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[RileyRomius]

Hello, I have a small annoyance on my omega. There is a slight ticking noise when the car is started cold. It goes away after a minute or so. After investigation I noticed that a few of the bolts going into the engine head from the exhaust manifold had snapped inside the head which means the manifold is slightly loose on the left side. It's not noticably loose and I think it goes away due to the metal expanding as it heats up and sealing the gap. I have managed to get some gasket sealant in the gap which seems to have calmed the ticking down a bit but it is is still present. I was wandering if there is anything I can do it withing replacing the head? And will it cause any long term damage/power losses if left as it is? Thank you

[05omegav6]

The biggest issue will be the MoT as any manifold leaks are an instant fail... carbon monoxide entering the car in any quantity is generally seen as a bad thing.

Has the car ever had a head gasket change? If not, I would pull the head, have it overhauled and the old studs removed and refitted with a new head gasket and cambelt (including waterpump).

Whilst the head is off, have the exhaust manifold checked for any cracks. If any are found then you'll need a new one as they cannot be reliably repaired

[Diamond Black Geezer]

If you owned a V6 I'd say 'ouch, that's a painnnn of a job. But from my perspective (as a V6 owner) you having a 4-pot makes this job so much easier. I'd be tempted to try and get the head sorted properly, rather than sealant etc.. but I appreciate it's not causing you any real-world issues at present. You might find that on removing the manifold, you could get the threads out by either mole grips or drilling out etc.. but how long to you fight with it, for how many hours/days before thinking "I could have got a new head for blah blah amount of money. Why am I doing this?" etc

However there are far, far more experience gentlemen on this forum than I, with regards to engines and stuffed thread on heads.

Incidentally, a 2.2 has just come into my local scrappy. I'd always suggest get parts of a fellow OOFer, but I can at least get a price for you? 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Like Mr Taxi Al above 

[steve6367]

If you owned a V6 I'd say 'ouch, that's a painnnn of a job. But from my perspective (as a V6 owner) you having a 4-pot makes this job so much easier. I'd be tempted to try and get the head sorted properly, rather than sealant etc.. but I appreciate it's not causing you any real-world issues at present. You might find that on removing the manifold, you could get the threads out by either mole grips or drilling out etc.. but how long to you fight with it, for how many hours/days before thinking "I could have got a new head for blah blah amount of money. Why am I doing this?" etc

However there are far, far more experience gentlemen on this forum than I, with regards to engines and stuffed thread on heads.

Incidentally, a 2.2 has just come into my local scrappy. I'd always suggest get parts of a fellow OOFer, but I can at least get a price for you? 

I've been looking for months down here and not 1 Omega!

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Well, form an orderly queue, gentlemen! Saw it again today, as I was checking on the progress of the Elite's last bits n bobs.

Dark red metallic, 2.2 CD FL saloon - still has the original alloys on - but if anyone wants them be quick; the last one to come in had its rare 17s scrapped within bleedin minutes of it coming in the place  all bodywork seems decent shape and no serious issues that I can see at a glance. Obviously nothing much to write home about spec-wise, but on the other hand, as so many of us OOFers own 6cyl models, if you do run a lower-spec 4-pot spares aren't as plentiful as perhaps you'd like.

It'll get to the point eventually where at Billing one year the public perception of Omegas is they were all Elites or MV6s - just like now the only Carltons you see are LCs and GSis - well that accounted for what, 5% of production if that? I digress. Any bits n bobs, let me know I'll do my best 

[RileyRomius]

Yeah I was worried about the MoT as well which unfortuneatly is due next month. However the previous owner said it went through the MoT with the manifold in its current state last year and passed so I may be lucky but in the long term I would like to get it sorted. If you could get me a price of the head itself that would be amazing thank you! I managed to find a reconditioned one online for £295 which isn't too bad but the cheaper the better ideally. Would you be able to get me a price on the exhaust manifold itself as well? Many thanks!

[05omegav6]

All I can suggest with the Mot is to make sure the car is hot when tested... Which is good advice all round for any car from an emissions point of view

[Diamond Black Geezer]

I'm in tomorrow, barring breaking a leg or something, in my dinner hour - I'll ask for you. No idea what they'd want, to be honest, but will haggle my best 

(will also confirm it's not in the scrappy because of a warped head or sheared manifold threads!!)

[PhilRich]

You don't need a new head
You may need to remove the head to get at the snapped studs, you may be lucky with them being right at the front end
Also, if the manifold is really hot when you present for the MOT and the leak is minimal/can't be seen/heard, then you may get away with it. Btw, have you removed the manifold heat shield to check whether or not the manifold itself has cracked? This appears to be a 'rite of passage' on the 2.2 and as Al said, repair is not worth the trouble as it will crack again in short order! Hope you get it sorted cheaply 

[RileyRomius]

Hello all, a quick update, I have removed the heat shield and there is a small crack running along the top of the manifold so it looks like a new one will be in order  fingers crossed something comes of the scrappy one! Thanks for the help everyone

[terry paget]

I have had several  2.0/2.2 Omegas with sputtering exhaust manifolds. They are cast iron items and after many hot/cold cycles they tend to crack. I took one off and had it welded up, but the man would not guarantee it and warned me it would probably crack again. It did. I never had one fail MOT, though, the cover over the manifold conceals the source of the noise.
If that is a new MOT ruling, it will be the death of most old 4 cylinder Omegas, as the cost of a new manifold is pobably more than the car's worth.