Hi everyone
Well, its happened.
Missus driving in Tesco car park, car cut out. Towed it home, took off cambelt covers, cranked engine, cam's remained stationary! I think the water pump has gone because it dripping coolant from the sump case! Absolutley gutted!
Kept on top of the service schedule, had cam-belt, rollers and water pump replaced about 18 months ago. Engine is the Z18XE
Is it worth fixing?
Would appreciate any advice.
Thanks
gazkaz
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Is it worth fixing? That depends on how much damage has been done & how much you want to spend?
If it was a good runner before hand then id repair it you won't get much for it as it is and another will cost some cash so put a few quid into this one.
New valves, head skim, do valve stem seals maybe chuck some new rings on while the head is off it' will be like new again!
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Cost me £400 to get mine fixed properly 18 months ago ?
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There may be no damage. As it was in a car park the engine may have been at low revs. You need to replace the cam belt and check for compression on all 4 pots. Where was the belt it may have wrapped and a sproket and bent the water pump shaft, thus the leak. Regards Peter
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There may be no damage.
With a 16 valve engine, it's very unlikely. This, like 99% of the other multivalve engines are classed as interference engines.
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Where was the belt it may have wrapped and a sproket and bent the water pump shaft thus the leak. Regards Peter
Could this be a case of the water pump failing, even seizing and taking the cam belt with it?
Edited by Victorbox on 11/11/2009 at 15:30
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Hi guys
Thanks for all your replies - appreciate it.
When I tried cranking the engine (before I realised it was the cam belt) I got some squeaking from the engine. Victorbox, could this be the water pump seizing/failing?
Don't know what to do for the best. Car has 102K on it and overall it was a good runner. Had some minor faults with it that I was prepared to put up with. Kept it clean & tidy and thought I was looking after it! Totally gone off Vauxhalls now (especially cam belt driven ones)
I have some spanner experience but not to the point of taking the cylinder head off the Vectra (although did do this on my little 1.3 Nova years ago, but then again cars were a lot simpler then) I have a friend (also with some experience) who has offered to do this with me and between us he reckons we'll get it fixed. He does not want paying so the only costs involved would be re-conditioning of the cylinder head (valves, valve guides & re-skim), head gasket kit, timing belt kit & water pump.
The only thing that would be stopping me is time. I'm due to move house in a few weeks, so this could not have happened at a worse time, ever!
GazKaz
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Nothing much different from the nova head to the vectra head but a few more valves another camshaft and at least double the thickness!
Crack on whip it off and fix it as for going off vx for there cambelts im sure 95% if not more cars on the road have them mercs do not but timing chains snap or there tensioners fail too due to poor oil change supply etc.!!
Is there ever a good time to do anything? were human we put it off till later then the worst happens thats life fella!!
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Whilst DD is correct that this is an interference engine the quickest way to find out is to fit a cam belt and estlish if there are four compression strokes even is that is by pushing it. all it has cost is a belt, tensioner and waterpump and time of course. The other way is to remove the cam cover and measure the cam to lifter clearance as a bent valve will be excess and a busted valve no clearance. I have an adaptor and I position the pistons at half way and pressurise ( 10PSI ) the cylinder via the plus hole and rtoate the cam to have the valves all closed if the the air flow continues then suspect bent/broken valves, repeat for all four cylinders. Cost, just some time. Regards Peter
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Ok. We've decided to give it a go to try and fix it. Car's worth nothing to me broken, so nothing to lose.
We've started stripping the ancillaries from the cylinder head.
1st thing we noticed was that there were a lot of teeth missing from a portion of the timing belt. It seems that the belt hasn't snapped. Could it be a seized water pump?
Took off the rocker box and tried to turn the cams, it got so far then stopped. Obviously at that point a valve or valves is touching the top of a piston
We got so far but the weather has beaten us for tonight. Hopefully have the head off some time over the weekend, weather permitting!
Thanks again for advice/ideas given so far.
Cheers
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The belt teeth is common might just be a worn belt or one that got weak from oil leak.
Crack on when the heavy rain and wind this weekend has stopped whip it off take your time all will be well.
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