Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Lizzie Zoom on 16 September 2022, 17:05:16

Title: Cam Belt
Post by: Lizzie Zoom on 16 September 2022, 17:05:16
Time for my cam belt change, so I asked my friendly Vx parts manager for a quote.  Sorry he says, bad news, they have been discontinued!

So yet another Omega part unavailable from them, but he is finding out a price for an alternative………but he cannot sell the kit to me, as it must be fitted by their service team!

Previously I had obtained the genuine parts from Vx and had Serek fit it all.

Serek is away at the moment, so when he returns I will obtain a price from him for supply and fitting.  The only trouble is by the time I have travelled to his outfit and back, I would have spent approx £80-90 on fuel and refreshments.

So, in the meantime I will be hunting around for more options, including Germany and the States.

But, the lack of Omega parts at the old GM dealers is becoming total, which will make it far more difficult to keep our old girls going :P :'(

Now looking at Autodoc, Euro Car Parts and others.  Good makes available, at all different, big variance,  prices!
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 16 September 2022, 17:26:05
Not saying nuffing.
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: Nick W on 16 September 2022, 17:37:57
It's a common service part, and GM never made any of the components.
The various aftermarket ones used the same components(SKF bearings, Gates or Continental belts) so there was never any reason to insist on GM.


This is true for most of the parts any remaining Omega is going to need, and trying the dealer(who is unlikely to have any interest in a car that's going to be over twenty years old) is virtually guaranteed to be a waste of time and effort. And probably money, if they do manage to find the part.


Some of the previously suggested GM only parts dogma advice will need reassessing.
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: Kevin Wood on 16 September 2022, 18:32:49
Every one I've ever seen has had the same skf bearings, GM or pattern. Really no reason not to just fit a pattern kit.
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: Viral_Jim on 16 September 2022, 18:45:20
I've been to GM a few times for the Zaf, always for trim clips etc that someone in there before me managed to break  :-X. For any common service items, I don't see it being necessary to look to GM.
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: Nick W on 16 September 2022, 18:56:09
I've been to GM a few times for the Zaf, always for trim clips etc that someone in there before me managed to break  :-X . For any common service items, I don't see it being necessary to look to GM.


I always look for trim clips HERE  (https://www.bresco.com/acatalog/Vauxhall___Opel.html)before doing anything else.
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: Viral_Jim on 16 September 2022, 19:26:59
Nice, thanks! I had no idea this place existed  :y
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: Lizzie Zoom on 16 September 2022, 19:32:22
It's a common service part, and GM never made any of the components.
The various aftermarket ones used the same components(SKF bearings, Gates or Continental belts) so there was never any reason to insist on GM.


This is true for most of the parts any remaining Omega is going to need, and trying the dealer(who is unlikely to have any interest in a car that's going to be over twenty years old) is virtually guaranteed to be a waste of time and effort. And probably money, if they do manage to find the part.


Some of the previously suggested GM only parts dogma advice will need reassessing.

Thanks Nick :y

My Vx parts manger mentioned them, and I have noted their cam belt kits on the sites I previously mentioned.

I think now I will just wait until the reliable Serek is back, and obtain his recommendations and prices.  I can at least have a good day out, with many coffees in Dunelm ;)
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 16 September 2022, 19:57:56
I have always used Gates or Contitech kits on mine from the cheapest available source at the time.
Never had any issues.
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: Lizzie Zoom on 16 September 2022, 20:23:54
I have always used Gates or Contitech kits on mine from the cheapest available source at the time.
Never had any issues.

Thanks :y

I will request I have those from Serek ;)
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: TheBoy on 18 September 2022, 07:06:12
Once trade club prices went high enough for cam belts, I used aftermarket. No reason to insist on GM for it, now it’s no longer about the cheapest and most convenient.

About the only parts I would use GM for if I still had an Omega are v6 crank sensors and front brake disc/pad - that’s more because the aftermarket ones have proven to be problematic in my own personal experience.

Generally, now they have about sewn up the factor market, I’m finding euroshite quite expensive…
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: biggriffin on 19 September 2022, 16:41:06
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195240497671?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=l3wrwX20RD6&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=HQkiUKOCSAq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 07 October 2022, 09:21:15
Every one I've ever seen has had the same skf bearings, GM or pattern. Really no reason not to just fit a pattern kit.

Hello Kevin,

This was also my experience for almost the last two decades. However, a month or so ago, I fitted a cambelt kit for a chap locally to me on his 3.2 (using a kit he sourced).

I will post pictures when I can but the bearings were definitely not SKF. They had blue bearing seals instead of the classic orangey/brown SKF ones, and even more alarmingly, did not have the directional arrows on the pulleys that we are used to putting in certain positions.

The fastener holding the upper idler was an Alan Key female hex bolt, not the E12 male torx we are used to seeing.

The fastener holding the tensioner to the backplate was a bolt, not the usual threaded bar with a nut.

The tensioner itself also did not have the usual groove for alignment.

Using the setting kit (and years worth of GM V6 experience) I was able to get it installed without any problem - but the cambelt DVD or Haynes guide would have been useless for this kit.

It was very clear that this is a recent attempt at making copy cambelt kit parts that are not SKF. maybe due to lack of availability?

The usual stamp (EB/6B etc etc) was also not on the new backplate.

In fairness it felt good quality. I think it was branded QH. But of note, there was no lower idler in the kit. We got this separately from eBay for £30 ish. That one was SKF, but there’s no guarantee of it’s age, how long it’s been stored etc :(

Edited due to fat fingers on iPhone
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: Raeturbo on 07 October 2022, 10:55:20
I’ve always used gates, that’s what I have just fitted to the Evo never had one fail.
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: Enceladus on 08 October 2022, 15:47:38
It was very clear that this is a recent attempt at making copy cambelt kit parts that are not SKF. maybe due to lack of availability?

The usual stamp (EB/6B etc etc) was also not on the new backplate.

In fairness it felt good quality. I think it was branded QH. But of note, there was no lower idler in the kit. We got this separately from eBay for £30 ish. That one was SKF, but there’s no guarantee of it’s age, how long it’s been stored etc :(
That sounds like it might have been a new old stock Calibra kit. These came with no lower roller included, which had to be ordered separately. Like the AC-Delco kits that everybody used to buy two of, a few years ago.

The original Calibra and early Omega backplates also had no identifier or they had the letter D.

The bearings might have been INA and not SKF.
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: polilara on 09 October 2022, 17:27:46
https://m.tori.fi/vi/90586691.htm
Foun one in Finland and bought still aftermarket kit.
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: johnnydog on 09 October 2022, 19:45:07
https://m.tori.fi/vi/90586691.htm
Foun one in Finland and bought still aftermarket kit.

Is that correct for a 2001 2.6? Is the back plate in that kit not the earlier one?  I appreciate you can transfer the rollers onto your original backplate if that is the case. However I'll stand corrected though by the more knowledgeable on here....
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 10 October 2022, 07:43:51
SKF have never made the cambelt kits, they only supplied the bearings  :y
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: polilara on 10 October 2022, 10:23:25
https://m.tori.fi/vi/90586691.htm
Foun one in Finland and bought still aftermarket kit.

Is that correct for a 2001 2.6? Is the back plate in that kit not the earlier one?  I appreciate you can transfer the rollers onto your original backplate if that is the case. However I'll stand corrected though by the more knowledgeable on here....

Engine number of my Y26SE is 08533230. I have used this set GM5636385 earlier. I bought this car when it had 45000km behind and it had this "back plate". Now 300000km behind and I have to do this job again as every 60000km is the recommendation here. So fifth time is coming during this winter. I remember that I read from somewhere (here) that early 2.6 models had different constuction than newer ones, not sure if I remember right.
Title: Re: Cam Belt
Post by: johnnydog on 10 October 2022, 18:01:32
Having done the job previously means at least you know which back plate it has. My 2002 2.6 has the later version - that's why I queried it!