Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[malcy_p]

Evening all!

Not been back on here for a couple of years, mainly because I'm down from four Omegas to the last one and that's been behaving perfectly...!

Anyway, the blue MV6 estate passed her MOT this morning with one advisory, front disks scored. To celebrate this, and the fact I still love her, I'm going to do the brakes and also give her a full service.

In the garage I have a 3.0l cambelt and a water pump - both a genuine Vx and both bought for a previous Omega. The only issue is they have been on the shelf there for at least 5 years, perhaps more.

So, the questions are;

• Will a 3.0l belt fit a 2.6l?
• Will the belt be a false economy?
• I'm guessing the water pump will be ok?
• Any top tip for plugs? Vx still the best

Thanks guys for any input.

/malc.

[tigers_gonads]

Don't know if the belt would fit but tbh, i'd be more worried about the tensioner dying on me   

[Kevin Wood]

Yep, no point changing the belt without the tensioners. I'd also say there's no point in changing the water pump unless it has actually failed on a V6.

As to how 5 years on the shelf will have affected a belt and its' tensioners.. Do you feel lucky?

[Nick W]

If they have never been fitted I wouldn't worry about them in the slightest. I wouldn't be surprised to find that any new cambelt kit you buy has tensioners that are years old.

[malcy_p]

Yep, no point changing the belt without the tensioners. I'd also say there's no point in changing the water pump unless it has actually failed on a V6.

As to how 5 years on the shelf will have affected a belt and its' tensioners.. Do you feel lucky?

There are tensioners in the kit - this is a similar kit from a belt change I did way back in 2004... http://malcp.com/ocb/DSC04508.JPG  Metal tensioner springs won't degrade on a shelf, surely?

Whenever I changed an Omega cambelt I swapped the waterpump - seemed rude not to given the tiny amount of extra work involved.

Lastly, how much is a Vx belt kit these days, or are any third party belts acceptable quality these days?

/m.

[terry paget]

Hi Malc,
           great to hear from you again. congratulations on your MOT pass. Sorry you are down to one Omega. I still love them and the whole family use them.

IMHO all Omega V6 kits fit all V6s. There were small changes in adjustable pulleys between models, but if I scrap a car with a newish cambelt kit I save it and pop it on whichever V6 needs one next
Belts don't fail, pulley bearings do, so age of kit is unimportant.
As advised, only change water pump if existing is dodgy. On a V6 the water pump does not act as a cambelt bearing, I have had one fail but it merely leaked coolant, it did not wreck the engine.
Vx plugs best if you are in trade club.

Thanks for inviting me to your daughter's 21st party, albeit by mistake. How is she doing now?

[terry paget]

Yep, no point changing the belt without the tensioners. I'd also say there's no point in changing the water pump unless it has actually failed on a V6.

As to how 5 years on the shelf will have affected a belt and its' tensioners.. Do you feel lucky?

There are tensioners in the kit - this is a similar kit from a belt change I did way back in 2004... http://malcp.com/ocb/DSC04508.JPG  Metal tensioner springs won't degrade on a shelf, surely?

Whenever I changed an Omega cambelt I swapped the waterpump - seemed rude not to given the tiny amount of extra work involved.

Lastly, how much is a Vx belt kit these days, or are any third party belts acceptable quality these days?

/m.

I bought a Dayco kit from Amazon recently for £57. Bearings were SKF France, and the belt was silent. There has been trouble with some belts whining, I had 2 Vx kits do that. I would use the kit you have, not buy another.

[zirk]

Hi Malc,
           great to hear from you again. congratulations on your MOT pass. Sorry you are down to one Omega. I still love them and the whole family use them.

IMHO all Omega V6 kits fit all V6s. There were small changes in adjustable pulleys between models, but if I scrap a car with a newish cambelt kit I save it and pop it on whichever V6 needs one next
Belts don't fail, pulley bearings do, so age of kit is unimportant.
As advised, only change water pump if existing is dodgy. On a V6 the water pump does not act as a cambelt bearing, I have had one fail but it merely leaked coolant, it did not wreck the engine.
Vx plugs best if you are in trade club.

Thanks for inviting me to your daughter's 21st party, albeit by mistake. How is she doing now?

They can do if your not carefull, and the last thing you need is a pump gone when your miles from nowhere, whilst I agree with what your saying, if were looking at a belt change every 40k, I would get the pump done every 80K on the second Belt change.

On the 5+ year shelf thing, I' probably risk the Tensioners assuming they were wrapped and kept properly but replace the Belt itself with a new one.

[malcy_p]

Hi Malc,
           great to hear from you again. congratulations on your MOT pass. Sorry you are down to one Omega. I still love them and the whole family use them.
[snip]
Thanks for inviting me to your daughter's 21st party, albeit by mistake. How is she doing now?

Hi Terry!

wow, it's been a few years but we're all fine here thanks! I'd forgotten about the party invite, mists of time and all that!

Good to hear you are still an active Omega man - and thanks for your input.

/malc.

[Kevin Wood]

Problem is, water pumps aren't great quality these days IMHO.

I fitted a pattern one with a cam belt at 120k. 2 weeks later it started leaking because the supplied O ring had essentially turned to plastic and shrunk so I refitted it with a genuine O ring. This water pump has just failed (seal leaking) @185k, although there might be mitigating factors there. I wonder what would have happened if I'd just left the original part?

[Andy B]

Evening all!

Not been back on here for a couple of years,  .....

I remember you from the Yahoo site ..... pre OOF Dr Omega was here at one time too 

[malcy_p]

Evening all!

Not been back on here for a couple of years,  .....

I remember you from the Yahoo site ..... pre OOF Dr Omega was here at one time too 

I remember him too...  A font of knowledge, always started a post with "Hello Please..."

[Andy B]

....
I remember him too...  A font of knowledge, always started a post with "Hello Please..."

That's the one. I was at 'his' dealership years ago and a customer had come in to return an item he'd bought to fix a fault which didn't. Phil was talking to me but casually asked him if he'd checked all the fuses. Yes was the reply ..... even those in the little fuse box by the battery?  Errr?  Phil was right!