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[Lizzie Zoom]

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 :'(

Now looking at Autodoc, Euro Car Parts and others.  Good makes available, at all different, big variance,  prices!

[Doctor Gollum]

Not saying nuffing.

[Nick W]

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.

[Kevin Wood]

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.

[Viral_Jim]

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  . For any common service items, I don't see it being necessary to look to GM.

[Nick W]

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  . For any common service items, I don't see it being necessary to look to GM.

I always look for trim clips HERE before doing anything else.

[Viral_Jim]

Nice, thanks! I had no idea this place existed 

[Lizzie Zoom]

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

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

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

I have always used Gates or Contitech kits on mine from the cheapest available source at the time.
Never had any issues.

[Lizzie Zoom]

I have always used Gates or Contitech kits on mine from the cheapest available source at the time.
Never had any issues.

Thanks

I will request I have those from Serek

[TheBoy]

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…

[biggriffin]

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

[JamesV6CDX]

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

[Raeturbo]

I’ve always used gates, that’s what I have just fitted to the Evo never had one fail.

[Enceladus]

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.