Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Matchless on 25 November 2006, 22:46:10

Title: Project 2 back from the dead
Post by: Matchless on 25 November 2006, 22:46:10
Those with good memories may remember me buying a 2.5 estate off ebay in September, complete with "bad engine noises". This turned out to be a disintegrated cambelt tensioner and slipped valve timing so it was towed home.
A good secondhand set of rollers and tensioner were fitted temporarily and the engine ran cleanly so no major damage had been done but the camcovers were leaking worse than the Torre Canyon and there seemed to be rather too much corrosion in the valley for the age and milage.
I have been busy all summer building walls and laying a patio so the car had to wait for attention on Marks new drive where it sullenly dripped coal-back lubricant and polluted Nottinghamshire with cigarette fumes vented from the interior.
Then last week we sprang into action and promptly stripped the threads on the oil cooler  :-[  So a new oil cooler had to be fitted and the thermostat re-sealed to fix the coolant leak in the valley. With the camcovers off we could see how filthy the engine was inside, the cams were to be replaced with 3.0 items so the followers were cleaned out and re-filled, at least two were jammed shut and were changed. Before refitting the cams we removed the T vents to flush fresh oil through the head oilways and found one of the T vents was blocked.
So now the engine is running again but a quick test drive revealed :

1) You need to fit wipers before test driving if its raining.
2) The engine is lacking oomph and wont go above 5k (pet theory is fuel filter)
3) It handles like a whale on an ice rink.
4) It has the OAP gearbox option fitted.

It is far from ready to take to the road but it is safe from the scrappers. Its quite shocking how badly maintained some cars are, this is a '99 with 50k but has only had the first two services (to keep the warranty?) and the steering is so bad it should not be on the road yet it has a recent MoT.

Many thanks to Marks DTM for his help in getting it running and also for allowing me to store it on his drive for so long. Im sure the stains will fade in time. ;)
Title: Re: Project 2 back from the dead
Post by: Markie on 25 November 2006, 22:53:33
So whats the plans?finish the bits you list ? keeping it? selling it on?
Title: Re: Project 2 back from the dead
Post by: Matchless on 25 November 2006, 23:10:58
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So whats the plans?finish the bits you list ? keeping it? selling it on?

Plan to keep it in place of the Elite estate. Will freeze my nuts off over the winter whilst changing wishbone bushes, drop links and steering idler, check brakes etc then get a MoT on it.
Title: Re: Project 2 back from the dead
Post by: Chopsdad on 25 November 2006, 23:14:41
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Quote
So whats the plans?finish the bits you list ? keeping it? selling it on?

Plan to keep it in place of the Elite estate. Will freeze my nuts off over the winter whilst changing wishbone bushes, drop links and steering idler, check brakes etc then get a MoT on it.

Warm them up with the heated seats - level 5 - like roasting on an open fire.  :y
Title: Re: Project 2 back from the dead
Post by: Markie on 26 November 2006, 09:27:35
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Quote
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So whats the plans?finish the bits you list ? keeping it? selling it on?

Plan to keep it in place of the Elite estate. Will freeze my nuts off over the winter whilst changing wishbone bushes, drop links and steering idler, check brakes etc then get a MoT on it.

Warm them up with the heated seats - level 5 - like roasting on an open fire.  :y

good luck :y and errrr heated seats level 5 and roasted nuts  :-/ ouch
Title: Re: Project 2 back from the dead
Post by: RonaldMcBurger on 26 November 2006, 09:42:12
Now all you need is a proper gearbox. Wonder where we can find one of those? ;)

I can confirm that this is a terric looking car. All there apart from the radiator cap that some swine borrowed. ::)
Title: Re: Project 2 back from the dead
Post by: Auto Addict on 26 November 2006, 13:09:32
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Now all you need is a proper gearbox. Wonder where we can find one of those? ;)

Has it got a manual gearbox then?

Could have swore when I saw it, it had a proper auto box in it........
Title: Re: Project 2 back from the dead
Post by: Matchless on 26 November 2006, 18:43:47
Got some essential jobs done on it, the sunroof has been un-jammed, the radio tuned-in, phone registered with Voda and 4 caps for the plennum chamber bolts.
Now need to look at the smaller jobs like replacing the 3 slicks and 1 rally tyre with something more conventional.
Title: Re: Project 2 back from the dead
Post by: Markie on 26 November 2006, 18:46:28
why is it theres always at least 1 plenum bolt missing on omegas  :-/
Title: Re: Project 2 back from the dead
Post by: TheBoy on 26 November 2006, 18:47:59
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Im sure the stains will fade in time. ;)
But in the meantime, it will hide the oil stains from Ronnie's cars ;D

Good to hear its now a runner :)
Title: Re: Project 2 back from the dead
Post by: RonaldMcBurger on 26 November 2006, 19:55:19
Oi! Sorry, mispelt. that should have been OIL! ;D

Anyway, I hate omegas - so there.

Title: Re: Project 2 back from the dead
Post by: TheBoy on 26 November 2006, 19:57:40
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Oi! Sorry, mispelt. that should have been OIL! ;D

Anyway, I hate omegas - so there.

Thats coz you have a chavved up Corsa with silly roof attachments now ;D   :y