Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: BigAl on 15 January 2012, 15:17:55
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Guys,
My 2.6 started leaking coolant earlier this week, since then i have done 2 short journeys yesterday -each about 5 miles after each one I have to top up the coolant as the expansion bottle was almost empty, checked what i could
to find the leak and couldn't - the water was dripping from the hole in the cross member directly below the drivers side of the rad.
So today i removed the rad, which is quite easy - until you start dropping bolts in the engine bay. I now have it on the kitchen table and cant find any obvious signs of damage- any pointers or ideas how to troubleshoot this ?
Cheers
Al
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Sometimes the rad will only leak under pressure, usually they go at the sides, where they are 'crimped' together...
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Sometimes the rad will only leak under pressure, usually they go at the sides, where they are 'crimped' together...
Agreed :y
Mine wouldn't leak until the car had been driven, then under pressure the rad leaked from a hairline crack on passenger side of rad .. leaked half the header tank on a small journey but only leaked after i had stopped ::)
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Have you considered 'pressure testing' it?
Get a cheap mountain bike inner tube, and cut it opposite the valve. Attach each end to the radiator outlets. Pump up to 14psi with a bike pump. Leave for a couple of hours, and recheck the pressure.
Do not, under any circumstances, leave in your front garden so that some theiving scum can help himself to your property!
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You sure its that and not HBV? know you spotted coolant/water there but maybe just happen to be water laying there?
You should really have seen if was leaking by marks of coolant, have a look at the HBV for water marks...
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I have a coolant leak also and assumed it was the HBV so have elite pete change it today. Turns out to be coming from the pipe going to the hater matrix thats visible to the left of the hbv. Has anyone else had this?
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Thanks for all the suggestions - i will try the inner tube trick tonight and see what happens.
with an eye on replacement, i spoke to my local garage who quoted £300 for genuine & £230 for pattern both seem expensive, so i have had a quick look on the net and found the following:-
http://www.adrad.co.uk/ have a GM463 replacement delivered for just under £100.
http://www.onlineautomotive.co.uk have a replacement delivered for £150.
anyone got any advise/views pointer on where to go what to avoid
Cheers
Alasdair
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Got mine off bay of fleas £45 delivered ...used part mind but needs must , £300 from local garage ? Begs the question how much it would be new from VX :D
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Thanks for all the suggestions - i will try the inner tube trick tonight and see what happens.
with an eye on replacement, i spoke to my local garage who quoted £300 for genuine & £230 for pattern both seem expensive, so i have had a quick look on the net and found the following:-
http://www.adrad.co.uk/ have a GM463 replacement delivered for just under £100.
http://www.onlineautomotive.co.uk have a replacement delivered for £150.
anyone got any advise/views pointer on where to go what to avoid
Cheers
Alasdair
http://www.carcooling.co.uk/catalog/Vauxhall_Omega_B_94_03-1245-2.html
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Got mine off bay of fleas £45 delivered ...used part mind but needs must , £300 from local garage ? Begs the question how much it would be new from VX :D
Retail Trade Trade Club
£262.00 £209.73 £185.50 +vat :y :y :y
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Got mine off bay of fleas £45 delivered ...used part mind but needs must , £300 from local garage ? Begs the question how much it would be new from VX :D
Retail Trade Trade Club
£262.00 £209.73 £185.50 +vat :y :y :y
:D :D :D :D :D :D WOW ...still thats cheaper than the original local garage cost ::)
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Thanks for all the suggestions - i will try the inner tube trick tonight and see what happens.
with an eye on replacement, i spoke to my local garage who quoted £300 for genuine & £230 for pattern both seem expensive, so i have had a quick look on the net and found the following:-
http://www.adrad.co.uk/ have a GM463 replacement delivered for just under £100.
http://www.onlineautomotive.co.uk have a replacement delivered for £150.
anyone got any advise/views pointer on where to go what to avoid
Cheers
Alasdair
http://www.carcooling.co.uk/catalog/Vauxhall_Omega_B_94_03-1245-2.html
Had two from these people (for different cars!) - quick delivery and no probs since fitting. :y
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right tried the inner tube trick - how do you keep the tube on the radiator ?
I tried using the clamps for the hoses but it is far too loose
Cheers
Al
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scratch that - found some hose clips that fitted and can confirm the rad is leaking somewhere from the drivers side, I will strip the rad totally tomorrow and investigate further
Al
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right tried the inner tube trick - how do you keep the tube on the radiator ?
I tried using the clamps for the hoses but it is far too loose
Cheers
Al
The inner tube is thinner than the radiator hoses, so the original clips won't work. Bin the useless spring clips and use proper worm drive ones. Jubilee is the usual and original brand, but not the only one. They're easier to fit/remove and give a reliable and adjustable clamp to anything but the very smallest hoses. The spring ones are used simply for quick assembly, and for no other reason.
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right tried the inner tube trick - how do you keep the tube on the radiator ?
I tried using the clamps for the hoses but it is far too loose
Cheers
Al
The inner tube is thinner than the radiator hoses, so the original clips won't work. Bin the useless spring clips and use proper worm drive ones. Jubilee is the usual and original brand, but not the only one. They're easier to fit/remove and give a reliable and adjustable clamp to anything but the very smallest hoses. The spring ones are used simply for quick assembly, and for no other reason.
Incorrect.
Spring clips are commonly used on pipes that experience extremes of temperature ... ie radiator pipes. The rise in temperature causes both the hose and the spigot of the radiator on which the hose sits to expand, the spring clip "gives" with this expansion and allows it to happen. A "jubilee" clip, or any other worm drive will NOT expand and can easily, and often, cause the plastic spigot to crack as it tries to expand and the worm drive, effectively, over-tightens.
If you want to use a worm drive, fine, but the designers of the systems choose components for good reasons. If you are going to advise against those reasons at least do so with accurate information please.. :) That way folks won't risk a split radiator for no good reason.
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right tried the inner tube trick - how do you keep the tube on the radiator ?
I tried using the clamps for the hoses but it is far too loose
Cheers
Al
The inner tube is thinner than the radiator hoses, so the original clips won't work. Bin the useless spring clips and use proper worm drive ones. Jubilee is the usual and original brand, but not the only one. They're easier to fit/remove and give a reliable and adjustable clamp to anything but the very smallest hoses. The spring ones are used simply for quick assembly, and for no other reason.
Incorrect.
Spring clips are commonly used on pipes that experience extremes of temperature ... ie radiator pipes. The rise in temperature causes both the hose and the spigot of the radiator on which the hose sits to expand, the spring clip "gives" with this expansion and allows it to happen. A "jubilee" clip, or any other worm drive will NOT expand and can easily, and often, cause the plastic spigot to crack as it tries to expand and the worm drive, effectively, over-tightens.
In theory, I'd have to agree with you. But in practice? Extremes of temperature? In an automotive cooling system? Just how hot do you think they get? Nor are they are at a high pressure. And if the plastic/rubber components increase measurably in size at these temps then surely you would be better arguing that a better material should have been used? Which would be a good idea for many plastic items. After all, the plastic tanks are crimped to an aluminium core and we don't worry about them leaking unless they are very old and worn out.
It's not as if you tighten a worm drive hose clamp particularly tight anyway. You can't, the thread will strip.
Aside from the practicalities of fitting/removing spring clamps, knowing that a replacement is actually tight, rather than hopefully tight, outweighs any potential risk to me.
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Part Number : NIS63073A
Cost : £88.72 + vat
from http://www.buypartsby.co.uk
Done mine in November, was leaking from under the top, right hose (plastic pipe just cracked to pieces). My mate fitted for... 4 pints of beer :D
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right, ordered the replacement by phone as they did not have my model on the site (52485466). the one that has turned up has a couple of brass connections the original does not, any ideas or have i got the wrong one
(http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/BigA11y/?action-view&current=IMG_0395.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/BigA11y/IMG_0395.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>)
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drivers side top
(http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/BigA11y/IMG_0400.jpg)
drivers side bottom
(http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/BigA11y/IMG_0401.jpg)
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Autobox cooler on the side of the rad.Thats where the pipes connect to it.Assuming you have a manual,I would think it will be ok to use it as it is and ignore the cooler,bet wait for someone more knowledgeable to confirm. ;)
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Autobox cooler on the side of the rad.Thats where the pipes connect to it.Assuming you have a manual,I would think it will be ok to use it as it is and ignore the cooler,bet wait for someone more knowledgeable to confirm. ;)
Almost. AFAIAA the latest V6s had an auto box cooler located in front of the main rad & not in the side of it as most autos seem to have had.
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right, ordered the replacement by phone as they did not have my model on the site (52485466). the one that has turned up has a couple of brass connections the original does not, any ideas or have i got the wrong one
(http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/BigA11y/?action-view&current=IMG_0395.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/BigA11y/IMG_0395.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>)
I assume that your auto box cooler pipes head off to a separate stand alone cooler in front of the main rad. :-\
Although not strictly the correct rad it would be perfectly OK to use. Phone then & see what they say, they'll only be using a book reference book from their suppliers. If they're willing to swap it, see if they have a rad for a manual.
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Autobox cooler on the side of the rad.Thats where the pipes connect to it.Assuming you have a manual,I would think it will be ok to use it as it is and ignore the cooler,bet wait for someone more knowledgeable to confirm. ;)
Almost. AFAIAA the latest V6s had an auto box cooler located in front of the main rad & not in the side of it as most autos seem to have had.
Your correct Andy they do have a seperate cooler in front of the rad.Im not sure if Als 2.6 is a manual,or even if there was such a beast as a 2.6 manual.I think there was but I wouldnt swear to it. :-\
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Im not sure if Als 2.6 is a manual,or even if there was such a beast as a 2.6 manual.I think there was but I wouldnt swear to it. :-\
It'd be the same main rad whether it has 2 or 3 pedals if the auto cooler is separate ;) ;) ;)
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True. :y
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Oops for some reason I've lost my signature- the car is a 2.6 V6 Auto
and the car does have a separate small rad for the gearbox
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e
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and the car does have a separate small rad for the gearbox
So you don't need the water/oil cooler built into the side of the rad. You can still use what you've been sent, but your original rad would be hat the supplier would consider the rad for a manual car. :y