Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Webby the Bear on 06 July 2016, 19:09:43

Title: V6 cam covers
Post by: Webby the Bear on 06 July 2016, 19:09:43
Evening guys. I need replacement cam covers for my 2.5 v6.

I had an eye watering quote from Vauxhall.

So two questions. 1. would motor factors sell them and if not 2. does anyone have any non warped ones for sale?

Cheers ladies
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 06 July 2016, 19:24:58
Dbug used a specific set of pattern gaskets to apparent good effect, but be buggered if I can remember who made them... Might have been Payen?

That said, isn't that what you fitted last time :-\
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: Webby the Bear on 06 July 2016, 20:50:17
Thanks al. I mean gollum. Lol

It's the actual covers I need. I noticed they were warped last time but I didn't have replacements on hand. Now they've started leaking prematurely I'm convinced it's due to the warpage.

Therefore new covers needed. Though still happy to keep playing with different gaskets
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 06 July 2016, 20:52:32
Ah ok, shop around, including US/Germany... Be dealer only otherwise  :'(
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 06 July 2016, 20:58:24
Could do with a 246 bank cam cover myself. When I think of the number of them Ive binned in the past because no-one wanted them.  ::)
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: zirk on 06 July 2016, 22:05:26
Could do with a 246 bank cam cover myself. When I think of the number of them Ive binned in the past because no-one wanted them.  ::)
Yep, sods law that one, the amount of almost new or near immaculate stuff Ive stored, then needed the space, tried to sell, give them away, then binned, only to find was needed only months later by myself or another member.

Just a shame we cant all chip in all together and find a nice cheap dry National Storage unit somewhere were we can donate spares to be of use later in life.
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: minifreek on 07 July 2016, 08:06:47
Mine was warped and I replaced them with Vectra covers with genuine gaskets, been replaced for well over 18 months now and not leaked once - even after removing them a couple of times for various reasons (cam swaps and HG replacement) :y
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 07 July 2016, 10:59:11
Make sure you keep your breathers spotlessly clean.  ;)
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 07 July 2016, 12:05:23
I was looking at mine when I had them off last week and I don't really understand how over tightening them can have any effect, as the bolt holes have a metal insert. 

It's always been accepted wisdom on here that if you tighten them over 8nm then they will warp or go out of shape and hence leak, but surely the metal insert should stop that happening?  :-\
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: Nick W on 07 July 2016, 12:25:51
I was looking at mine when I had them off last week and I don't really understand how over tightening them can have any effect, as the bolt holes have a metal insert. 

It's always been accepted wisdom on here that if you tighten them over 8nm then they will warp or go out of shape and hence leak, but surely the metal insert should stop that happening?  :-\

The problem is that the bolts should be around the outside edges of the cover, not in the middle. The plastic covers aren't very rigid, and the narrow gaskets exacerbate the problem.  Fitting rigid aluminium covers is the classic solution (a £5 MG Metro rocker cover permanently cured the oil leak on Deb's 1300), but on the V6 highlights the deficiencies of the breathers.
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 07 July 2016, 14:07:10
I was looking at mine when I had them off last week and I don't really understand how over tightening them can have any effect, as the bolt holes have a metal insert. 

It's always been accepted wisdom on here that if you tighten them over 8nm then they will warp or go out of shape and hence leak, but surely the metal insert should stop that happening?  :-\

The problem is that the bolts should be around the outside edges of the cover, not in the middle. The plastic covers aren't very rigid, and the narrow gaskets exacerbate the problem.  Fitting rigid aluminium covers is the classic solution (a £5 MG Metro rocker cover permanently cured the oil leak on Deb's 1300), but on the V6 highlights the deficiencies of the breathers.

Hmm the bolts arn't in the middle though.  There's 4 on each side of the cover, but granted they're not on the edges.  ;)  I still think though that the metal inserts in the bolt holes should stop the cover from splaying outwards unless seriously over tightened, something like 20nm ???

Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: Webby the Bear on 07 July 2016, 18:16:48
Well I'm not sure it's owt to do with tightening torque. Reason I say is last time I fitted mine they were torqued to 8nm. At this point they were straight and true.

This time round there's definite warpage.

Not saying anyone's wrong etc. just relaying facts on mine.
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 07 July 2016, 19:46:16
Not saying you've done anything wrong Webby.  :-*

To be honest I've always thought that they go out of shape anyway over time with heat and vibration.  :-\ 

I had a chat with one of the parts guys at my local dealer a while back and he said that when the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary had Omegas, they used to change the covers and gaskets when they started leaking, no messing!  ::)  but at £250 odd for new cam covers....  :o
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: STEMO on 07 July 2016, 19:56:09
Not saying you've done anything wrong Webby.  :-*

To be honest I've always thought that they go out of shape anyway over time with heat and vibration.  :-\ 

I had a chat with one of the parts guys at my local dealer a while back and he said that when the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary had Omegas, they used to change the covers and gaskets when they started leaking, no messing!  ::)  but at £250 odd for new cam covers....  :o
Worth more than most omegas, then.
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: Webby the Bear on 07 July 2016, 21:30:41
Yep £312 I was quoted including the gaskets.

Does anyone have any non warped ones for sale???

If not I'll have to have a dig around the garage though 99% sure I don't have any
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: Webby the Bear on 09 July 2016, 13:48:22
Yep deco none in garage. Anyone got any for sale or worth a wanted ad?
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: BazaJT on 09 July 2016, 21:12:04
Always worth a try to post up a wanted ad.I did whenI needed some,although in my case I had only one reply and that was for 2.6 items.I bought them regardless as I'm not that fussed over originality,so my ad worked for me.
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: ffcgary1 on 09 July 2016, 21:24:19
£126+vat i was quoted today for the plug lead type. 48 hour factory order only.
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: minifreek on 09 July 2016, 22:22:15
I believe the metal inserts are there to stop the bolts from pulling through the plastic covers themselves...

The plastic covers are a bad design, as the holes where the bolts go through don't bottom out and when they are tightened down they flex the plastic covers, thus making them warp and leak....

I have had no problem with leakage since fitting the aluminum Vectra covers...
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: ffcgary1 on 09 July 2016, 22:39:02
have you got a pic of the near side alloy cover and oil filler in perticular.
Title: Re: V6 cam covers
Post by: trackcars on 20 July 2016, 10:11:21
I got mine from Vauxhall £52 for the left side and £70 for the right side got new gaskets from Vox and they seem to be doing fine. Took around 2-3 hours to do properly and I've got LPG pipes to move as well. Local garages wanted upwards of £350