Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Alex W on 02 September 2008, 20:26:37

Title: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: Alex W on 02 September 2008, 20:26:37
I went to the Vauxhall dealer to order the parts needed to replace cam cover gaskets on my 2.5 V6 as listed in the Maintenance Guides.

The guide specifies sealant Part No 90485241, but the spotty child at the counter said "Computer says 'No'". No such part number and they even went so far as to say that I didn't need sealant at all (that was a guy from the service dept.).

However, I told them that sealant is clearly shown in the Haynes Manual and also on this auspicious forum.

The upshot was that I couldn't have the part no specified but they offered me  Sealing Compund Part No. 93165267 instead. £8.15 + VAT.

My question is : Does anyone know if this replacement stuff is OK for the job or not? I don't think the Vauxhall child had any clue what he was selling.

Thanks in advance for any help offered. :)
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: Black cxd v6 on 02 September 2008, 20:30:09
I used silioset of my old vectra its white but works up to very high temps.
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: Big_Al on 02 September 2008, 20:31:17
I understand that there are two types - Black & Green I think.
It must be the Black stuff & it MUST be used.

Had no trouble getting it here in Southend

Someone will be along and give you full details soon.  
regards, AL
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: Dazzler on 02 September 2008, 20:32:50
I believe the sealing compound is the Grey stuff........do not use this.
This is just typical Vx at times.
The black stuff does exist.
You can use an aftermarket one, such as Loctite or similar. It is still black and specifies its use for gaskets etc.......
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: sophos9 on 02 September 2008, 20:38:11
Part number should be 90542114, SEALING COMPOUND...

Get the Vx stuff!
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: VXL V6 on 02 September 2008, 20:42:26
Or use Loctite 900 which is what they used at the factory.
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: Dazzler on 02 September 2008, 20:47:34
Quote
Or use Loctite 900 which is what they used at the factory.
Thats the one i was trying to think of :y
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: trebor on 02 September 2008, 21:00:20
I too was told not to use any sealing compound by the dealer.

I haven't and all I did was make sure head surface and cam cover surface were spotless.

I have no leaks what so ever.  

Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: sophos9 on 02 September 2008, 21:02:27
Sorry but they talk out of their arse. Even the TIS informs the muppets to do it. The half moons will leak, maybe not today but...
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: hotel21 on 02 September 2008, 21:03:56
Some of the drones who occupy the parts counters etc at VX dealers are simply wage takers.  If the magic box says no (or they think that they know better) you are on a hiding to nothing.

Personally, if a howtoo guide on here composed by Marks_DTM said its there and should be used, I would take no alternative....   :y
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: sev on 02 September 2008, 21:39:02
You can get away with not useing the sealer, but as has already been said, there will come a time...

The sealer is there as an insurance when the gasket goes round angular faces.

You have to remember that the heads are not precision machined, they are just skimmed flat to a known good tolerance that is all.

Now if the cam cover is also made to same tolerance there's no guarantee that all surfaces will mate as per the CAD model now is there!

The idea of the sealant is that it takes up any deviation when the seal does not sit on a flat surface or goes around a radius, that way you know for certain that you have a contact on those tight male and female angles.  In an ideal world you'd have everything machined to within 0.01mm and the seals would be .2 or .5 oversize, but this isn't racecars, it's production cars, and in the grand scheme of things, it probably saved .5p per seal if it wasn't any bigger than what was required to do the job.

Also remember that the rear of the engine is also a pig to get to, and difficult to check to see you have proper mates of all the surfaces.

So please... with a cherry on top... use the sealant!

Why not buy the Cam cover gasket kit from the OOF shop? - it contains all that you need, and a tube of sealant - and weighs in very cheap considering that you don't have to deal with knuckle draggers  :y
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: Elite Pete on 02 September 2008, 21:44:52
There out of stock, but all the correct part No's are there ;)
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: iainb on 02 September 2008, 22:08:27
All I used was a smear of grease in the cover channel, that was to hold the new gasket in place I also used a splodge on each ring to hold them and it didnt and hasnt leaked
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: sophos9 on 02 September 2008, 22:29:19
Personally, if I had not used sealant I would be worrying about not if, but when they let go!! All the instructions and technical systems state using sealant for a reason!

As soon as there is any shrinkage in the gasket, you gonna unhappy  :-X  :'(
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: CaptainZok on 02 September 2008, 23:16:35
Quote
I went to the Vauxhall dealer to order the parts needed to replace cam cover gaskets on my 2.5 V6 as listed in the Maintenance Guides.

The guide specifies sealant Part No 90485241, but the spotty child at the counter said "Computer says 'No'". No such part number and they even went so far as to say that I didn't need sealant at all (that was a guy from the service dept.).

However, I told them that sealant is clearly shown in the Haynes Manual and also on this auspicious forum.

The upshot was that I couldn't have the part no specified but they offered me  Sealing Compund Part No. 93165267 instead. £8.15 + VAT.

My question is : Does anyone know if this replacement stuff is OK for the job or not? I don't think the Vauxhall child had any clue what he was selling.

Thanks in advance for any help offered. :)
Try asking for 90485251 COMPOUND, SEALING, 50ML, OIL LEAK SEALANT
not 90485241 which is a steering wheel impact absorber for a corsa.
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 03 September 2008, 08:20:24
The other thing the sealant does it stop leaks in the corners as the seals age and harden up.

I have said it many times......do these people consider them selves more intelligent than the person who designed the setup to a cost following I suspect, many weeks of research?

Do they also consider the fact that during the 10+years of production of the unit that the added cost and process of using the sealant was important enough to keep despite various mods and revisions?

Use it or be dammed!
Title: Re: Cam Cover Sealant
Post by: Alex W on 03 September 2008, 09:50:17
Well Done Captain, you've passed!

I was wondering who would be the first to notice that I'd copied the sealant part number down incorrectly. ;)

Still, you'd have thought that the Vauxhall Dealer could have pointed that out at the time wouldn't you.

I must get these glasses checked.....