Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: berserkerboy on 11 March 2016, 21:20:39
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:-[ I have a serious corrosion issue where the the rear of the subframe joins the body of the car. The corrosion is on the exhaust side where the 2 bolts go into a kind of box section. This box section is torn and falling to pieces. I cannot see how it will be easy to weld. Anyone else had this issue and how is it best solved? Wondering if this is terminal. :'(
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If you weld it yourself it's cheap, and the area I think you mean I would repair with the mount cutout of another car and plug welded to a repaired part of the boot floor.
If you are going to pay someone to do it, then it probably isn't an economic repair.
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Here is a picture of the problem. Not much decent metal left to weld.
(http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r663/berserkerboy/BILD1027_zpsdnsh9v7y.jpg)
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Ideally, repairing that is going to require dropping the exhaust, subframe and fuel tank... all perfectly feasible, but easier on a ramp...
Might be cheaper to replace the car with another Omega, but no reason why I can't be repaired :y
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Thank you
that rusty mount is spotwelded to the panel above it. Although reverse-engineering the mount out of sheetsteel isn't hard, hacking the whole area out of a scrapcar is much easier and quicker. You then cut the rusty mount off, and clean where it fits with an anglegrinder. Plate if necessary, and bolt your tidied up mount to the subframe, then weld the top in place.
BUT, before you do any of that, have a good poke around the rear wheelarches, sills and front chassis rails above the wishbones to see if it is worth doing.
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Thank you
that rusty mount is spotwelded to the panel above it. Although reverse-engineering the mount out of sheetsteel isn't hard, hacking the whole area out of a scrapcar is much easier and quicker. You then cut the rusty mount off, and clean where it fits with an anglegrinder. Plate if necessary, and bolt your tidied up mount to the subframe, then weld the top in place.
BUT, before you do any of that, have a good poke around the rear wheelarches, sills and front chassis rails above the wishbones to see if it is worth doing.
Have used this reverse salvage approch to good effect with the rear exhaust hanger... area in question will differ saloon to estate, so will need sourcing from a suitably shaped car... pre or post facelift doesn't matter as the shells are identical :y
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I discovered this when I was starting the procedure for replacing a rear wheel bearing. List of jobs before next MOT that I am aware of:
Repair the corrosion problem above.
Rear wheel bearing
Brake pipe replacement in one area due to corrosion.
Rear seat middle seatbelt not coming out of reel.
Living in rural Wales I don't have access to a local scrap yard for getting the replacement mount. So I think reverse engineering is my only option. I have a MIG welder but not much experience on using it.
It's a shame because I've replaced the timing belt in the last couple of months and did the wishbones 9 months ago.
It's a nice comfortable car to drive and I love the 3.2 engine with the LPG conversion (not something I added). I'd like to keep the car but really think now that I could be throwing good money and time after bad.
I was thinking that I might look at something like an 08 Zafira. However, the owners forum doesn't appear to be nearly as good as this one. :-\
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Cost wise, the bulk of those repairs are pretty cheap if you can do them yourself and don't "charge" for your time in the calculations. But there's a lot of work there, time wise.
Only you can decide if it is worth your time.
As for Zafira owners forum...... Just stay here ;)
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When does the MoT run out?
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I discovered this when I was starting the procedure for replacing a rear wheel bearing. List of jobs before next MOT that I am aware of:
Repair the corrosion problem above.
Rear wheel bearing
Brake pipe replacement in one area due to corrosion.
Rear seat middle seatbelt not coming out of reel.
Living in rural Wales I don't have access to a local scrap yard for getting the replacement mount. So I think reverse engineering is my only option. I have a MIG welder but not much experience on using it.
It's a shame because I've replaced the timing belt in the last couple of months and did the wishbones 9 months ago.
It's a nice comfortable car to drive and I love the 3.2 engine with the LPG conversion (not something I added). I'd like to keep the car but really think now that I could be throwing good money and time after bad.
I was thinking that I might look at something like an 08 Zafira. However, the owners forum doesn't appear to be nearly as good as this one. :-\
Those are all cheap DIY jobs, if you have the tools (especially for the wheel bearing). Undercar stuff is ideal for inexperienced welders; as long as the job is strong, the appearance is easily masked with a thick coat of underseal.
I would be happy to help, but you're a bit far away.
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MOT due 1st May.
Thanks Nick W for all your advice. Yeah, I think you'd need to come stay for a weeks holiday to make the distance worthwhile 8)
My plan is to buy another car. Then I can repair this one at leisure. The wife wants me to get a Zafira as she doesn't like the low seats in the Omega. Also with 03 being the last year there are bound to be similar issues with another one.
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Have had a good look under the car. This box section is the only really bad rust spot. The driver side could possibly do with a bit of strengthening.
So, I've about a quarter of a tank of fuel. The tank will need to be removed to allow the welding to be done. Can anyone advise the best way to remove the fuel and the procedure for removing the tank?
Thanks
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Remove the plate in the boot
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Have had a good look under the car. This box section is the only really bad rust spot. The driver side could possibly do with a bit of strengthening.
So, I've about a quarter of a tank of fuel. The tank will need to be removed to allow the welding to be done. Can anyone advise the best way to remove the fuel and the procedure for removing the tank?
Thanks
Keep the engine running..... It'll empty out eventually :( Syphon perhaps?
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Remove the plate in the boot
Indeed, attach a hose to the pump feed pipe, other end in a jerry can. Bridge the contacts on the fuel pump relay and wait for it to pump the tank dry.
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Remove the plate in the boot
Indeed, attach a hose to the pump feed pipe, other end in a jerry can. Bridge the contacts on the fuel pump relay and wait for it to pump the tank dry.
Precisely. A convenientplace to disconnect all the gubbins.
Stupid keyboard on this stupid phone froze... Was going to say that tank straps are held on by four bolts. Simply undo and drop the tank out.
Also need to carefully prise out the sealing ring from the filler neck to allow it to drop out as the filler pipe is integral to the tank iirc :y
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Managed to syphon off the petrol by removing the plate in the boot and unscrewing the big plastic sealing ring. This was a little problematic in that it was difficult to get enough grip on the ring which was very tight. Eventually I ended up using a strip of metal against the ridges and carefully tapping with a hammer until it eventually moved.
This was just the start of my problems. Inspecting underneath I saw that there are a number of approx 8mm pipes connecting different parts of the tank. Unfortunately, when the LPG was installed the gas pipework and electrics was run in such a way that a run of the 8mm pipe I describe above is trapped by the LPG pipework. This makes removal of the tank impossible unless it is possible to disconnect either the LPG pipework or preferably the union of the petrol pipework. Here is a picture of the kind of union I need to undo. The actual one is at the front of the tank where I am struggling to get a decent picture:
(http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r663/berserkerboy/BILD1028_zpsgnhx7gpv.jpg)
I will need to remove the pipe at the union of the petrol tank.
Alternatively, I need to undo the LPG pipework at the tank so that I can bend it to allow removal:
(http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r663/berserkerboy/BILD1031_zpswbnzquxg.jpg)
It is the right hand copper pipe that will need to be disconnected. How do I go about turning off the gas so that this can be undone. Do I simply screw up the tap above it? System is a STAG.
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I would try to remove the pipe from the tank, as that copper LPG pipework won't take kindly to too much flexing. If you have the cut the pipe off you can always replace it with suitably sized rubber fuel hose and jubilee clips. I think these connections are just breathers to both ends of the tank to ensure it fills properly.
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Okay. Good point. ??? Thanks
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Disconnect the wires and the tank is shut off. Additionally turning that knurled knob as a backup.
That copper pipe will probably need replacing... You can get a joiner to save running it all the way to the front :y
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Thanks for that. Good to know :)
I have removed the tank by snipping the vent pipe that was trapped. Looks a simple repair when I put it all back with a 6MM straight connector.
My brother in law is visiting who is a very experienced welder. It's a pig of a job tho. We have managed to save just the studs and are having to approximate the new box section with 3mm steel plate. Very awkward job as the diff and half shafts are still in the way for welding the front of the box.
Will post some pictures if we manage to complete successfully. :-\
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What made you use 3mm steel when the original is only sheet metal?
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Advice from a welder at work when I told him I needed to remake a supporting box section. Yep, sheet would have been easier and my bro in law is cursing me as that's what I asked him to bring. Anyhoo, we have a problem in as much as BIL says U rubber mount is a bit far gone and he is struggling to line everything up. Have just googled that these are virtually impossible to source. Nothing is easy!
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Okay so we are nearly there. Not replacing U mount at the mo. Box all remade and super strong.
Got the next problem tho. The venting pipe that I had to cut is 6mm internal but made of plastic rather than rubber and is corrugated/ ridged. I bought a plastic connector and will need to warm the pipe in order to get it in. However I'm concerned this may not make a good enough seal even with a petrol pipe clip around it.
I'm wondering whether I should try to replace the whole length with rubber hose if I can get it onto the tank unions.
Anybody and suggestions?
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I haven't had to repair that hose but have joined similar sounding hoses (a long time ago) by 'boiling' the ends in a kettle and then ramming in the biggest hose joiner I could conceivably get in there; when everything cooled it was a nice, tight fit. Granted this was for vac & boost rather than fuel vapour :-\ but if you've any doubts I don't think I'd worry about replacing the whole run with rubber and clips.
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I use a heat gun for fitting nylon pipe as I didn't have any luck with boiling water. This was to make fuel injection pipes, and I never had any issues.
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I was concerned that the corrugation would prevent a good seal on the 6mm connector and obtaining a suitably small securing clip.
What I have done is cut back to the unions where the corrugation smoothes out. Then I have forced some 10mm fuel hose over and jubilee clipped. Seems a good repair. :)
Thanks for your suggestions though :y
Next job rear wheel bearing. If you have any advice on how to get the hub off I would be very grateful. There is a post that I started for this.
Thanks again