It's a catastrophy!!!!!!!

by **033 Ken** » 23 Aug 2011, 13:51

Heading home from Oamaru on sunday the vectra 2000 stopped dead! checked cams they were still turning but sounded like it had no compression. I checked the cam belt, it was loose! My Mechanic has checked it over and we have bent valves in all four cylinders. As it turns out we had the cam belt water pump and idler replaced when we got the car but the idler spring broke.

Does any one have a spare head? or possibly spare valves? or where would the best place to go to buy valves?

by **020 Brad** » 23 Aug 2011, 14:39

On no!!!!! That is terrible news alright.

If you get stuck Ken, I could probably separate my spare motor and send you the head including valves, springs and lifters, just minus cams etc.

Maybe check UK sites for valves etc to see what they are worth. I think Derek may even be over there at the moment too, so possibly an opportunity to have them brought back into the country cheaper and easier than freight?

by **001 Neville** » 23 Aug 2011, 14:46

Sorry to hear you had problems, Ken. Sounds like you are on to getting it sorted.

How did you get the car home? Would not be easy over the Kilmog.

by **033 Ken** » 23 Aug 2011, 16:04

My sister in law Meg lives in waitati about a k away from where the car died and the father in law towed us to Megs house where i got a tow truck to pick it up.

I might take you up on the offer Brad I will let you know. Thanks heaps.

The car is too good to part out so i want to get it going.

by **127 Gordo** » 23 Aug 2011, 18:33

Dissy or dispac engine?
Got a 'German' distributor head that's a spare, if you're caught short - or perhaps just the valves ( was thinking of larger valves for it, anyway, when I was solvent again)?
Talking of which, there are a bunch on Ebay - I expect the 'cheap' ones would do you for a engine that's stock?
Alternatively, you could try companies that modify the engines, like QED, SBD, JRE, etc, as they should have some left over when putting bigger valves in heads.

by **033 Ken** » 23 Aug 2011, 18:48

Thanks Gordo, it's a dissy head, I'm happy to swap heads if easier since your're doing a big valve head. Naturally i would make sure the head your getting is in good nick apart from the valves lol. When the head comes off i will know how many valves i will need. It would be easier on frieght if i could just get valves.

I have looked at qed and sbd and there is not much difference in cost of better valves so if i went to new stuff i would be tempted to spend some extra on it lol something the wife may not understand lol.

by **127 Gordo** » 23 Aug 2011, 19:28

OK, I'll hold fire for now, when/if you decide which way to go I'll need to sort out a valve spring compressor to get them out if you go that way.

by **033 Ken** » 23 Aug 2011, 20:11

Thanks heaps Gordo, all the offers have been great guy's. I will let you all know as oon as possible.

by **020 Brad** » 23 Aug 2011, 20:40

033 Ken wrote:all the offers have been great guy's

Anything to keep a 2000 on the road and help a fellow forum member out. Sounds like you guys have it under control, but just flick me a pm if you do end up needing any parts.

by **021 Chad** » 24 Aug 2011, 12:44

These guys do valve sets for under $150.
http://www.staparts.co.nz/search_makemodel.php

The idler setup on the later model C20XE's is a cam tensioning system rather than a spring operated setup so perhaps this was spotted as a point of potential failure by Opel?

by **033 Ken** » 24 Aug 2011, 13:19

The head is coming on friday hopefully, so we will see what the damage is then i will keep you guy's posted.

by **026 Nik** » 25 Aug 2011, 13:09

020 Brad wrote:
033 Ken wrote:all the offers have been great guy's

Anything to keep a 2000 on the road and help a fellow forum member out. Sounds like you guys have it under control, but just flick me a pm if you do end up needing any parts.

Good on ya Brad.

by **127 Gordo** » 31 Aug 2011, 04:12

So, what's happening?
Don't forget, the guides'll also need to be looked over carefully - you don't want a cracked one to drop a bit into the cylinder.

by **033 Ken** » 29 Sep 2011, 17:42

The heads off and it's bent all 8 inlet valves but i would love to get a full set. I would like to take up one of the offers for valves let me know how much including postage. thanks heaps

by **168 Derek S** » 29 Sep 2011, 18:24

I have a pretty clean set of inlet valves here I have only just removed from a 20XE head if needed
exhaust ones are ok, carbonized, just need to be soaked and machine buffed.
Replacement exhaust valves should be sodium filled ones, believe most of the after market ones are not.

I have a complete new set coming from the UK, so these one can be let go to anyone that's interested

I agree with Gordo, stem guides will probably be the cast iron ones and could be damaged, if your at this stage it would be worth changing them for bronze ones, new stem seals etc.

I am talking to the engine builders at the moment about refurbishing a coscast head, basically doing the full monty, bronze valve guides, new core plugs, all new valve gear etc.

These guys will also be doing the porous head repair on a GM cast head for me once the costcats one is finished.

if the head you have is a GM cast one its worth doing the porous head repair at the same time if you can.

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