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[V6 CDX-er]

Firstly apologies to the mods if this is in the wrong section. I wasn't quite sure where to put such a topic.


The idea of this thread is to document the progress, cost and timescale taken in turning what is frankly a rather tired and unloved late model Omega into something that most on here would be happy to own.


Bought in mid October 2010 for £1200. It shows that I am the third owner of this 94'000 mile, 2003 2.6 CDX auto.





Since then lots of other things have got in the way of getting the Omega back on the road. namely the fact that my wife has recently presented me with a beautiful baby daughter, and the need to get her nursery decorated.

The vehicle was bought with the following known faults;

Cambelt, tensioners and water pump need replacing.
All filters and fluids need replacing
Needs a complete brake overhaul
Cam cover gaskets leaking
Front fogs, reverse lights and one brake light in-op
Trim pieces under the headlights missing, and a couple of bodywork scrapes
Needs new tyres

over the next week or so I will be keeping a log of all work carried out, including the costs of each job and how long it took me to do each one, (I'm a very basic home DIY spannerer with basic kit) Hopefully this will be some help for those either looking to buy an Omega, or those that have already bought and are thinking of doing these jobs themselves.



As you can see I already have most of the parts that I need. As I do each job I will list how much the parts and sundries have cost me. (please excuse the mess in my office  )

[wingman]

unloved late model Omega
There's no such thing - there all loved on here.
 Be very interesting to hear how you get on. Good luck with it.

[Omega_Dan]

Good luck with everything! will be a great feeling when its all done

[Dishevelled Den]

Congratulations to you V on acquiring the car and to both you and your wife on the arrival of your daughter. 8-)

I'll certainly look forward to seeing how you progress on the car's revival.

[mindaz]

good luck 
will wait news from you 

[El33t]

I would feel that £1,200 is a little steep for a car that requires so much work.

But congrats on the (two) projects!

[V6 CDX-er]

I've managed to get a few jobs done this evening. Things got off to a slow start by having to fanny around juggling cars around the garage / driveway.

Anyway, as i stated in the first post on this thread I will be doing a small write-up of each job done.

Airfilter. A new one from the main dealers cost me £11.66 inc VAT. Fitting was a piece of cake. If you can open a can of Coke then you can change an air filter and a pollen filter.

Tools needed for the airfilter change are a T-20 Torx drive, 1/4" ratchet, extension bar, 7mm socket and a vacuum cleaner. The job took me about ten minutes.

Old one in;


Old one out. I gave the airbox a good vac and wipe out at this point


Old v New


New one in


Job done.

[V6 CDX-er]

Next up was a clean of the drain holes and replace the pollen filter. Yet again it was a pretty easy job. The only 'tools' that were needed was the vac (again) and a 1 metre length of stiff 'twin core' cable to help clear the drain holes. My pollen filter was £7.44 inc VAT.

I used the excellent scuttle drain guide in the maintinance section of this forum as a guide. I found the retaining clips hard to locate at first, (it wasn't obvious that the clips were clips). Clearing the nearside (on UK models), drainhole was tricky due to how little room there was for me to force my hand in. I must admit to having to get the wife to help at that point. My hands were just too big. The drivers side was a piece of cake.

Drain hole cleared


Old v New pollen filter


New filter in


The grud that came out of the drivers side drain grommet. Well and truly blocked!


And grommet cleared and cleaned.

[V6 CDX-er]

Next up was changing the rear discs, pads and handbrake shoes. I haven't finished that job yet, so will report on that tomorrow.

[V6 CDX-er]

Well, I've done a little, but not anyway near as much as I would have liked to have done.

What spare time I had yesterday was taken up by doing just one side of the rear brakes. Discs and pads wasn't a problem, but what did cause a major delay was getting the retaining pins on the shoes back into their cover-plates, (if you know what I mean?).

The pin nearest the front of the vehicle was slightly shorter than the one towards the back. Not by much, only a couple of mm, but it was enough to make an already fiddly job neigh on impossible 

For anyone who is thinking of changing the handbrake shoes, may I suggest that you include the following in your toolkit,

These very thin and long forcepts from Machine Mart; http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/forceps it will be the best £4.69 that you ever spend. I just wish that I had had some prior to doing the first side.
Plus a large and varied selection of swear words to use when the bloody spring pings the pin back out at you for the 417th straight time.

Today has been stupidly busy at work, so all I've had time to do is clean up my rear wheel, (it was completely black on the inside), which took some doing, then make a start on my front discs and pads. The fact that the caliper to bellhousing bolts are seized solid has drawn things to a close today. Just as well as I didn't notice that it was 02:50am.

if I thought that the rear brake linings were bad, (down to the metal), it was nothing compared to the fronts. I honestly do not believe that the discs or pads have ever been changed in seven years and 94'000 miles. No friction material left on the pads, everything is seized solid with what looks to be factory thread lock on the couple of bolts I have removed, but it's the front discs which worried me the most. Between the vanes is so badly worn and corroded that they are well on their way to splitting in two 

I've seen some seriously worn discs in my time, but these fronts really take the biscuit. Thankfully I only had to drive the car about 15 miles to get it back home.

I'll post up pics tomorrow so long as I actually have the time to work on the car, and I can get the dam caliper retaining bolts off after using so far half a large can of TT without any joy.

Right, that's my mug of hot milk finished, (yeah, I lead a very rock & roll lifestyle eh?), and I'm off to bed.

[Omegatoy]

mounting bolts on the caliper are always very tight and as you have found out are threadlocked , long breaker bar is the answer!unless you have a good quality windy gun? and you will have to use it to tighten them when done or they will come loose!!! hence the reason they are so tight in the first place!

[albitz]

Looking at the state of those filters I would guess they are as old as the car. I would put money on the breathers etc being very blocked indeed. Looks like you are taking the right approach - go over the whole car and service everything.

[PhilRich]

Any more progress?
I have been looking forward to seeing you chronicle the work done/issues solved etc. Good luck with it anyway 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Very enjoyable to read your progress, keep up the good work, as they say. 

[V6 CDX-er]

Any more progress?
I have been looking forward to seeing you chronicle the work done/issues solved etc. Good luck with it anyway 

Yes, there has been, but not a lot 

Due to sleep deprivation by our baby daughter, all I've wanted to do most nights when I return from work is have my dinner, play with her for an hour, then try and sleep. And on the nights that I have had the energy to work on the Omega, most of the time it has been that cold, (saw -9 one night, -5 a few others), that I've soon got fed-up freezing my nuts off in the garage. Anyway, I digress......

Firstly I'd like to pay a quick homage to one of the legends in motorsport. It is with a heavy heart that I have just learnt of the passing of Tom Walkinshaw, who has sadly lost his long battle with cancer. It is because of you Tom that I have been a fan of Jaguars ever since I was a young kid watching your cars win Le Mans and blitz the field at Bathurst.







RIP Tom Walkinshaw 




Except for changing the brake fluid and adjusting the handbrake, all four corners of the brakes are done. If it is 50 years untill I next have to change handbrake shoes, it will be too soon. Plus one of my rear calipers had seized, which meant hunting for another one at a sensible price, (£25 delivered off eBay).


Front discs and pads were a piece of cake. The only thing which I would advise being carefull of it perhaps getting a few spare disc retaining studs, as two of mine chewed up taking them off. Putting the new ones back on I used a little copperslip on the threads, and only nipped them up slightly.

So, front discs and pads. I bought a set, (discs & pads), from my local VX main dealers for just a touch over £80 inc VAT. Besides a torque wrench, no other special tools are needed for this job. Just remember to crack the bleed nipple off on the caliper, and unscrew the lid on the brake master cylinder before squeezing the caliper pistons back. I also read a very good tip on here, (I forget who from), about using the old pad to squeeze back the pistons, therefore the pistons are going back squarely.

Each side should take you between 30-45 minutes depending on how quick you work.



INTERNET ON A GO SLOW. WILL FINISH OFF LATER.