Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: sport on 15 January 2013, 22:20:32

Title: should i fix or break
Post by: sport on 15 January 2013, 22:20:32
My omega 2.2 estate 03 good condition everything working but my cylinder head just started to leak been told it will cost between £400 to £500 to fix so is it worth fixing or sell for parts.
Just past mot and 4 resent tiers  £520 
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: Lazydocker on 15 January 2013, 22:24:20
I would fix it... What are you going to get for £500? Or DIY/one of the mobile mechanics on here for about half that ;)

Just seen your location... Darth Loo Knee territory ;) Not sure if he's still tinkering but worth asking him :y
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: symes on 15 January 2013, 22:26:30
Well up to you mate but few on here have done head then had other problems 1 felle gave up sold it and left forum :'(
Am thinking that 2.2 is not all that good=now wait for others to lynch me-I got 2.5 v6-engine too complicated for what it is BUT its done 240250 miles so far  :y :y 2.2 would be in bits by then
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: flyer 0712 on 15 January 2013, 22:37:35
If you like the car...know the car...then simples fix it...as they said on here what you going to get for £500.....sweet   nothing. :y
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: ffcgary1 on 15 January 2013, 22:40:17
Easy fix that, nowhere near £400- £500 if you get darth to fix.. normaly poor coolant maint does for head gaskets on the 2.2.
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: philsteward on 16 January 2013, 00:35:20
I have just finished changing the head gasket on my 2.2, it had gone on cylinder 3 between the cylinder and the coolant channel so pressurising the expansion tank.

Strip down was straight forward following the guide on here, took no more than 6hrs and I had LPG to contend with.

Got the HG set from Trechii on eBay, very good and recommended on here.

Got head skimmed, pressure tested and stem seals changed for £100 at a local specialists.

Cleaned throttle body, breather pipes, blanked EGR, , changed leaking exhaust manifold gasket, cleaned out cam followers as well.

Rebuilt engine with few issues. Had a couple of problems once finished - misfire on cylinder 3 (injector connector into LPG system had come loose. Also (just solved) the throttle body some how decided to fail.

All finished now, I would say 3 days work plus a couple of days for the head skim and cost me less than £200 including all the extra things I changed/did.

In summary if the car is otherwise good get it done, if you don't fancy it and want rid PM me you never know! ;)
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 16 January 2013, 01:06:48
Agreed, this is on Daz's doorstep and he would do you an good deal I'm sure on changing the HG.

If Daz is not available I'd happily help you, instinct tells me it would be around half the cost you've been quoted..
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: car5car on 16 January 2013, 02:25:09
Turn head upside down (remove cam) and fill combustion chambers by ATF to check valves.
Head on the picture is from 02 Saturn 2.2 Opel engine, probably what you have (I mean, your engine has :)).
As you can see 2 cylinders had leaking valves. I had to lap valves by drill. Exhaust valves will leak ATF through exhaust manifold holes, guess where intale valves will leak. ;D
http://s213.beta.photobucket.com/user/car6car/media/head001_zpsa422dfed.jpg.html
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: dbug on 16 January 2013, 15:20:43
Turn head upside down (remove cam) and fill combustion chambers by ATF to check valves.
Head on the picture is from 02 Saturn 2.2 Opel engine, probably what you have (I mean, your engine has :)).
As you can see 2 cylinders had leaking valves. I had to lap valves by drill. Exhaust valves will leak ATF through exhaust manifold holes, guess where intale valves will leak. ;D
http://s213.beta.photobucket.com/user/car6car/media/head001_zpsa422dfed.jpg.html

Here's your pic mate -

(http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc87/car6car/head001_zpsa422dfed.jpg)
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: b4ndit on 16 January 2013, 15:34:43
I would fix it as others have said what you going to get for the price of fixing a car you know :y
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: Sam Burton on 16 January 2013, 15:55:13
I would fix it as others have said what you going to get for the price of fixing a car you know :y

And plus you always have these guys to help you along the way What more could you ask for
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: tunnie on 16 January 2013, 16:20:58
My 2.2 petrol is 13 years old and 160k young, its a bit battered, but gives me a cost equivalent of 50mpg and its dirt cheap to get parts for.

If its head gasket went, I'd get it fixed  :y
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: sport on 16 January 2013, 22:06:30
I have just finished changing the head gasket on my 2.2, it had gone on cylinder 3 between the cylinder and the coolant channel so pressurising the expansion tank.

Strip down was straight forward following the guide on here, took no more than 6hrs and I had LPG to contend with.

Got the HG set from Trechii on eBay, very good and recommended on here.

Got head skimmed, pressure tested and stem seals changed for £100 at a local specialists.

Cleaned throttle body, breather pipes, blanked EGR, , changed leaking exhaust manifold gasket, cleaned out cam followers as well.

Rebuilt engine with few issues. Had a couple of problems once finished - misfire on cylinder 3 (injector connector into LPG system had come loose. Also (just solved) the throttle body some how decided to fail.

All finished now, I would say 3 days work plus a couple of days for the head skim and cost me less than £200 including all the extra things I changed/did.

In summary if the car is otherwise good get it done, if you don't fancy it and want rid PM me you never know! ;)

Hi loosing water coolant , loads more steam than usual but there seams to be no more pressure than usual in the expansion  tank. and misfires on cold and hot starting for about 5 seconds then runs fine.
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: albitz on 16 January 2013, 22:17:13
you will got a lot of steam from the exhaust in this cold weather.Might be worth ruling out other possible causes of coolant loss. :-\
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: philsteward on 16 January 2013, 22:19:24
I have just finished changing the head gasket on my 2.2, it had gone on cylinder 3 between the cylinder and the coolant channel so pressurising the expansion tank.

Strip down was straight forward following the guide on here, took no more than 6hrs and I had LPG to contend with.

Got the HG set from Trechii on eBay, very good and recommended on here.

Got head skimmed, pressure tested and stem seals changed for £100 at a local specialists.

Cleaned throttle body, breather pipes, blanked EGR, , changed leaking exhaust manifold gasket, cleaned out cam followers as well.

Rebuilt engine with few issues. Had a couple of problems once finished - misfire on cylinder 3 (injector connector into LPG system had come loose. Also (just solved) the throttle body some how decided to fail.

All finished now, I would say 3 days work plus a couple of days for the head skim and cost me less than £200 including all the extra things I changed/did.

In summary if the car is otherwise good get it done, if you don't fancy it and want rid PM me you never know! ;)

Hi loosing water coolant , loads more steam than usual but there seams to be no more pressure than usual in the expansion  tank. and misfires on cold and hot starting for about 5 seconds then runs fine.

With the exception of the lack of pressure in the expansion tank that is identical to the symptoms mine had.

Honestly is not too difficult, give it a go!
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: Rog on 17 January 2013, 14:22:43
My omega 2.2 estate 03 good condition everything working but my cylinder head just started to leak been told it will cost between £400 to £500 to fix so is it worth fixing or sell for parts.
Just past mot and 4 resent tiers  £520

If that £400-£500 is to replace head gasket, then that's not too bad. I paid much more than that on my 2.5 V6, which is more complex, but even so.
Title: Re: should i fix or break
Post by: philsteward on 17 January 2013, 14:26:05
My omega 2.2 estate 03 good condition everything working but my cylinder head just started to leak been told it will cost between £400 to £500 to fix so is it worth fixing or sell for parts.
Just past mot and 4 resent tiers  £520

If that £400-£500 is to replace head gasket, then that's not too bad. I paid much more than that on my 2.5 V6, which is more complex, but even so.

£400-£500 isn't a bad price for a HG change, but the OP doesn't want to spend that much by the sounds of it.  Can be done for much less (under £200) if you remove labour costs, i.e. DIY!