Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: colalowe on 20 August 2007, 14:46:28

Title: Original thread  'Coolant leak'
Post by: colalowe on 20 August 2007, 14:46:28

Hi all,

just to keep you up to date, my car had a coolant leak which I fixed and then when I took it for a test drive the engine developed a really disturbing loud rattling and banging noise sounding a bit like a sherman tank!!

The car was towed to the garage and they have discovered that the Cam belt has slipped by around four teeth on the crank!  So the timing is well out and the valves are catching the pistons. :'(

The garage think that after inspecting the top of the vavles there doesnt seem to be much damage and if we retime it it may be ok, however without taking the head off completely to be sure its a bit of a gamble. :-/

As the cost of removing the head and valves is going to be expensive Ive asked them to try retiming it first? :-/

Title: Re: Originally 'Coolant leak'
Post by: Markjay on 20 August 2007, 14:51:42

I think retiming makes sense. I had a similar experience few years ago on the previous Omega and the engine was fine with a new cambelt kit, but I don't know how many teeth execatly the timing was out. It was definitely low on power and sounded like a bag of nails. Fingers crossed!

Title: Re: Original thread  'Coolant leak'
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 20 August 2007, 16:54:22

You have no chance on a 4 tooth slip....2 yes, 3 sometimes.....4 and the valves will be bent.

Title: Re: Original thread  'Coolant leak'
Post by: Markjay on 20 August 2007, 17:04:24

OK... in this case I think that the general consesus is that this is either an engine swap job if the car is reasonably new, or scrap the car if an early model, but doing the heads on a garage hourly rate is a non-starter... it is very time consuming (as jamesv6cdx can tell you...) and will not be economical unless you have the tools and skills to do it yourself. Even so, the parts aren't cheap, these valves are quite expensive and there are many of them... not to mention the pistons damage... ouch.


How much do they want for re-timing anyway?

Title: Re: Original thread  'Coolant leak'
Post by: Markjay on 20 August 2007, 20:37:48

On the positive side... they may have been wrong about the number of teeth... if they don't ask the moon for retiming then I would let them have a go.

Title: Re: Original thread  'Coolant leak'
Post by: colalowe on 20 August 2007, 20:48:43

Well after the initial investigation and strip down, then to replace the cam cover gaskets and re build and time, im looking at about £250

Title: Re: Original thread  'Coolant leak'
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 20 August 2007, 20:50:19

first  price quote...

I see too many garages/services with double prices if they see you in trouble and if you dont ask for the price first.

Title: Re: Original thread  'Coolant leak'
Post by: TheBoy on 20 August 2007, 22:09:41

3 teeth seems to be absolute limit, any more and the valves and pistons have kisses, and thats game-over.

Title: Re: Original thread  'Coolant leak'
Post by: colalowe on 23 August 2007, 19:48:24

Yay good news!!

I must be a lucky guy, the garage re-timed the cam belt and replaced the cam cover gaskets, started it up and its running fine.

Cheers for all you advice. :y

Title: Re: Original thread  'Coolant leak'
Post by: TheBoy on 23 August 2007, 21:04:41

Quote

Yay good news!!

I must be a lucky guy, the garage re-timed the cam belt and replaced the cam cover gaskets, started it up and its running fine.

Cheers for all you advice. :y

Still got full power?

Title: Re: Original thread  'Coolant leak'
Post by: davlad22 on 24 August 2007, 15:04:48

Congrats!  :o

Title: Re: Original thread  'Coolant leak'
Post by: Markjay on 24 August 2007, 23:41:14

Quote

Yay good news!!

I must be a lucky guy, the garage re-timed the cam belt and replaced the cam cover gaskets, started it up and its running fine.

Cheers for all you advice. :y

Result  :y