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[terry paget]

This wretched car is giving me a rough time. At the end of yesterday's test run I seemed to notice a slight misfire. This morning I gave it another test run, and it misfires under load at low revs, so presumably an ignition fault. Only code stored is 19 incorrect rpm signal, presumably there from before I changed the crank sensor.
I changed the plugs last October and leads 1-3-5 at the same time, I changed the coil pack in 2014.
Water in no. 6 seems unlikely as it hasn't rained for yonks.
Before I rush into changing things, are there any more checks I should make?

[Doctor Gollum]

Oil in the plug wells and primarily that everything is still plugged in following the crank sensor kerfuffle

[BazaJT]

As DG suggests first things I'd be checking are the security of the plug leads and the coil pack.

[terry paget]

Oil in the plug wells and primarily that everything is still plugged in following the crank sensor kerfuffle

Thanks Doc. I find oil in 1,3 and 5 plug wells.
Can anyone recommend a good supplier of cam cover gaskets?

[polilara]

When mine started to leak I changed also covers as they were warped, original GM, just for sure. Wanted to avoid to make that stupid work twice.

[terry paget]

I have just checked the small hole into the breather box - it is not blocked. I fitted new cam cover gaskets last October, but they were cheap aftermarket gaskets. I am embarrassed and disappointed that they have failed so soon. I believe that Vx gaskets cost about £80, mine cost £15. I argued that as long as the breather system was working all right the engine would suck air in, rather than blow oil out. Maybe my cam covers are warped, as mentioned above.

[BazaJT]

Easy enough to check in situ with a straight edge-I used a 12" ruler to check mine,and yes they'd bowed out slightly-another thing to check as I believe this has been known to happen is whether any of the cover bolts have come loose.

[terry paget]

Oil in all six plug wells. Just rung local Vx dealer, 2 sets cam cover gaskets will cost over £100. I fitted aftermarket gaskets last October. Pleae advise.

[polilara]

I bought original covers in 2015, 157 euro/pc. Seals were included. Expensive but no problems after that, might be cheaper today.

[terry paget]

I bought original covers in 2015, 157 euro/pc. Seals were included. Expensive but no problems after that, might be cheaper today.

Was that both cam covers, and all the gaskets and O-rings?

[Doctor Gollum]

Each... Last I bought, admittedly in 2005, were £180 a side... Includes new seal and o rings.

Alternatively buy £15 ones and replace at every service...

[terry paget]

Each... Last I bought, admittedly in 2005, were £180 a side... Includes new seal and o rings.

Alternatively buy £15 ones and replace at every service...

Back in 2006 my first 3.2 Omega cost £2500, so £360 keeping it tip top seemed reasonable. 12 years on, with my Omegas worth less than £200 each, I am mean with maintenance costs. I still cling to my belief that if the breathers are clear then a leaking cam cover gasket will leak air in, not oil out. I expect to be proven wrong.
Today I blew a lot of oil out of my big breather tubes. Perhaps they were blocked.

[Doctor Gollum]

Each... Last I bought, admittedly in 2005, were £180 a side... Includes new seal and o rings.

Alternatively buy £15 ones and replace at every service...

Back in 2006 my first 3.2 Omega cost £2500, so £360 keeping it tip top seemed reasonable. 12 years on, with my Omegas worth less than £200 each, I am mean with maintenance costs. I still cling to my belief that if the breathers are clear then a leaking cam cover gasket will leak air in, not oil out. I expect to be proven wrong.
Today I blew a lot of oil out of my big breather tubes. Perhaps they were blocked.

What do your plug wells have to say on the subject?

[ajsphead]

Each... Last I bought, admittedly in 2005, were £180 a side... Includes new seal and o rings.

Alternatively buy £15 ones and replace at every service...

Back in 2006 my first 3.2 Omega cost £2500, so £360 keeping it tip top seemed reasonable. 12 years on, with my Omegas worth less than £200 each, I am mean with maintenance costs. I still cling to my belief that if the breathers are clear then a leaking cam cover gasket will leak air in, not oil out. I expect to be proven wrong.
Today I blew a lot of oil out of my big breather tubes. Perhaps they were blocked.

I take a slightly different view. I don't look at what my Omega is worth, I look at what it's worth to me and if I weigh everything up, it's a hard act to replace. So whatever it needs is what it gets and only ever OE or OEM parts. Admittedly my fleet is not quite as big as yours, I only have 4 cars in total, but take a similar view with all of them. It's still cheaper to fix than to replace.

My garage service manager has just bought a very tidy 2.6 and bit off the hand of the seller at less than £1000 - he knew what he was buying more than the seller knew what he was selling. Following the used/classic/auction markets reveals that values of the best Omegas have bottomed out and are going back up again so I'm trying to keep mine in that category.

The classic market is beginning to cotton onto them as the "last great rear wheel drive large Opel/Vauxhall" and "a better drive than the equivalent Mercedes E class". If you want a comparison just look at values for the Rover SD1.

[polilara]

Each... Last I bought, admittedly in 2005, were £180 a side... Includes new seal and o rings.

Alternatively buy £15 ones and replace at every service...

Back in 2006 my first 3.2 Omega cost £2500, so £360 keeping it tip top seemed reasonable. 12 years on, with my Omegas worth less than £200 each, I am mean with maintenance costs. I still cling to my belief that if the breathers are clear then a leaking cam cover gasket will leak air in, not oil out. I expect to be proven wrong.
Today I blew a lot of oil out of my big breather tubes. Perhaps they were blocked.

Perhaps when engine is stopped all the oil splashed around inside covers leak out.