Print

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

[OmegaTel57]

Hi please help, my wonderful old Omega has begun smoking from the exhaust, it appears and smells as if it's the rings, how difficult and expensive a job is it if I took it into a garage ?, or is it a possible DIY job ?, I have just got her through an MOT but needed to replace the catalytic converter in order to pass, the car is pretty much immaculate but has 177,000 on the clock, but is so reliable and has been the best car for reliability, comfort etc in over 34 years of driving Any help / advice would be appreciated

Thanks

Terry

[kevinp58]

Hello and welcome  If your rings have gone it is quite a big job to do, and you may need a re-bore too,  if you know what you are doing then you can do the re-build yourself but engineering company will have to do re-bore, if you can get away with just a new set of rings then not too bad just labour time. Look around for another secondhand engine try to see it running though as not to buy one that is a dog. There are people that break on here. 

[henryd]

Does it smoke all the time or only on start up?,if only at start up I would suspect valve stem oil seals worn/gone hard,still quite a job but fixable

[kevinp58]

Does it smoke all the time or only on start up?,if only at start up I would suspect valve stem oil seals worn/gone hard,still quite a job but fixable

+1 

[albitz]

At 177,000 miles a replacement lower mileage engine would be the best way to proceed in my opinion.

[noel]

At 177,000 miles a replacement lower mileage engine would be the best way to proceed in my opinion.

+1 

[TheBoy]

If the oil servicing hasn't been great, for some reason, cylinder No1 wears excessively.

If you need to use a garage, I'd say it would be uneconomical.  As others have suggested, a replacement lower mileage engine from a breaker may be a better option, esp given the mileage on yours - don't see many 2.0l go much further beyond that sort of mileage.

[tunnie]

My 2.2 is reaching that kind of miles fast, like wise its been so reliable, its been best car I've owned.

As others have said, Garage bills would make it uneconomical to repair, need to look DIY work? 

Or contact some of the members here who do work, Elite Pete, JamesV6CDX 

[Kevin Wood]

In addition to the stem seals, it would be worth checking that the oil isn't getting into the intake through the breathers, or getting past the rings due to blocked breathers.

Given that you'll likely have significant engine wear at that mileage, it'd probably want a re-bore, new pistons and rings, etc. to do a proper job of fixing it. More economical to source a lower mileage engine and drop it in.

The rest of the car should be solid enough to make it worth while.

[OmegaTel57]

Thanks everyone for your comments, I guess the cheapest option at first is to check (as Kevin suggests) that the breathers are not blocked, never even thought of that, fingers "very very" crossed mefinks

[OmegaTel57]

In addition to the stem seals, it would be worth checking that the oil isn't getting into the intake through the breathers, or getting past the rings due to blocked breathers.

Given that you'll likely have significant engine wear at that mileage, it'd probably want a re-bore, new pistons and rings, etc. to do a proper job of fixing it. More economical to source a lower mileage engine and drop it in.

The rest of the car should be solid enough to make it worth while.

Many thanks Kevin, I never even thought of checking the breathers, I am not sure where to check first, the only breather I know of is the one at the rear of the engine on the right hand side, are there others ? and where would I find them ? thanks again mate, I guess it's a long shot but it may just save my fantastic Omega

[OmegaTel57]

Strangely enough she still has plenty of pulling power, no signs of trouble in that regard, plenty of compression it seems, and starts on the button..

[OmegaTel57]

Does it smoke all the time or only on start up?,if only at start up I would suspect valve stem oil seals worn/gone hard,still quite a job but fixable

Hi Henry - Smokes as soon as engine has warmed up, oil thinner I suspect and then getting past the rings 

[RobG]

the breathers, I am not sure where to check first, the only breather I know of is the one at the rear of the engine on the right hand side, are there others ? and where would I find them

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=90586.0

[OmegaTel57]

Well after dodging in and out from the rain I have been able to removed the breather pipes, the small breather pipe was blocked, so I suspect the jet will also be blocked, the breather to the rear of the engine is full of gunk so I have removed and cleaned that pipe and the filter (flame trap), the problem I now have is, how do I remove clean and clear the rocker cover of any blockage, and what cleaning agent do I use ? as I'm sure these two openings will also be blocked with gunk and carbon, I also have the added problem of the blocked tube which goes down to what I am guessing is the sump, I don't want to use any fluids that may cause further damage etc, any further advice would be appreciated, thanks for all your help so far,,, and do you think this might be the cause of my smoking exhaust issue ?...