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[Tafty]

Helllpppppp!!!!!

My cars in bits and starting to panic!!!

Am in the process of doing my cambelt and just as I was lining up to TDC to the water pump - the bloody locking tool was too shallow ie doesn't quite reach the water pump
HAve looked at the box I have to lock the cams - a Sealey VSE130 and it says it's for the GM Ecotec 2.5/3.0 - Unfortunately I have a 2.6!!!! My question being as I can make a minor adjustment/extension for the water pump tool.... will the alignment gauge ( the 2 C's :-/) be the same for a 2.6???

Any help very much appreciated

Lee

[Kevin Wood]

If you can get a mirror down in front of the crank pulley you should be able to see the timing mark on the bottom of the pulley and the corresponding mark on the housing. Line these up and you're at TDC. OK. You won't be able to lock it but with care you should be able to get it back together.

IIRC James had a similar issue with a Laser tool. I wonder if there are water pumps knocking around with shorter shafts? Or maybe it's a difference with some engines?

Kevin

[Tafty]

If you can get a mirror down in front of the crank pulley you should be able to see the timing mark on the bottom of the pulley and the corresponding mark on the housing. Line these up and you're at TDC. OK. You won't be able to lock it but with care you should be able to get it back together.

IIRC James had a similar issue with a Laser tool. I wonder if there are water pumps knocking around with shorter shafts? Or maybe it's a difference with some engines?

Kevin

Cheers Kevin, I can adjust the water pump tool with an adhoc add on fairly simply so I can lock the Cam, but am a bit concerned as to the timing marks on the timing tool - the timing appears to be a bit advanced on mine (looks like the last change was done without a tool and just by eye to the marks on the outer cover -  I'm hoping that the timing marks are on the tool that comes with the kit is the exactly the same tool for 2.5's and 2.6's.

Lee

[iggy21uk]

Bit late tonite any pics that you can post?  
Sorry to here about your problem  :-/

[Tafty]

Bit late tonite any pics that you can post?  
Sorry to here about your problem  :-/

Here goes for the pics.... best I could do in the dark





The tool below is for a 2.5 but I have a 2.6 - will it make any difference or just align it to the case as the previous owner seems to have done?

[Kevin Wood]

Since the official procedure for the 2.6 / 3.2 calls for installing the belt at 10 deg. BTDC and just lining up the marks on the belt it's possible that it doesn't achieve such accurate cam timing. The guide rollers are not adjusted in the 2.6 / 3.2 procedure.

Gut feeling is that they won't have changed the cam sprockets so the timing tools should be accurate but not having been inside that many of these engines I wouldn't like to say for definite. You could try the "new" procedure and see how the timing looks. Does the new belt have the alignment marks on or have you got one without?

The 2.6 / 3.2 procedure is to lock up the cams at TDC position, remove tensioner roller and bottom guide roller, remove belt, replace all but lower guide roller then turn crank backwards 10 degrees, install belt and lower guide roller, lining up the timing marks on the belt with the crank pulley, noting that there'll be slack in the run past the lower guide roller to allow its' installation. Once the belt is on, turn crank to TDC, removing said slack in belt, tighten tensioner roller to 10mm past marking and turn the engine over 2 turns. Bring it back to TDC and see what the cam timing marks look like.

Kevin

[Tafty]

Since the official procedure for the 2.6 / 3.2 calls for installing the belt at 10 deg. BTDC and just lining up the marks on the belt it's possible that it doesn't achieve such accurate cam timing. The guide rollers are not adjusted in the 2.6 / 3.2 procedure.

Gut feeling is that they won't have changed the cam sprockets so the timing tools should be accurate but not having been inside that many of these engines I wouldn't like to say for definite. You could try the "new" procedure and see how the timing looks. Does the new belt have the alignment marks on or have you got one without?

The 2.6 / 3.2 procedure is to lock up the cams at TDC position, remove tensioner roller and bottom guide roller, remove belt, replace all but lower guide roller then turn crank backwards 10 degrees, install belt and lower guide roller, lining up the timing marks on the belt with the crank pulley, noting that there'll be slack in the run past the lower guide roller to allow its' installation. Once the belt is on, turn crank to TDC, removing said slack in belt, tighten tensioner roller to 10mm past marking and turn the engine over 2 turns. Bring it back to TDC and see what the cam timing marks look like.

Kevin

New belt doesn't have any marks on, so need to digest what you advised Kevin to see a way forward - the DVD I got made it look so much simpler. Though obviously it was done on a pre-facelift unlike mine

[Kevin Wood]

New belt doesn't have any marks on

 

Does it look like you can transpose the markings from the old belt?

Failing that count the teeth between each pulley mark with the existing belt and mark the new belt accordingly?

Have a look here too: http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1186327038

Nickbat went through the same thing recently.

Kevin

[Tafty]

Cheers again Kevin,

only just returned from holiday so never went through the previous posts - didn't know it was so recent - am certain the old belt doesn't have marks on but will check in the cold light of day tomorrow.

Lee

Edit:  I'm taking the cambelt kit back to VX to replace with a marked belt - am not going to try and attempt this with a blank belt.

[Tafty]

Now have been on to VX about my Cambelt - and they now don't supply the belts with timing marks on them.  So question is - with peoples knowledge of a 2.6 or 3.2 engine set up - would they recommend the average joe NOT change a cambelt on a facelift V6???

[Kevin Wood]

It does sound troublesome, and the VX procedure really relies on the markings on the belt, which makes me wonder why the FKUC they have stopped printing markings on their belts.  

We probably need to change a few of these and get the procedure documented to OOF standards rather then VX standards!

Anyone got a 2.6 / 3.2 belt that we can use to count teeth? If we knew where the markings needed to be...?

Another alternative might be to source a non-genuine belt, making sure it has the markings. As long it's branded by a reputable manufacturer such as Gates, etc. it'll be just as good as an OEM one.

Kevin

[TheBoy]

It seems all the new belts are not marked any more.

[Tafty]

Well, am not usually one for being cautious but have definately chickened out of the cambelt change. Have done the rocker gaskets, breathers (lost my bloody 1/4" drive extension in middle of removing bridge!!!!  and still can't find it ??!??!?! ), new water pump, aux belt, aux belt tensioner re-greased, spark plugs - which were alarmingly in a poor state of affairs, new handbrake gater, pipercross air filter, coolant replaced, new fuel filter, an application of Wynns hydraulic lifter.................... and to treat me ...... new Omega mats

Not a bad days work - apart from cambelt which I'm gutted about not being confident enough to do - but not messing about with the cambelt until more clearer clarification of belt location on installation - minus belt marks - which according to VX techs is a "piece of piss to change - you just have to make sure you have enough slack on the left hand side under the tensioner" -  "How much Slack?" I ask - " "about 2 or 3 teeth!!!!!!!" - So ask him whether the accuracy of the belt to the cranck on initial installation is crucial - he says it was a complete waste of time and not worth the production costs of printing the timing marks on the belt!!!!!!! They never used them any way!!!!!

I hate Vauxhall sometimes - fooking clear as mud at best -  you know what I'm talking about don't you!!!

Anyway am going to relent and put it into stealers to change the cambelt and tensioners - that really pisses me off - as I know I am capable of doing it myself !!!!!!!(apologies for the rant )  

[Kevin Wood]

I'm planning to go and have a look at nickbat's at the weekend so I'll let you know if any pearls of wisdom are gleaned.

Kevin

[Tafty]

I'm planning to go and have a look at nickbat's at the weekend so I'll let you know if any pearls of wisdom are gleaned.

Kevin

That would be fantastic Kevin if any pearls gleaned from Nickbat - good luck  You'll see why I've been having kittens about doing my own by myself with only the DVD for company - hence the chickening out