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[JamesV6CDX]

Ok, Maria and I have had a good day on the car, yesterday eve and today.

As Said, it felt a bit flat. Well, there were two reasons for this. Firstly, the cam timing was WELL out. EG, one tooth on all cams. This was done by a garage, so I totally expected it. I've now corrected this as best as I could with my crap laser kit, it's not likely to be perfect, but is a LOT closer. I'll have to do it again with a SP kit tho. This made a HUGE difference to performance. Also - the rear multiram. There was a small breather hose caught up in it, and it stoping it from working. A tidy up at the rear of the engine bay has cured this! Judging by the way maria was holding on for dear life during the test drive.. I assume it's now performing as a 3.0 manual should!!

Fuel filter - just changed it. Not sure what all the fuss is about - not a bad job on the estate at all.

Oil leak -

Firstly, the old sump washer was chewed up to smitherines, mangled as anything. Now been changed, and doesn't drip!

Oil filter was so loose this morning, it was almost spinning on it's own... needed no effort at all to take it off by hand.

Oil and filter both changed. The oil stuff was like treacle, and I suspect why there is a slightly noisy follower from cold. Sounds pretty sweet now.

Plenum off, trumpets off, inlet bridge off. Just for a peek in the valley. All bone dry, so re-assembled.

Now I've fixed the obvious, and cleaned all the visible oil up... I'm going for a test run to see how it behaves.

A bloody good day though!!

[JamesV6CDX]

Ah yes.. oil pressure switch + washer renewed too...

[Markie]

Sounds like a good days work...so the million dollar question..keeping it?

[r.welfare]

Good work James.  Obviously I'm kicking myself that the work to sort was so easy - never thought to check the oil filter again - but there you go.  Plenty to learn for next time!  Also, I'm annoyed that my garage did a crap job on the timing - I've been using them for years and, to the best of my knowledge, they've not arsed anything else up before.  Still, that's life I guess, and they don't appear to be alone in this.

Did you get the vent output sorted yet?

[TheBoy]

Good work James.  Obviously I'm kicking myself that the work to sort was so easy - never thought to check the oil filter again - but there you go.  Plenty to learn for next time!  Also, I'm annoyed that my garage did a crap job on the timing - I've been using them for years and, to the best of my knowledge, they've not arsed anything else up before.  Still, that's life I guess, and they don't appear to be alone in this.

Did you get the vent output sorted yet?

Did the garage use a locking/timing kit?

[r.welfare]

As far as I know, yes.

I bought the belt and tensioners from Autovaux and hired their locking kit, deciding to do it myself initially with the help of the DVD.  Everything was fine until I came to crank it round by hand - it kept getting out by one tooth on each of the cams once the crank had been rotated twice.  In the end I gave up (and ran out of time), so towed it to the garage and they put it back together.

I always thought the performance was pretty good, but then I had no previous experience (bar a very short run in a 3.2 MV6 auto a few years ago) to base it on!

Moral of story then - always re-check oil filter tightness and use decent sump plug washers then!

[JamesV6CDX]

Unfortunately... still leaking... although I've helped it... I've not resolved it. Yet!

Looks like that crank seal's coming out  

[Dazzler]

Hang in there mate, you will get there.......are you going to do the manifold gasket while your at the striping dowm process

[JamesV6CDX]

Hang in there mate, you will get there.......are you going to do the manifold gasket while your at the striping dowm process

Manifold gaskets are top notch - no blows at all.

The slight tick at startup from cold, was a noisy follower. Probably due to the treacle oil in it. I'm convinced it was a 20w/50. This engine, is 100% silent since oil change - you can JUST hear the aux belt turning!!

[Dazzler]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

[r.welfare]

Yes, I told you the story of the last oil top-up, didn't I? (Note to self - don't top up oil when talking to a neighbour, and don't assume that the first container of GM 10W40 you pick up off the garage floor doesn't have used 20W50 from a 1984 Cavalier in it  ).

Funnily enough though when I did the oil change I used 5.75ltrs of GM 10W40, and ClarCE thought it sounded a little noisy.  Mind you I can't remember if that was before, or after, I changed the aux tensioner for a new one after the dreaded Autovaux aux belt fritzed the old one...

[JamesV6CDX]

I didn't like to say on the forum, that it had used Cavalier oil in it  

Not to worry mate.. I am 150% happy with my purchase

[r.welfare]

That's the important thing!  This will be a bit of a cracker once the leak and the bits of bodywork will be sorted out, I think.

And what I've learnt in the 6 months I owned the car and the last day's forum posts means I know what to look out for on the next one