Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: sophos9 on 22 August 2008, 16:57:40

Title: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 22 August 2008, 16:57:40
Was I lucky or what?

Circle tightened all of then to 8nm as per manufacturers spec  :D

(http://lh4.ggpht.com/sophos09/SK7CfMvJ-0I/AAAAAAAAB-M/L3jHVGDxFT0/s800/IMG_0111.JPG)
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 22 August 2008, 17:01:56
Ooops!
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 22 August 2008, 17:05:51
Yea really!

Could have made a bit of a mess!!
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: Elite Pete on 22 August 2008, 17:06:41
 :o
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 22 August 2008, 17:08:17
Heres a thought for you, just imagine yours too is like this  :D :D :D
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: HerefordElite on 22 August 2008, 17:21:52
am i looking at a cam bearing cap here??? :o
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: feeutfo on 22 August 2008, 18:36:15
oh yeah? Whos the naughty boy been in there then?
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: HolyCount on 22 August 2008, 18:51:01
Quote
Heres a thought for you, just imagine yours too is like this  :D :D :D

I know mine aren't !!!!    Lucky escape there  :o
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 22 August 2008, 19:37:36
Quote
oh yeah? Whos the naughty boy been in there then?


Done know, whoever it was needs shooting  :o
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 22 August 2008, 19:41:03
Quote

I know mine aren't !!!!


Good man! Lesson learnt, will ensure I check the torque is checked when I change the covers!!! 8-)

Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: jimmas on 22 August 2008, 22:07:55
Wow! deffo lucky coud have been expensive bank holiday.
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: matt-sboro on 25 August 2008, 19:51:05
am i looking at the not very tight bolt that you found?
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 25 August 2008, 19:54:53
 ;D yea, that one sitting in a great position to drop onto the cam shaft!
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: HNO3GOH on 25 August 2008, 20:00:44
 :o :o :o :o God your a lucky man to find that now.
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 25 August 2008, 20:03:41
Proper lucky!!  :D
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 25 August 2008, 20:04:05
Now if both were loose I would be worried.

Reality is that the cams dont exert to great a force on the bearings (they also only turn at half rpm). Also consider it wont get out with the cam cover on.

Bloody incompitent of whoever was in there last though so a good catch!
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 25 August 2008, 20:05:53
Quote
Bloody incompitent of whoever was in there last though so a good catch!

Thats the thing, I've looked back over the service history and I have no record of the cams ever being fettled with?
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: feeutfo on 25 August 2008, 22:37:44
i know they are only 8nm but would any harm be done by being a bit belt and braces and doing them up tighter? Say 15nm?
Cant help thinking it would not take much for it to vibrate loose at 8nm? Yes it only holds the cam but the valves aint far away,  8nm only holds the plastic cam covers. I know what your going to say, 8nm is good enough as the book says, but what harm could be done doing it up tighter as, must confess, i am a bit tempted.
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: Albert1 on 26 August 2008, 10:54:28
Is it just me who thinks this might not be such a "lucky" find?  What if it's just the first indication of what some numpty with half a spanner has been ballsing up...maybe you should go over the rest of the car with a magnifying glass.........
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 26 August 2008, 11:11:03
Quote
Is it just me who thinks this might not be such a "lucky" find?  What if it's just the first indication of what some numpty with half a spanner has been ballsing up...maybe you should go over the rest of the car with a magnifying glass.........

I'm the only numpty who has looked after it for the last 3 years, previous to that it was 90k of Vauxhall numpties...

The car (in the history I have) has never had any work done on or around the cams???
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: feeutfo on 26 August 2008, 12:56:45
so it has just come loose then? Do you have any details of previous owners that yo t could ask and see if they know of any cam work?  either some one has been working on it or its undone itself. Can i do myn up to 15 nm please Mr Mark dtm?  
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 26 August 2008, 13:17:05
Quote
so it has just come loose then? Do you have any details of previous owners that yo t could ask and see if they know of any cam work?  either some one has been working on it or its undone itself. Can i do myn up to 15 nm please Mr Mark dtm?  

I wouldn't!

10Nm max!

15Nm would probably snap them or strip the threads as they are quite fine pitch.

At the end of the day, 8Nm's works.

You have to remember that by saying we want them tighter we are making the following assumptions

1) Its not ever been worked on
2) It was origianlly tightened to 8Nm correctly
3) The scally who originaly built the engine didn't have a hang over that morning

Thing is that if some warranty work ha been carried out then it might not appear in the service history and the same goes for DIY work.
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: feeutfo on 26 August 2008, 13:22:34
is it likely the servicing dealer would have any details of any warranty work? So we can line said Scally up against the wall?
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 26 August 2008, 13:24:39
Quote
is it likely the servicing dealer would have any details of any warranty work? So we can line said Scally up against the wall?


Lol, the scally would have been in the ellsmere port engine plant on the original build
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: feeutfo on 26 August 2008, 13:53:03
yeah...? Will travel.
But yes i see what your saying, of course. If i take my currently well sealed cam covers off, will i need new seals on replacement or will they leak if dislodged. I would not mind an experienced eye having a dig around in there, the top end left bank sounds a bit ticky to me, from inside the car tho. It had i noisy lifter style rattle when i got it, swift oil change got rid. But i am still a a bit dubeous.
Sorry i am hijacking this thread now.
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: VXL V6 on 26 August 2008, 15:04:10
Chris, the question is: How many miles and how many oil changes has your engine had? If it was anything like mine it had 20K changes (as per -part of- schedule) for the first three years of it's life..... not good, that mean't it only had two services!

That would explain why it suffered tappet noise and the oil pressure relief valve wasn't functioning at 5bar  :'(

The bit all the dealers ignore is that it is 20K or 1 year whichever the sooner - so should be serviced every year regardless.



Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 26 August 2008, 17:04:29
My V6 gets oil changes every 8-10k... The cams look like they are brand new, no noticable wear at all...

VXL V6, off topic, does how you getting on with the opelscanner advanced, does it read your electronic climate control?
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: VXL V6 on 26 August 2008, 17:17:03
Yep mines on 3 - 4K changes now!

Yep Autoscanner will read all of the systems on the Omega, it can't program them but it does have some functionality that was only to be found on a real Tech II such as exercising the HID lamp levelling motors and programming immobliser and alarm fobs and will also read live data.

The latest CAN version will do the CAN systems on later cars but apart from reading codes from NCDR head units I haven't found anything I can't read on all the Vauxhalls i've tried it on, it's also read a few codes off SAAB's as well. Only downside is the current price.
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 26 August 2008, 17:19:46
Nice one. I got an "My Naff Code Reader" which does lots of stuff but fails to read the ECC ECU, which is a real pain. Do you mind if I ask how much it cost and where you got it from?

Interface is much nicer than the "My Naff Code Reader". How do you get updates?

Thanks
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: VXL V6 on 26 August 2008, 17:26:10
Interface is very easy to use, I got mine from UKOBD about 18 months ago but the now current CAN model has replaced it and upped the price, I will have to check what I paid for it when I get home but owning a 3.2 with the PreCat problem it has definately paid for itself.

When you receive the device you just register the serial number on the autoscanner site and you will be notified whenever an update is available to download. Currently the updates are about once every three months and you get them for as long as you have the device. They also have a forum where you can post queries and ask about adding extra functionality (I asked about the headlamp levelling exercising and it was released about two weeks later!).

If you want to know more about the CAN version then I suggest contacting Iggy21UK on here as he has one.

Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 26 August 2008, 17:31:04
Cheers mate. I've seen one of those on eBay but am unsure if the guy is legit, he is selling the "My Naff Code Reader" with the known ripped off software.

The autoscanner is priced at £70 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170203510142&fromMakeTrack=true)
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: Big_Mart on 26 August 2008, 18:09:52
Quote
i know they are only 8nm but would any harm be done by being a bit belt and braces and doing them up tighter? Say 15nm?
Cant help thinking it would not take much for it to vibrate loose at 8nm? Yes it only holds the cam but the valves aint far away,  8nm only holds the plastic cam covers. I know what your going to say, 8nm is good enough as the book says, but what harm could be done doing it up tighter as, must confess, i am a bit tempted.
I have seen this before!!!! once only but same bolt and i noticed it also when doing the cam cover gaskets that car is one we sold and serviced from new and we had never been there before there may of been a stony working at the engine plant that left a few loose?? :-X :-?
But if you look at the way the cam cover sits i don`t think its possiable for the bolt to come out? So makes you wonder how many more there are?? :o :o :o
Also please do not over torque your cam bearing caps as two things can and will happen one your engine will loose torque and/or the threads will strip in the head as gumbo the apprentise found out a few years ago LOL ;D ;D
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: VXL V6 on 26 August 2008, 19:20:22
Quote
Cheers mate. I've seen one of those on eBay but am unsure if the guy is legit, he is selling the "My Naff Code Reader" with the known ripped off software.

The autoscanner is priced at £70 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170203510142&fromMakeTrack=true)

Hmmm that's very dodgy, about two year old software shown (with the licence number removed) and the very old serial interface version cable - they are all USB now and have been for at least 18 months.

Like the way he says it only goes up to 2004..... Errrr nope, that must have been the last version before the manufacturers tightened the security!!!
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: Ian_D on 27 August 2008, 00:33:20
Quote
Cheers mate. I've seen one of those on eBay but am unsure if the guy is legit, he is selling the "My Naff Code Reader" with the known ripped off software.

The autoscanner is priced at £70 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170203510142&fromMakeTrack=true)

Im thinking about them... Has anyone tried them? do they work?  :-/
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: TheBoy on 27 August 2008, 09:27:09
That particular auction is obviously for a clone running illegal software, hence no discussions please.
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: sophos9 on 27 August 2008, 09:32:00
Quote
That particular auction is obviously for a clone running illegal software, hence no discussions please.

After contact with UKODB and the seller, I can confirm that the product is a clone with ripped off software  :'(
Title: Re: Changed Driver Side Cam Cover and Got A Surprise!
Post by: SteveD on 27 August 2008, 22:55:01
Has nobody else had this problem?

My first Omega had the cap 1 from the back on the n/s loose - both bolts unscrewed and didn't look like they had ever been tight as there were no marks on the cap.

On my current Omega the o/s cap nearest the back had both bolts loose - all others were re-torqued and found to be fine.

The first Omega has definitely had no engine work done, the second I can't confirm but it had only done 50k with 0 previous when I got it.