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[tunnie]

well i have started........ i moved it into the garage!  

I ran it for about 5 minutes in the garage (doors open!)

No leaks spotted what so ever, all around the HBV is dry, nothing spotted on the garage floor.

Now the car had not been started in several weeks, last time it ran was in front of Jaime about 2 weeks ago.

It started on the first click of the key and ran smooth, no white smoke out the back or anything. No power loss, pickup was good.

After 5 mins of running, i switched off and opened the header tank, firstly there was a little too much pressure for my liking. Second their was a strong smell of petrol, and 'fumes' could be seen coming out of the tank.

[TheBoy]

You have lights in there, start stripping

[Entwood]

Don't know if this will work .... going back in time to the days of the Cortina .. used to check for head gasket problems by running engine with rad cap off and looking for bubbles ...might work on yours should be easier to see with a clear(ish) header tank ... cortina's had no such finesse !!

The theory was, with no cap on the gas pressure in the cylinder will always be greater than the water pressure in the system, so leak would increase and be easier to spot ...

[TheBoy]

Don't know if this will work .... going back in time to the days of the Cortina .. used to check for head gasket problems by running engine with rad cap off and looking for bubbles ...might work on yours should be easier to see with a clear(ish) header tank ... cortina's had no such finesse !!

The theory was, with no cap on the gas pressure in the cylinder will always be greater than the water pressure in the system, so leak would increase and be easier to spot ...

I think petrol fumes is conclusive enough  :-/ ?

[tunnie]

i need food!! - my start stripping it down tomorrow, i could see the heat shield bolts.....

[Entwood]

To tell the truth I'm puzzled by the petrol fumes .... unburned petrol can only enter the cylinder during vacuum, and so should not leak into water, water should leak into cylinder, if the HG leak is sufficiently large. If the leak is still "small" then the major movement will be under maximum compression .. ie after ignition when the pressure in the cylinder is highest, but the fumes would no longer be of "petrol" but of "exhaust" ... burned fuel. If the leak is of such a size that it is occuring during the compression stroke itself I would expect a major loss of performance as that/those cylinders have nothing to work on. If unburned fuel is getting into the system for some other reason I'm inclined to look elsewhere, but I don't know Omega's well enough.

[TheBoy]

To tell the truth I'm puzzled by the petrol fumes .... unburned petrol can only enter the cylinder during vacuum, and so should not leak into water, water should leak into cylinder, if the HG leak is sufficiently large. If the leak is still "small" then the major movement will be under maximum compression .. ie after ignition when the pressure in the cylinder is highest, but the fumes would no longer be of "petrol" but of "exhaust" ... burned fuel. If the leak is of such a size that it is occuring during the compression stroke itself I would expect a major loss of performance as that/those cylinders have nothing to work on. If unburned fuel is getting into the system for some other reason I'm inclined to look elsewhere, but I don't know Omega's well enough.

When I smelt it, it wasn't petrol fumes, but that 'rich running' exhaust fumes (car was on choke)

[Taxi_Driver]

To tell the truth I'm puzzled by the petrol fumes .... unburned petrol can only enter the cylinder during vacuum, and so should not leak into water, water should leak into cylinder, if the HG leak is sufficiently large. If the leak is still "small" then the major movement will be under maximum compression .. ie after ignition when the pressure in the cylinder is highest, but the fumes would no longer be of "petrol" but of "exhaust" ... burned fuel. If the leak is of such a size that it is occuring during the compression stroke itself I would expect a major loss of performance as that/those cylinders have nothing to work on. If unburned fuel is getting into the system for some other reason I'm inclined to look elsewhere, but I don't know Omega's well enough.

Im a bit confused as well TBH,,,,but im no engine expert....tho if its using loads of water and not leaking it....as previous posts say....HG has to the suspect imo

[Entwood]

In which case you are probably 99% correct, HG has probably lifted rather than split and is leaking cylinder to water jacket under compression, I've known them to act like a little flapper valve. Good thing about that is it is unlikely to have damaged either the head or block unless its done a very large number of miles (hydraulic erosion) or been like it a long time (corrosion). Reading the thread neither seem that likely.

as you say .. start stripping !!!  

[familyman]

Hi Tunnie don't want to scare monger or anything but some of what your describing "loss of water when standing but no loss when running, misfire when started but goes once cleared " sounds like a cracked head which is sealing up as metal temp rises with running unlike a HG which normally can't hold pressure as temp rises. Once you get the head off get it crack tested before spending money on skimming. Usually the firm that does one will be able to do both. That may be why the sniffer didn't work once engine was warm, crack was sealed so no fumes.
Others on here have a lot more experience of 2.2 probably know better. but might be worth checking

[TheBoy]

Hi Tunnie don't want to scare monger or anything but some of what your describing "loss of water when standing but no loss when running, misfire when started but goes once cleared " sounds like a cracked head which is sealing up as metal temp rises with running unlike a HG which normally can't hold pressure as temp rises. Once you get the head off get it crack tested before spending money on skimming. Usually the firm that does one will be able to do both. That may be why the sniffer didn't work once engine was warm, crack was sealed so no fumes.
Others on here have a lot more experience of 2.2 probably know better. but might be worth checking

Never heard of cracked heads on modern Vauxhalls - porous ones on late 80s engines maybe.  Much better heads than BMW junk

[Taxi_Driver]

Getting worried about my 2.2 now  

Tunnies Dads has done 90k+ mine is now on nearly 102k  :-/

Tho mine will need to have new head gasket for the manifold blow prob......when i get round to sorting it...with James's help

[familyman]

Hi Tunnie don't want to scare monger or anything but some of what your describing "loss of water when standing but no loss when running, misfire when started but goes once cleared " sounds like a cracked head which is sealing up as metal temp rises with running unlike a HG which normally can't hold pressure as temp rises. Once you get the head off get it crack tested before spending money on skimming. Usually the firm that does one will be able to do both. That may be why the sniffer didn't work once engine was warm, crack was sealed so no fumes.
Others on here have a lot more experience of 2.2 probably know better. but might be worth checking

Never heard of cracked heads on modern Vauxhalls - porous ones on late 80s engines maybe.  Much better heads than BMW junk

As i said i bow to superior knowledge. As my grandad used to say " least expected happens most" whatever that means I think he was a boy scout

[VX1]

There is another test you can do Tunnie to see if the HG has gone and that is to put your hand over the tail pipe and see if it gets very hot very quickly, I mean if you can't keep your hand over the pipe for more than 5 seconds. When the HG went on my 2.0ltr my mechanic done this and thats how he new it was the HG also there was a lot of pressure build up in the header tank. Worth a try at least you will know for defo.

[lee4206]

Just started reading this thread  and i had exactly the same symptons on my 2.0. Took off head    gasket  head and block all looked fine had head skimmed put it back together and runs fine(apart from using more petrol that is down to lambda sensor i think). So i wouldnt worry about it being anything else..