Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: J.S.B. on 16 August 2011, 11:04:47

Title: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: J.S.B. on 16 August 2011, 11:04:47
Hi Guys,

After Lazydocker gave my car the once over last week I've bought a Gates cambelt kit and just waiting for the waterpump now. When he was here he commented on me having a short plenum and I think he said that this would allow me to change the cambelt without removing it.

Have I remembered correctly or is my memory going on a little wander by itself again?

Thanks

J
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Lazydocker on 16 August 2011, 11:08:46
You have remembered correctly ;) ;)

Although there's no harm in taking it off and checking it over there is no need to just for a CB & WP change
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: J.S.B. on 16 August 2011, 11:15:05
Cool, cheers.

I was thinking of leaving the plenum on until I've flushed the coolant, cleaned out the header tank and checked to see if there is any new oil fouling afterwards. I've kept an eye on the header tank since I had the car and not seen any beige sludge floating, but like you said, the header tank has got sludge in it.

Thanks  :y
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Andy B on 16 August 2011, 11:15:20
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Hi Guys,

After Lazydocker gave my car the once over last week I've bought a Gates cambelt kit and just waiting for the waterpump now.  ......

Do the cambelt & put your new (pattern?)water pump in a cupboard in the garage just incase your current OE water pump fails. It's likely to last longer than the pattern does.  :-X  :y
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: J.S.B. on 16 August 2011, 11:27:00
Is there any problem with getting coolant on the cambelt? After having watched the DVD it certainly chucks a lot out of the engine.

Thanks

J
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Andy B on 16 August 2011, 11:51:13
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Is there any problem with getting coolant on the cambelt? After having watched the DVD it certainly chucks a lot out of the engine.

Thanks

J

No. If a belt was to live in a constantly wet enviroment then they'll fail early - I see this at work where they use similar types of drive belt but they're almost always wet & covered in bean juice - but a one off soaking won't affect the life of a timing belt.
I can see the point of changing the water pump while the timing belt is done if you're paying someone else to do the job, but if you're doing the job yourself it's not really that difficult to get to the water pump if it does fail - time consuming maybe, but not hard.  :y
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Lazydocker on 16 August 2011, 12:03:36
All that said, if you have bought a quality WP, I would advise changing it due to the slight contamination of your coolant so you can replace with fresh stuff :y :y
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: J.S.B. on 16 August 2011, 13:17:44
What about using distilled water?
Any advantage/disadvantage?
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Lazydocker on 16 August 2011, 13:22:40
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What about using distilled water?
Any advantage/disadvantage?

In this area (very hard water) it can be a bit of an advantage but, TBH, unless you get it for free I wouldn't bother, just change it by the OOF schedule and not manufacturers :y
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: J.S.B. on 16 August 2011, 18:14:03
How much water do you think there is left in the system once drained from the radiator and the water pump removed? :-?
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Lazydocker on 16 August 2011, 19:02:44
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How much water do you think there is left in the system once drained from the radiator and the water pump removed? :-?

Pretty much none... Perhaps half a Litre at the most.

If just the rad drained then you'll only get a maximum of 3L or so out
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Andy B on 16 August 2011, 19:09:12
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....
If just the rad drained then you'll only get a maximum of 3L or so out

You'll get more than that, more like 5 litres. Otherwise you'd have difficulty making the total coolant 50:50  :y
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Lazydocker on 16 August 2011, 19:32:16
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Quote
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If just the rad drained then you'll only get a maximum of 3L or so out

You'll get more than that, more like 5 litres. Otherwise you'd have difficulty making the total coolant 50:50  :y

I've never managed to get 5L out from just the rad... Never managed to get more than 3.5L or so back in including the extra for the HBV and Vaporiser on a LPG conversion
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Andy B on 16 August 2011, 20:05:03
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Quote
Quote
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If just the rad drained then you'll only get a maximum of 3L or so out

You'll get more than that, more like 5 litres. Otherwise you'd have difficulty making the total coolant 50:50  :y

I've never managed to get 5L out from just the rad... Never managed to get more than 3.5L or so back in including the extra for the HBV and Vaporiser on a LPG conversion

I've always managed to get 5 litres back in, just about, to achieve 50% mix  :y :y
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Lazydocker on 16 August 2011, 21:05:28
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Quote
Quote
Quote
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If just the rad drained then you'll only get a maximum of 3L or so out

You'll get more than that, more like 5 litres. Otherwise you'd have difficulty making the total coolant 50:50  :y

I've never managed to get 5L out from just the rad... Never managed to get more than 3.5L or so back in including the extra for the HBV and Vaporiser on a LPG conversion

I've always managed to get 5 litres back in, just about, to achieve 50% mix  :y :y

Ahh... But I'm guessing that you're talking about a full (engine running) flush as well, not just a drain from the rad
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Andy B on 16 August 2011, 21:07:11
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Ahh... But I'm guessing that you're talking about a full (engine running) flush as well, not just a drain from the rad

No, just the little red drain tap on the rad  ;) ;) :y
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Lazydocker on 16 August 2011, 22:16:11
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Quote
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Ahh... But I'm guessing that you're talking about a full (engine running) flush as well, not just a drain from the rad

No, just the little red drain tap on the rad  ;) ;) :y
Then tipping 5L of antifreeze in will take it over 50:50 by quite a way
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Andy B on 16 August 2011, 22:36:58
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Then tipping 5L of antifreeze in will take it over 50:50 by quite a way

By 'quite a way'? it'll be 48:52 (water/antifreeze)  ;) ;)
If you look at the end of know it all's how to do Jimbob gives the capacity of a V6 auto (the same as Mr Haynes) as 9.5 litres, a manual V6 takes 9.7 litres  ;) ;) ;)

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1167917774

Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: J.S.B. on 16 August 2011, 23:04:06
I think I have finally managed to flush out all the old coolant :o Now I just have to wait for my torque wrench to arrive before I can do the work on my car :y Unfortunately this does mean I'm without my car for a few days :'(

Are there any tricks to cleaning out the header tank? I've managed to clean the center section but there's still some dirt on the outer two sections :-/

Thanks

J
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: Andy B on 16 August 2011, 23:08:51
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....
Are there any tricks to cleaning out the header tank? I've managed to clean the center section but there's still some dirt on the outer two sections :-/

Thanks

J

Ultimately a new tank is the way to go. I tried to clean out mine, I soaked it in a caustic solution and that helped a little but you cant' get into the inner sections even with a bottle brush.  :y :y
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: twiglet on 16 August 2011, 23:55:00
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I think I have finally managed to flush out all the old coolant :o Now I just have to wait for my torque wrench to arrive before I can do the work on my car :y Unfortunately this does mean I'm without my car for a few days :'(

Are there any tricks to cleaning out the header tank? I've managed to clean the center section but there's still some dirt on the outer two sections :-/

Thanks

J

I've get a nice, clean one here J. It's yours for 15 quid, and I'm not far from you either.  :y
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: J.S.B. on 17 August 2011, 00:16:14
That would be great, my only issue at the moment is travel as I'll have to borrow a car to get to you, and unfortunately I'm busy in the evenings. What is the best way for us to meet and are you available for me to buy it tomorrow (wednesday) please?
Title: Re: Short Plenum Cambelt Change
Post by: twiglet on 17 August 2011, 10:13:47
PM sent mate.  :y