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[JamesV6CDX]

Thing is, its rare you see mechanics using torque wrenches!

I agree. I don't use one for everything, but for items such as cambelt pulleys I use one without fail. In fact, If it's someone elses car, I show them the torques before the covers go back on!! It's a kind of "insurance" against anything going belly up!

[Marks DTM Calib]

I use it for almost all the bolts.....particularly into alloy!

[JamesV6CDX]

I use it for almost all the bolts.....particularly into alloy!

Apart from with geniune manifold gaskets..  
(But I agree - I do these by hand too )

[pscocoa]

VX dealer told me that they had checked thread and it was not cross threaded but the other responses on the site re. torquing look to hold most likely reasons

[feeutfo]

VX dealer advises snapped bolt on tensioner causing tensioner to move - bolts supplied with kit therefore they think it is VX warranty issue. VX have advised dealer to refit belt and see what happens but I think we all know that the damage has been done. Nothing I can do now til tuesday

No bolt on the tensioner, just a nut on a stud.....bet the handfisted bugger didn;t use a torque wrench to 20Nm on it!

You think it may have been overtightened, and maybe thread stripped?

Or damaged.....if the thread on the stud had been stretched then it would be weak and could shear at ony moment.....and most likely once everything had got nicely stinking hot, expanded adn been revved a bit.

Thing is, its rare you see mechanics using torque wrenches!

Either way, Vx will examine that stud and if it was over tightened then they will be able to tell by looking at the fracture and state of the nut etc!

Do you thinks it could have been done up to 40 like the other bolts on the guide wheels and pensioner plate. Hope is 40 anyway, thats what i did mind to. Hang on a minute, he said the bolt was supplied with the kit. That says to me the top pulley adjustable guide(or whatever its called) bolt...? Rather than the pensioner itself? But then again that bolt may be less likely to shear perhaps?

[pscocoa]

Thanks all - finally got to Cornwall destination at 2am - after being given some duff directions by a local as to the house we had rented.Still here now in Mawnan Smith/Penwarne area - for Cornwall, SAT NAV can only put you in the general area - private roads and deep foliage more challenging.

Waiting for VX to call!!

Bloody hell that is an area I know very well!

Are you on the the main Mawnan Argal road or on a side road

Make sure you visit Roskillys - VERY nice.

Brilliant beach about a mile from you.

Don't annoy any farmers, if they are in John Deere tractors they are related, I have relations working on a farm just north of Mawnan Smith, and live there, the pictures of me reversing with van are there, the beach picture is that beach.

Oh and my Great Grandad and Great Great Grandad (mums side) were head gardeners at Glendurgan gardens near Mawnan

We are on a side road - just spent evening in Red Lion in Mawnan Smith and will be out on Helford River tomorrow - yes there is a lot of tractor activity on the private road - I think you mean Grebe Beach.

Front spoiler on Omega would have been a bit of a problem round here - Signum higher and suspension is better suited to winding roads.

[Martin_1962]

Red Lion not brilliant try the Ferry Boat at Helford Passage, beaches Grebe is OK but the best is Maenporth, the ones along the Helford are OK, Durgan, Trebah and Helford Passage, walked to Trebah from Durgan along the waterside many years ago.

For food the best places we have found are Harbour Lights near Trago in Falmouth, Maenport Beach Cafe (open all year) burgers, chips bacon sandwiches all good quality.

Ferry Boat is nice but very expensive, lovely view over looking the water though.

http://www.martinimber.co.uk/hp.htm

If you go down past Goonhilly Earth Station and follow the signs Roskillys do lovely ice cream and very good food, we had a lovely barbeque on holiday there.

Never had any problems with Omegas down the lanes - even when the rear suspension wore out on my current car

[jonathanh]

sounds really suspicious to me.  The tensioner has a nut/stud not bolt I would have thought that you'd have to be really ham fisted to over tighten that.  in any event the tensioner set up is not V6 specific so  if the mechanic had over tighten it then it is quite likely he has done so before.  More likely that he's either not done the tensioner up properly or that the idler pulleys have not been tighened properly.

it seems like the dealer is being fair but if they are 'refitting the belt and trying it' there may have been some longer term damage: suppose that one of the valve has been slightly damaged and it fails within say a year or two.

My advice, when you collect your car is to make sure that they specify what has happened in writing and the warranty they will give you should something arise later on: I think VX give 2 year warrant and they should stand up to that.  It is after all why you are paying VX labour rates

[pscocoa]

sounds really suspicious to me.  The tensioner has a nut/stud not bolt I would have thought that you'd have to be really ham fisted to over tighten that.  in any event the tensioner set up is not V6 specific so  if the mechanic had over tighten it then it is quite likely he has done so before.  More likely that he's either not done the tensioner up properly or that the idler pulleys have not been tighened properly.

it seems like the dealer is being fair but if they are 'refitting the belt and trying it' there may have been some longer term damage: suppose that one of the valve has been slightly damaged and it fails within say a year or two.

My advice, when you collect your car is to make sure that they specify what has happened in writing and the warranty they will give you should something arise later on: I think VX give 2 year warrant and they should stand up to that.  It is after all why you are paying VX labour rates

Can they do a compression test or some other test to check valve condition without stripping engine down? Thanks for the advice.

[unlucky alf]

a compression test would be the obvious thing to do under the circumstances, just hope they dont try & fob you off by saying it sounds o,k so it must be o,k, sometimes they can take advantage of peoples lack of knowledge & fob them off, perhaps when you get it back get it checked by someone else just in case.

[Marks DTM Calib]

If the valves have just been nicked then its possible that a compression test wont show much.

A vac test will show up any issues a lot better.

[feeutfo]

i wonder if an evaluation by in independent body such as the AA would be worth going into? I suppose it depends if your entirely satisfied with the car when you get it back... I dont see how, when doing sixty, that the valves can not be damaged...? I saw an alpha 142(?) twin spark the other day. It had striped its belt. You could clearly see the half moon valve marks in the soot on the pistons when looking down the spark plug holes. A bit more of a fiddle on the omega and may need a scope to see in there but easier than taking the heads off imho.
Just a thought.

[Marks DTM Calib]

i wonder if an evaluation by in independent body such as the AA would be worth going into? I suppose it depends if your entirely satisfied with the car when you get it back... I dont see how, when doing sixty, that the valves can not be damaged...? I saw an alpha 142(?) twin spark the other day. It had striped its belt. You could clearly see the half moon valve marks in the soot on the pistons when looking down the spark plug holes. A bit more of a fiddle on the omega and may need a scope to see in there but easier than taking the heads off imho.
Just a thought.

I suspect they will just drop a GMX exchange engine in.....

[Markjay]

I had both my 'meegas done at VX, and apart from the price it all went well.... I drove the second 'meega for another 25 miles before selling it, and it was spot-on.

Keep in mind that there are many V6 Vectras out there, so even considering the rarity of Omegas being serviced by main dealers these days, thy mechanics still get a fair chance to train on the V6 cambelt change.

Very feasible it wasn't the garage fault, but faulty part, and as said by others they seem to be pretty fair about it so far.

Not defending Vx dealers mind you, has my share of trouble (oil filter housing tightened to front-wheel-bearing torque, pads fitted wrong-way-round...) but they don't always get it wrong.

[pscocoa]

Latest position is that VX cannot get the stud out of the head - they need a specialist who cannot do the job til Wednesday. VX
say there are 3 studs and do not believe that problem with just one is a torque problem. They have been told by Luton to try car with a new belt as soon as they can before proceeding further.

Only car they have is a new Agila - not an attractive substitute for the motorway.