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121

Omega General Help / Re: 1995 rear brake back dust shield undo

« on: 17 August 2021, 00:22:47 »

What part number was the unbranded one supposed to match? 24436738 to fit an Omega B?

Or was it sold as fitting an Omega A, Senator B, Vectra A & Calibra?

Yes, I bought that to my Omega B. I could put them one upon another and take the new pic. I think they are similar (L&R).

So you bought the unbranded backplate as fitting an Omega B, which is fine.

However member addy asked about using Senator backplates on his Omega B? So what's still not answered is whether or not Omega A/Senator B/Vectra A/Calibra backplates can be used on an Omega B? EPC suggests not as they have differnent part numbers.

The old style Omega B pivot pins, with the crosshead, fit into the backplate from the outboard side. The new pins with no crosshead fit through the backplate from the inboard side. Either pin can be used. No need to change or upgrade the backplate. unless damaged. However to fit the newer style pins, without the crosshead, you need to loosen the four bolts and temporarily move the plate outwards so the pins can be installed. That's the GM service instruction.

The same service instruction is true of the Omega A/Senator B/Vectra A/Calibra pivot pins. The new style pins can be used by inserting them from the back of the plate.

Member addy shouldn't need to change his plates unless the locking slot is too damaged or corroded. There is no need to upgrade the pins for the new type if the plates are in good condition. Is's just that the new pin type, inserted from the back, are less likely to pull through the plate as they have a bigger contact area.

I definitely didn't loosen the 4 triple square bolts when I put the pins in from behind - I didn't have the tool to undo them. Quite how I managed it I can't remember, I think I spent a long time trying to feed the pin in from underneath the trailing arm before trying from above and then it just slipped in
On the subject of service instructions...... I have lost count of the times I have followed Haynes and spent days doing a 5 minute job, hopefully the GM service instructions are more accurate

122

General Discussion Area / Re: Proposed driving licence changes...

« on: 16 August 2021, 10:26:52 »

I didn't realise that my C1+E entitled me to drive up to 12 tonne truck & trailer.

Got totally lost in the description of the proposal. It doesn't appear to involve any change to the HGV or PSV classes and no mention of operator licences.

It probably doesn't. 107 limits you to 8,250 kgs. A separate trailer test might well give you the full entitlement, as would C+E.

I have code 107 against the C1+E, but this is superceded by my C+E. Basically can drive anything, towing anything as long as it is within the plated weight of both towing vehicle and trailer.

Operator licences are a different matter all together. The classes won't be changing. It's rather a discussion about changing how licences are attained and possibly allowing approved training schools to self certify some of the off road parts of the test such as the revering exercise. 

You are right.
I hadn't noticed the code 107 - 'not more than 8,250 kilograms'. No harm done as the heaviest I have driven is 7.5t.

I am puzzled by D1E with code 119 - 'weight limit for vehicle does not apply'. Is that the class that allows people to take all but 16 of the seats out of a bus and call it a motorhome while towing a trailer?

123

General Discussion Area / Re: Proposed driving licence changes...

« on: 15 August 2021, 23:15:02 »

I didn't realise that my C1+E entitled me to drive up to 12 tonne truck & trailer.

Got totally lost in the description of the proposal. It doesn't appear to involve any change to the HGV or PSV classes and no mention of operator licences.

124

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: Car pass

« on: 13 August 2021, 11:37:27 »

Phoned them up, I need to bring in V5 and 30 bucks

Is that a new Scottish currency?

125

Omega General Help / Re: 1995 rear brake back dust shield undo

« on: 12 August 2021, 09:14:23 »

It is definitely doable. I was convinced it wouldn't work but by persevering I was able to wriggle the awkward retainer in from behind.
You need to do it by touch, if you try to see where the hole is you will get an eye full of crap.

I may have distorted the hole a little (& flattened it again after) to get the retainer in but it was so long ago that I can't remember whether I had to go that far.

126

Omega General Help / Re: 1995 rear brake back dust shield undo

« on: 12 August 2021, 01:20:14 »

When the keyholes in the backplates on my 1994 Omega became too rusty for the retainers to get a grip I bought a set of early Passat (that what it said on the packet anyway) retainers.

I was able to insert them from behind in the same way as the later Omega retainers. I didn't need to pull the backplates off. Don't know if the Passat retainers are different to the Omega ones

127

General Car Chat / Re: Used car market...EV's

« on: 11 August 2021, 03:09:18 »

Think most of this EV shit a just a ruse to get a lot of older cars and drivers, (not necessarily old) off the road. As with most government policies these days, it's the lower paid who bear the brunt of this because they are the ones who can't afford to buy a new car, EV or otherwise. Motoring will again be the hobby of the rich. By the way, i am not a rabid leftie.

Yes I think you're right Ronny. 

Lord Opti will be OK wafting about in whatever luxury motor he buys next, but poor old Uncle STEMO will be on the bus! 

 

Would a 500hp Mercedes V8 twin turbo suit you sir?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255085166978?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200818143132%26meid%3D1f1a65b858c44a4e961e554ede9b85e9%26pid%3D101198%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D265237713720%26itm%3D255085166978%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganic&_trksid=p2047675.c101198.m1985

(Opti won't like it being Diesel)

128

Omega General Help / Re: Lights flashing

« on: 09 August 2021, 11:11:42 »

The alarm horn died on my 2.6 so it didn't make any noise when the alarm was triggered (at least not after I took the power sounder out)

I did buy a new alarm horn and a new power sounder but never got around to fitting them 

I assume that you have already removed the self immolating power sounder? that has a habit of triggering the alarm just before starting the fire........

129

Omega General Help / Re: hand brake light flashing under hard acceleration

« on: 08 August 2021, 22:50:17 »

When I had that happen it was low fluid in the reservoir.

The fluid was low because the pads were worn out.

The pads were worn out because I was young and foolish and hadn't checked them for a while.

Now might be a good time for new discs, pads and fresh brake fluid

130

General Discussion Area / Re: Best method for removing masonary paint from brickwork.

« on: 05 August 2021, 22:42:42 »

The brickwork of my last house had been painted. I tried paint strippers and grit blasting (both air and hydraulic) with no success.

Then I left it for 15 years to let nature do it's work. No change - just looked dirty.

In the end I repainted using masonry paint and sold the house.

131

General Car Chat / Re: tyre change woes

« on: 05 August 2021, 10:10:43 »

They force the tyre off the bead by hand just enough to repair the rim rather than using a machine and removing the tyre completely. It saves time, but stresses the sidewall.

The Insignia had 20"s on it, which didn't help, but they had failed from the inside out wirh no visible external damage.

That puzzles me - I would have thought that the tyre machine would need to exert the same amount of force.

I thought you were going to say that solvents in the tyre paint and wheel paint are to blame 

132

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: Alternator Problem??

« on: 05 August 2021, 08:59:32 »

When that happened to me it was the regulator in the alternator.

Unlikely to be caused by the wiring because the alternator & starter share a lead to the battery. (do check the wiring though - the crimp connections fail over time and get very hot when passing 200A to the starter, they get less hot passing 120A from the alternator to the battery)

133

General Discussion Area / Re: SSD card.....working or not?

« on: 29 July 2021, 00:59:24 »

I have used two free/open source programmes to recover lost photos from memory cards. They also work on disk drives.

https://www.techspot.com/downloads/4171-testdisk.html

Testdisk works on the drive to try and fix it. If Testdisk can't fix the drive then Photorec grabs all the files it can find so you can recover most of your pictures of fluffy kittens (or whatever. )

134

Omega General Help / Re: Oil Build Up Advise

« on: 28 July 2021, 10:45:26 »

You shouldn't have any oil in the bagpipes.

The breathers are designed to function in two ways
- at idle and with small throttle openings there is a big vacuum in the manifold - the big vacuum pulls crankcase vapour through a tiny hole in the oil separator behind bank 2 cylinder head - fresh air should be pulled into the crankcase through the large breather (which connects to two ports just in front of the throttles)
- at large throttle openings there is less manifold vacuum to pull vapour through the tiny hole but there is some vacuum at the two ports in front of the throttles which will draw the oil vapour into the manifold.

What happens is that the breather pipes on top of the manifold AND the tiny hole in the oil separator get blocked with oily crap. The vapour that should get drawn straight into the manifold can't go that way so it comes out through the ports in front of the throttles. This isn't an issue when the throttles are open but at small throttle openings or idle (eg most of the time) an oily mist is dumped into the inlet where it usually coats the throttles in crap (but it might find it's way into the bagpipes).

When you clean out your breathers you should also check the tiny hole in the small spigot on the oil separator. It is a pig to get to so most people don't know it is even there..............

135

General Car Chat / Re: ABS module

« on: 27 July 2021, 11:30:50 »

A final point - the 3 channel ABS presumably has one channel each for the front wheels with both back wheels on the third channel. Following that logic - if you can get fluid out of one rear caliper then it can't be the ABS - it has to be something basic like a crushed pipe (metal or flexi).
NB - this is just a theory but I would have a good hard look at the bits I had worked on before considering trying to change the ABS.