Got the rocker cover off, nothing like having a bit of daylight to see what you're doing.

My 8v 1.9 engine doesn't seem to have rocker arms and I couldn't see or hear anything particularly awful.

When turning the cam it makes a kind of slurping sound but no grinding or any other kind of noise.

I'm going to get a dayco timing belt kit from ecp tomorrow (don't want to risk another skf kit) and with an awful lot of luck maybe I'll have got away with it.

Hi,
You are right the 8V has bucket tappets, I finally looked at eLearn.

You should at least check the valve clearances:

Inlet valves clearance in closed position
0.25 - 0.35 mm



Exhaust valves clearance in closed position
0.30 - 0.40 mm

If they are outside this you may need new valves or a SH head.


Robert G8RPI.

Belt, water pump and tensioner changed. Pump breathing was worn and I think it was leaking into the tensioner as it was stiff.

Got the car started up and it is running but rough and a bit of a misfire so I'll get mes plugged in tomorrow and see what it tells me.

There aren't any horrible noises but I know there's something else wrong with it.

I'll post any info from mes tomorrow.

On the assumption that there's a problem with a hydraulic tappet does anyone know if they are difficult to change?

BrianMcL said:

Belt, water pump and tensioner changed. Pump breathing was worn and I think it was leaking into the tensioner as it was stiff.

Got the car started up and it is running but rough and a bit of a misfire so I'll get mes plugged in tomorrow and see what it tells me.

There aren't any horrible noises but I know there's something else wrong with it.

I'll post any info from mes tomorrow.

On the assumption that there's a problem with a hydraulic tappet does anyone know if they are difficult to change?

Click to expand...

Hi Brian,

I'm not an expert on the 8V but think the engine just has solid tappets with and adjusting shims. Next thing to do if MES shows nothing is a compression test.

Where aare you located? I have a system, Picoscope Automotive, that will do a comparative compression check with just a sensor clamped on the battery lead.


Robert G8RPI.

BrianMcL said:

Belt, water pump and tensioner changed. Pump breathing was worn and I think it was leaking into the tensioner as it was stiff.

Got the car started up and it is running but rough and a bit of a misfire so I'll get mes plugged in tomorrow and see what it tells me.

There aren't any horrible noises but I know there's something else wrong with it.

I'll post any info from mes tomorrow.

On the assumption that there's a problem with a hydraulic tappet does anyone know if they are difficult to change?

Click to expand...

Brian if you did it yourself, and may be in the open air, I wil take my hat of to you, well done!

Vento said:

Brian if you did it yourself, and may be in the open air, I wil take my hat of to you, well done!

Click to expand...

Hi Vento, Got it changed outside mostly in the dark and in the rain. Can't get the engine to run properly though so I'm going to need to get the camshaft off and see what's going on.

g8rpi said:

Hi Brian,

I'm not an expert on the 8V but think the engine just has solid tappets with and adjusting shims. Next thing to do if MES shows nothing is a compression test.

Where aare you located? I have a system, Picoscope Automotive, that will do a comparative compression check with just a sensor clamped on the battery lead.


Robert G8RPI.

Click to expand...

Hi Robert Thanks for the offer, I'm in Paisley near Glasgow.

Engine definitely not fixed and will need to get the camshaft off to see what's going on.

Do you know whether it's just a matter of undoing the bolts and lifting the camshaft out?

Been away last week so catching up.

If the 8V diesel is similar to the 8V single and twin cam petrol engines then it will be a "true" overhead cam setup. The valves have followers that sit directly on top of the valve stems. Recessed in the top of the followers is a large diameter "shim". The valve clearance is set by using different thickness shims. With the camshaft in situ the removal and replacement of the shims requires two special tools. One to lever the valve follower down and another to lock it in the down position so the shim can be extracted.

Sounds to me that you may have had valve to piston contact on one or more valves. If so then it will be a head off job.

With the head off and valves out apart from visual inspection of valve and piston heads then there are two definitive test you can do.

1) to bench roll each valve stem on a level surface/plate. Any visible head wobble is new valve time. If it looks OK then onto step two.

2) Using a valve lapping tool and past try lapping the valve into the valve seat from which it came. Both the valve seat face and valve head will be ground/polished up. Remove valve and inspect it's and the valve seats polished surfaces. There should be concentric, even and centralised grinding/polishing makes/rings. If not then the valve will require replacing. Some cheap garage jobs will still lap an ever so slightly bent valve back in but this is utmost folly as even if compression can be restored there will be excessive valve guide wear over time. Also there could be hidden fractures in the valve head to stem region that will fail at a later date with the valve head coming completely off the stem doing piston, bore damage and even breaking the engine block.

BrianMcl

What is the status of your engine repair?

You have gone awfully quiet

Brian.


Been following this thread with interest.

As with S130 I'm curious whats happened and how you are getting on.

Hi Brian,


I hope you get your car back up and running well again. You have been very helpful to me with various questions I have posted on the forum.


In case it is not, I have just put our Croma up for sale and I'm around 20 mins drive from you in Kilmacolm.

Ours is a 16v Eleganza, with many new parts on it.


All the best, Baz

Hi All, been away for a couple of weeks so just had her sorn'd for the last few weeks.

Planning to change the head but not sure how to go about it. Not currently in any great rush to get her back on the road and wouldn't mind learning how to do this.

Does anyone know of any decent videos on YouTube or elsewhere which would let me see what I'd be getting into?

Bazm said:

Hi Brian,


I hope you get your car back up and running well again. You have been very helpful to me with various questions I have posted on the forum.


In case it is not, I have just put our Croma up for sale and I'm around 20 mins drive from you in Kilmacolm.

Ours is a 16v Eleganza, with many new parts on it.


All the best, Baz

Click to expand...

Hi bazm, glad I could help ?

Is yours the silver one that I've seen from time to time around these parts?

Hi Brian,


A very good chance that it is. I think you met my wife one time while our respective sons were getting their driving license or similar..

All the best, Baz

I remember it well ☺ so unusual to see another one around here and just had to say hello.

BrianMcL said:

Hi All, been away for a couple of weeks so just had her sorn'd for the last few weeks.

Planning to change the head but not sure how to go about it. Not currently in any great rush to get her back on the road and wouldn't mind learning how to do this.

Does anyone know of any decent videos on YouTube or elsewhere which would let me see what I'd be getting into?

Click to expand...

Remember that this is the same engine and installation used in the Vauxhall Vectra C which is more common so worth googling for information / videos for it. There is also eLearn but I ssume you have downloaded that from the forum already.


Robert G8RPI.

If the head is coming off then this is an ideal time to do some extra work:

o EGR valve - check for clogging/coked up

o Swirl Valve Integrity - check for clogging/coked up, spindle play, seal integity, free movement

o Alternator - cable and contacts - clean, firm and not rusty

o Alternator - they do fail so if you have not had one in recent years then now might be a good time to put a new/exchange unit in.

o Glow plugs - carefully remove, clean threads (blug/head) and put back with Moly Grease - don't use copper grease as it is not as waterproof and long term durable as quality black moly grease

o Injectors - get them professionally cleaned - NOTE the injector codes by cylinder as they are coded into the engine ECU and have to go back from whence they came

o Change power steering fluid - syphon / draw out and refil

o New Aux Drive belt (taken as fact that you will renew cam belt, tensioner, water pump, etc)

Probably some other stuff you can do whilst there

Well now that Spring is almost here I think it might be time to try and get her back on the road. I've still got access to another vehicle so I can take a bit of time with it but rather than post any more on theis thread I'm going to start a new one to document how I get on and ask all my stupid questions.

Thanks again everyone for your help and advice so far, no doubt I'll need a lot more so thanks in advance for that as well ?