nothing apparent with a visual inspection last night.

Well, I'm confused! 

78

General Car Chat / Pretty cheap Powerflex Bushes...

« on: 05 September 2016, 09:41:05 »

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vauxhall-omega-wishbone-front-suspension-bushes-/191961465723?hash=item2cb1cb837b:g:3zIAAOSwi0RXyvIu

no connection with the above, I've got a set already fitted, thanks! 

79

Omega General Help / Exterior B-Pillar Trim removal - how?

« on: 05 September 2016, 08:47:55 »

Need to swap my B-pillar trim. Anyone done it?


Being a bit swift jumping out yesterday, I think my belt loop must've caught the corner and snapped a chunk off!    Ah well, everything else on the car has been replaced, so might as well change this too! 

I've had a play and although it slides downward to remove, there's a clip at the top which I snapped off in doing so. It looks as it you either remove the gutter rail trim, then lever it up or out somehow to release this before sliding down, maybe. Can't find it anywhere on the web. I've got a spare awaiting on the spare Omega, but I don't want to snap this small internal clip off this one, too, in removing it.  Anyone any clue?

80

Omega General Help / SAI Disconnect question...

« on: 01 September 2016, 16:42:34 »

Got the bits, 15mm end stops, jubbly clips, etc... I've already pulled the fuse, as the noise was making people thing she was a diesel. 

My question is - if you've already pulled the fuse do you still need to leave the solenoid plugged in to keep the ECU happy?

Surely as the thing's unplugged can't it be totally removed? Or perhaps a little 'SAI cheater' could be made up, like something that bridges two terminals on the plug, maybe, or something to similar effect? Or what if I do just leave it unplugged - aside from a fault code being kicked up (which I don't massively care about, I don't exactly go reading my fault codes of an evening over a sherry) what else is the issue/bother?

Ta

81

General Car Chat / Twin electrode Spark plugs - why?

« on: 01 September 2016, 15:38:46 »

First thing anyone will notice when they do a service on an Omega is that the spark plugs have two electrodes. Perhaps not that unusual now, I don't know, but relatively odd for the time, I'd say. As I understand it, they're for a cleaner / better / stronger spark.

This being the case, what could be gained by fitting them to, for instance a Carlton/Senator/Monza etc? Nothing, or actually a potentially nice upgrade, given the minimal cost?

Answers on a postcard 

82

General Car Chat / Drive an Insignificant SRi - ARGH!!!

« on: 30 August 2016, 13:05:30 »

Had to move my old man's Insignificant out the drive so I could get Pissy out, he was away, so left the keys for me. Now, aside from the fact I haven't driven a manual since my driving test, save for a 30-second drive moving a mate's car last year.... may I say OHH YUK!!

Beeps when you put the keys in, really high-pitched horrid noise
you take the key out the get rid of the beep, and you can't use the electric windows, so have to listen to this awful beep until the window is back up.
There's parking sensors sqeualing at you.
Pretty sure you can't start the car unless your foot is on the clutch, even if you know it's in neutral.
Then all the interior hard plasticness
nearly threw it into the kerb as the steering is bafflingly light
Feels like your riding in an airship, floating slightly above the car, or your dreaming. You don't feel like you're 'in the car at all' Odd, given how high the sides are and you should feel 'cocooned'
I just think it's the style of modern cars, very remote and 'plastic'. And I freely admit that a Rover P5 driver would probably well lay the same gripes of 'modernity' against the Omega's door.

Oh, and apparently autolocks after a while....even if you've left the keys inside!!


Needless to say even though she wasn't running 100% after some twit named DBG left a vac line unplugged, it was a chuffing delight for me and my lovely PA to climb back into the cockpit of the Omega and Pilot it home. 

83

Omega General Help / Heater matrix flush - alternative?

« on: 30 August 2016, 11:43:18 »

Massive service (details here: http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=137070.0  ) and I've got an experimental cleaning agent in the coolant, but here's my question -  if I run with the blowers oh 'HI' that will cycle coolant round the heater matrix and clean out gunk from it, won't it? Moving fluid from the matrix into the rest of the coolant system and to the header tank, yes? Or is the flow basically non-existent, even with the water pump whizzing round?

I have no heater issues, the heater matrix is 'fine' however I did notice sludge when changing the HBV in one of the pipes, so thought prudent to try some preventative maintenance. 

84

General Car Chat / Grommet for throttle cable - doesn't exist!

« on: 30 August 2016, 11:39:09 »

Yep, that's right, mine broke into three when I did the service at the weekend, but handily there is a nice Vx part number. I rang the Stealers there and then - the number wasnt recognised! If anyone's got a APC to hand and is able to confirm this. The reason I mention it is that for all us with - ahem - 'proper' throttles, not dbw type, this could prove a fair old issue, as it's a bit specialist, really. And if yours crumbles then you're a bit stuck unless you have a suitable replacement.

I've contacted a UK company that manufactures every size of grommet, and they have one similar, but not an exact match. (hoping being rubber that a difference of half a mm isn't going to be an issue) but just for future reference, maybe worth all you on here that regularly break Omegas, to nab the grommet off the throttle cable. It's certainly not the sort of thing I'd ever think about getting, and I must have passed up dozens over the years, same with diff mounts etc...


I'll let you know my 'professional bodge' repair in time, but for now would like to know if there's a source of the correct grommemt/bush? 

85

General Car Chat / Pretty simple Bank Holiday weekend, then!

« on: 30 August 2016, 10:18:11 »

Replaced or 'did' the following...

oil change
Front intake 'W' replace
swapped over solenoid on intake
Front multiram
Hoovered out the space around the oil cooler plate of 20 years of dust, grit, mud, sand, leaves. 
cleaned breathers
replaced breather box, yes the breather box 
replace all breather hoses to breather bridge
replace breather bridge
new top hat seal
new bridge to throttle body o rings
cleaned throttle body
fitted EGR blank
coolant replace with 'cleaning agent'
re-grease aux belt tensioner pulley
spark plugs
HBV
Purge valve
thermostat & transfer pipe
CTS
wet n dried corroded alloy coolant join, possible source of slight coolant loss
replaced corroded MAF sensor screws
Trunking/conduit for loom on engine front replaced
All jubilee clips cleaned back to shiny stainless steel
New creamy header tank

by christ do I ache! home from work, working cleaning stuff until about 10pm on the Friday after the 9-5 at work, then two 13 hour days, and 9-6pm on the Monday. Took my time on everything, nice and methodical, doing everything by the book, breaking out the torque wrench again, plenty of breaks and bacon butties  . Felt great, really nice to do some proper jobs on the old girl. 


Net result: the stat was a bit intermittent, she's running better. CTS, well, we shall see how things go with that. Coolant leak was very very slow, so give it a month or two, and we'll see. Only thing is I've buggered up fitting the vac pipes slightly, when I'll re-do this dinner 2 minute job with Marks excellent guide.

Also couldnt disconnect the SAI. For the life of me couldnt find a suitable bung, so ordered some end stops from the heebay, so in a few days that'll get done. Wouldnt have been much easier to do with the intake 'W' out the way, but no matter. Pulled (what I think is) the SAI fuse for now

I'll post the pics of the spark plugs when I've got them off my phone, later. My God get ready for a shock!!  (these were ''very good'' spark plugs which ''didn't need doing'' according to a certain previous owner  )


Counted 15 cuts on my hands 

86

General Car Chat / C25XE vs X25XE...

« on: 24 August 2016, 15:10:50 »

Found this while pottering on the web...

http://www.clubcalibra.com/engine-tuning-nitrous-(nos)-turbo-boost/turning-x25xe-in-to-a-c25xe/


Basically reads a little opposite to what I've always understood, that the induction system on the Omegas is superior to the transverse-engined cars (calibra, Cav, vec) especially when you consider that G cams, divider plates and a few other bits from an Omega are common mods among the Calibra boys.


What are the literal, physical differences between the 'C' and the 'X', I thought...

divider,
intake system & plenum
transversely mounted
maybe ecu map

Anyone able to enlighten me? 

87

General Car Chat / Car security musings...

« on: 24 August 2016, 14:20:20 »

Just make a joke that I was chatting to a little 'smackrat' (as my mate calls them) on another thread. I made the joke that if I'd mentioned that my car was parked just round the corner, he's have been both astonished that it was older than him, and them promptly nicked it once my back was turned.

Back in the day the Omega security system was up there with the best, but by now must be easily bypassed by any reasonably competent car thief. I believe I'm right in saying the immobiliser acts on the fuel pump, so... how about for instance pulling the fuse (18) if you wanted to completely immobilise the car, and then I thought well how about seeing if there's such a thing as a circuit breaker that's a straight swap for the fuse. There is, they're readily available. What other 'lifehack' immobilisers are there/does anyone use. How far could we push this, being clever?





Obviously feel free to be a little cryptic if there's some clever unique hidden switch on your car, that you'd rather not publish on a public forum! 

88

Car Parts, bits For Sale & Wanted / WANTED: Carbon canister and Purge valve V6

« on: 22 August 2016, 08:18:35 »

As above, not sure if it makes a difference between 4-pot and V6, but it's for a V6. Smell of petrol on startup appears to be this, and this weekend it's the biiig service, so best try and sort one for then. All it needs to be is a known good one. New old stock in box would be acceptable, too 

Can't tell whether it's the carbon canister or the purge valve at fault, so might as well get both. 

Thanks in advance.

89

General Discussion Area / Stupid Question - how do you tax a car?!?

« on: 19 August 2016, 14:33:39 »

I know it sounds ridiculous, mate's buying a car. His mate has 'untaxed' it last night. He's left the green slip at home, the silly sod, but not a worry - tax it online. Put in the numbers, and.... 'this vehicle is already taxed' well...no, it isn't, that's the old tax which they've not updated their system yet.  I'm assuming Mr Plod's database will be a bit more up to date than Swansea's website should he then go driving about the town tonight in 'his' new car. What's he meant to do? They've shaken hands, exchanged money, the logbook is sent off, he's rung his insurers, all's fine, but he's at work until after the Post Office is closed at 5pm. We've a building full of computers which he could 'simply' tax his vehicle via...except DVLA's not playing ball.


There's a second element, which is the car's on a personal plate, so his mate is 'sorting that' returning it to its original reg, we beleive. How does that affect thinks, given the car's current reg will be going very soon?

Wondered if anyone's been in the same silly limbo situation? 

90

Omega General Help / Warm-up time....debate

« on: 19 August 2016, 10:00:05 »

Perhaps academic, as in a week or so I'll be ripping all manner of bits off the engine for a major service, including replacing the thermostat; but basically I think she runs a bit cool/takes her time to get there. Here's today's run to work (never exceeding 30mph, stop-start town traffic)



as above, this morning I set the stopwatch as I started the engine. Just over 90. I know the temp gauges are notoriously 'approximate' but does that sound about right? 9 mins and still not at operating temp?

Last night i did the same test and just got to an indicated 92.5^oC after ten mins on the dot, with some heavier right foot.

However, I reckon there wasn't a hope in hell that on the morning test the engine would've have got up to the same 92.5^oC after a further minute, it was definitely warming slower.