Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

241

General Car Chat / Off Scrappying - any requests?

« on: 05 March 2015, 19:57:42 »

Just as per title, really. I'll probably be popping into my local scrappy Saturday - I had a look in the Wanted section and can't see anything that is in demand at present, but if you have any specific requests, please let me know :-)

If memory serves, they're a star silver and a metallic maroon saloons, both non-V6, probably both 2.2s one petrol, one diesel. Average-y spec, most likely CD or thereabouts.

Apologies to mods if flaunting forum rules regarding sale of items, as nothing's strictly 'for sale' at this point, hope that's ok. Ta in advance, all.

Whenever I can help, I will. 

242

General Car Chat / Speeding - caught or not?!?

« on: 05 March 2015, 15:46:56 »

Ok, skipping to the punchline - short answer is - wait 14 days + a couple for the fine/ticket to be posted, and you'll know if you've been done or not.

So, for the story behind the punchline... coming home from visiting my girlfriend's brother, and I'm going down a wide road about to emerge from a town and slowly accelerating, along with the flow of traffic - I'm two seconds behind the car in front, and likewise the cars behind me. I see a 40mph sign ahead, this provokes me to think 'hang on, is this a 30 or a 40mph?' with that my girlfriend says 'cameravan' - bugger! The cameravan is parked on the other side of the road, rear end facing me, big black window staring at me blankly and coldly like a Cyberman. I think I was doing indicated 38mph (though she disagrees and says more like 32mph, so I may well have been slower than 38) By the time either of us saw it I'd say if my speed had been read it was a couple of dozen yards back - so in theory I wasn't going as fast then.

Knowing the definition of 'speeding' is ... your speed + 10% + 2mph, that means in theory you can do 35mph - but taking into account my speedo definitely over-reads, by about 2-3 mph at 30mph, that means at an indicated 38mph I could be doing 35mph. So borderline. 

I've no points, NCD, trying for a clean licence, and really can't afford my insurance doubling  (I've already done an online quotation with a theoretical 3 points and it made me wince)

So my question is - are they...
a) trying to get people coming out of town, like me accelerating up to 40mph, in a 30, only about 20 yards shy of a 40mph sign... or
b) are they trying to get Sunday bikers etc... who are barrelling along the country roads doing 50mph+ in a 40, who then enter town, still doing 50-ish mph?
Are they there trying to act as deterrent, or get people who are literally 1mph above the threshhold?

Slightly worried, and it's praying on my mind, especially as I really am trying to be a good boy on the roads, and touch wood hope I am, for the most part.

243

General Car Chat / Omega Caliper Slider Bolts

« on: 25 February 2015, 10:28:13 »

A source of slider bolts is on a famous auction site, the seller is called 'biggred4u' - website http://www.biggred.co.uk/ (which is down at time of writing) who are re-manufacturing these pins for various vehicles. For the Seat Alhambra VW Sharan, but they claim are the same as Omega front bolts. Priced at £4.90 each which I don't think is insane.

I've been on the lookout for Omega Slider Bolts for the front calipers - they're tricky things to get hold of. Vauxhall don't seem to want to sell them, unless you want a whole caliper, too (if anyone hears different, please post) I'm ordering myself a set. Will post my findings.  On the other hand if anyone on here can show me an alternative source - genuine GM for instance, please do  I was expecting the bolts to be easy to source, and used on Vectras, Astras etc.. but they are Omega-specific, it seems.  Again, if anyone knows different, please post. 

244

Omega General Help / Calipers clean & refurb

« on: 20 February 2015, 16:38:00 »

So this is the big weekend, and I'm hoping to have lots of pictures posted to this forum of the suspension replacement/overhaul. Part of this will be the refurbishing of the calipers. In the past I've found that checking the piston pushes in and out again with relatively ease is plenty, without resorting to pushing the piston out completely, and replacing all the seals and boots etc.

As far as I can tell the rubber gaiter just pulls off without a metal retaining clip like some brakes? I'll probably get this off purely for masking off/painting purposes. These are the earlier Lucas brakes as on a PFL, by the way. Should I be looking at 'preventative maintenance', and get new rubber? I've never come across anyone needing them if I'm honest, that's all. I don't want to do half a job, but nor to I want to spend money needlessly.

Appreciate all feedback 

245

General Car Chat / Hello Grimsby OOFer chatting to my girlfriend!

« on: 20 February 2015, 14:44:42 »

Just a 'Hi' to the OOFer who was accosted by my girlfriend today, who spotted his PFL Omega and went over to chat - you apparently recognised her/me, having seen us both in my FL banger Turbo Weasel around town himself. So, whatever your name is, and you did say you don't go on OOF much, but hi, nonetheless, and thanks for keeping her company.

Any amount of talking or effort expended during her day means she nods off just a minute of two earlier tonight, so thank you 

246

Omega General Help / Specs of Omega bolts - high tensile or what?

« on: 18 February 2015, 13:16:41 »

Looking at replacing several of the bolts on Pissy (the V6) found the main caliper bolts are M12 x 40mm and the smaller 13mms that join the two halves of the Caliper together are M8 x 22mm

My question is - does anyone have specs of what these were, as fitted in the factory? Pondering Stainless Steel for the M8s (not standard SS, but A4-80 grade - which is within a few % the same strength as 'normal' 8.8 High Tensile Steel)
Also need to know, when it comes to getting replacements for the Caliper-to-knuckle bolts - should these be in 'normal' 8.8 High Tensile, 10.9, 12.9 or just 'standard' low/medium carbon BZP?

If at the lower end, the Stainless equivalents may in facts be stronger than OEM which is great.

Sorry to have gone all technical on you - hope this makes sense to some!

247

General Car Chat / pagid brake lines or other?

« on: 13 February 2015, 20:26:54 »

For the relative low cost and poor condition of the V6s rubber brake lines, I might as well replace them. Also compared with the soon-to-be brand new and repainted suspension etc they'll look pretty poor.

I initially was going to leave them for now and opt for stainless ones later in the year - just looking for your experiences / knowledge on them, please?

Pagid are a tenner each. What's the OOF consensus?

Thanks boys 

248

General Car Chat / Stupid Question - front subframe

« on: 12 February 2015, 15:37:12 »

Can this be removed without seriously disturbing the engine? Or can the engine be 'propped' in place, while the front subframe is removed, repainted, then replaced. Sorry, to you boys who regularly take engines out etc this will probably have an obvious answer, but I've never gone quite that far into mechanicing, heads off, gearbox and axle replacement is as far as I've gone.

If not, I will most likely just have to wirebrush the bits I can see/get to, but it just irritates me that it's half a job, you know? Getting subframe off might be an excuse to check the state of the engine mounts, too and clean up the anti-roll bar which looks like it's part of the wreck of the Titanic.

Suspect it's a no-no, but just wanted to check 

249

Car Parts, bits For Sale & Wanted / WTD: ABS Sensor

« on: 12 February 2015, 11:08:50 »

This is just a 'possible' request, but I'd like to really attack the steering knuckle with angle grinder/flapwheels to get it to bare metal, for a repaint - the ABS sensor is sat right in there, and doesn't seem willing to budge - general consensus seems to be don't try and remove them you'll break it, but wondering if anyone has one, so if I do break mine (which I strongly suspect I will  ) I've got another to go straight in. OS initially, but I'll be doing the same for NS too. Thanks to all, I'm just checking the availability - as I don't fancy the £70+ for a new one!

250

Omega General Help / Hub off ABS sensor - it's stuck!

« on: 12 February 2015, 00:08:24 »

Well, it's been a brilliant night of working on the lady, also given my Halfords pro tools their first proper outing. The only thing that I have come slightly unstuck with is I'd like to strip down and repaint the steering knuckle - but the sensor for the ABS doesn't want to come out. Undone the tiny hex machine screw with fairly little fuss, and expected the thing to twist and pull out. The knuckle and sensor complete is off the car - I unplugged it at the inner wing. Am I wasting my time do these 'never' come out, or am I just being thick/careful?

I don't mind clouting the thing and destroying it, in order to remove it, just so long as I can get a known good used one off here. Thanks all 

251

General Car Chat / Tool recommendations anyone?

« on: 10 February 2015, 16:50:04 »

Ahoi-hoi. So now I'm moving from beg, borrowing and stealing tools (well, ok, the first two) to having my own set I can break myself. I got the Halfords Professional set for Xmas, which I'm very happy with so far. The only observations are:

Three sizes of ratchet, 1/2, 3/8 and piddly 1/4" drive but the sockets right up to 19mm are only the 3/8 drive. Considering this covers the suspension wishbones etc, I really can't see myself using such a weeny size of ratchet that much. So an (Halfords) adapter has been bought so I can use my 3/8" drive sockets on the decent size 1/4" drive ratchet.

On my shopping list to 'beef up' my toolkit are...

-Breaker bar
-(possible) ratchet adapter for use on the breaker bar
-Torque wrench
-10" extension - 1/4" drive
-Other spanners, if needed? - I have up to 19mm - what's over that on an Omega?
-Anything else useful on Omegas I have forgotten?

Just looking for your recommendations for makes to aim for/avoid. I don't want to automatically default to Snap-on, brilliant though it is, some of it might be 'too good' for my purposes - but nor do I want to waste money on 'cheap n cheerful' stuff that will break after half a dozen uses. Buy on,c e buy quality, is my motto. Suitable for the home mechanic, does all his own work.

Thanks in advance, and sorry this sounds like such a Newbie post!! 

252

General Car Chat / DIS pack test - can you?

« on: 09 February 2015, 14:44:50 »

As per title. I have two DIS packs (well, 3 including the one on the car  ) One that I got from a scrappy, looks like new and  a freebie that looks like hell, which may make a useful comparison. Knowing now the HT leads on that 1st unit were bad, I wanted to confirm that the misfiring HTs hadn't damaged the DIS pack too. So is there anything other than measuring the resistance across each terminal? And what would be the normal reading for that anyway?

Oh and the obvious way of testing - ie: just fit it to my V6 to see how she runs - wouldn't necessarily work, as she's running rough now (again) and it may be the DIS causing it, so replacing a possibly duff component for another possibly duff component wouldn't rule anything out.

Thanks in advance. More headaches! 

253

General Car Chat / SLady bitshorpe Omega?

« on: 09 February 2015, 10:13:27 »

Went to visit other some of half's family in SLady bitshorpe at the weekend, and spotted a pretty nice solid black saloon I think a 3.2 Elite. Last three letters of the reg were OAB. Had its drivers door mirror plastic casing busted off, sadly, but the metal mechanism underneath seemed unaffected. Just wondered if this was an OOFer, as we're not far from each other, that was all 

254

General Car Chat / Who wanted a Gear lever 'S' button?

« on: 29 January 2015, 13:41:43 »

As per title, there's been much talk on here about the 37k Elite that was at my local scrappy. Yep, was - it got crushed earlier today.  But the good news - I managed to get the last few bits off it, including a very nice nick 'S' button off the steering wheel. As far as I'm aware Vauxhall won't sell you just the switch, and an OOFer on her asked me to try and pick him it up, next time I was in. Well I've got it, so reply, good sir, whoever you are and it's yours! 

255

Omega General Help / ABS ECU compatability

« on: 27 January 2015, 14:59:25 »

Back in the day, a mate of mine had a PFL Elite Auto TD, an issue was traced to the ABS ECU - we found another prefacelift TD Auto in a scrappy, and simply popped the ECU in and hey presto, car fixed. So...

Can anyone confirm that an early FL 2.5 V6 Auto ABS ECU marked DX will drop straight into a PFL 1996 2.5 V6 Auto without Tech2-ing?

My concern is, although the same engine and 'box, the FLs have a different TC system, and this would cause issue. Am I right or wrong? 

As the scrapyard is about to crush the 37k-er  - in spite of me wanting more bits off it yet (   ) - I'm just wondering if this'll be my last chance to get such a low mileage one. I don't need one at present, just wondering about some 'preventative maintenance', alternatively if the time comes I do need one, they don't come up all the time, and also it's not the sort of part you can just do without until one shows up. Thanks gentlemen