Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: terry paget on 25 March 2018, 21:15:48
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I have just changed the cat section on my 2.2 ready for its MOT. All went well until I removed the cat section from the manifold. Then I had difficulty removing the old gasket, eventually cutting it up to remove it. Installing the new gasket before reassembly, I again struggled to get it fully up against the manifold, eventually pushing it up with the nuts. I have not had this trouble before; I wonder why I did this time.
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Odd, was the old gasket a composite one, or metal?
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Very odd, I dropped manifold on my 180k 2.2 and exhaust gasket was fine, easily fell off and I refused it.
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Those gaskets are a service item and cost pence...
Why you wouldn't change it is beyond me ???
The do warp in storage, but as long as they haven't been folded or crushed, then they should be good to go, even if they need some persuasion to sit right ;)
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I concur with DG, and wouldn't consider reusing the old gasket except under extreme circumstances.
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Sounds like an aftermarket composite gasket has been fitted previously?
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Thanks for advice. The old gasket was a steel 2 layer one. The new one I put on was a 4 layer steel gasket. The 4 threaded spigots attached to the manifold were 7.8mm diameter, the holes in the gasket were 8.8mm diameter. Th gaskets were snagging on the threads.
The trouble with the 4 cylinder Omegas is the flexible coupling in the cat section. Eventually it fractures, then garages replace the whole cat section with an aftermarket one (about £100), rather than a new Vx section (£1100) or replacing the flexi bit (£20) but needing welding in. So when I buy a 2.2 on e-bay it usually has an aftermarket cat, which will pass one MOT emission test, possibly two.
I suspect the gaskets, bought on e-bay. I have ordered 2 more 'genuine' Vx gaskets, on e-bay.
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The 'genuine' Vx gaskets have arrived. These have six leaves, one of which is about 3 times as thick as all the rest.. Hole size is 8.8mm, same as the other two.
The thicker leaf would certainly make the whole gasket stiffer. I can believe that this could explain my problem.