Meriva A (Z16XE) Cambelt change success!

[beko1987]

It's been in the back of my mind that the Meriva is on 83k, and the only paperwork we got was an old MOT and the V5. Therefore, I'm assuming the cambelt is the original.

 

I know we talk about cambelt roulette alot, but this is SWMBO's car, and it's not worth the ag if it goes ping and we can't afford another car. Has anyone done a cambelt, waterpump and oilpump change on a 1.6 8v (thermostat is not under the cambelt, think that's the 16v that does that) engine, even better if it had a meriva A wrapped around it at the time...

 

I say waterpump and oilpump as there's a fucking loud rattle from the engine on cold until the oil gets around, and the thing never gets hot on the gague, so want the waterpump changed too whilst it's apart.

 

DIY-able in a weekend? Anyone farmed this job out and have an idea of cost?

 

During some googling (trying to find a how-to guide), I found this from vauxhall themselves

 

http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/owners_services/parts_servicing/current-offers/fixed-price-repairs.html

 

which sounded good on the face of it, but then I realised that's probably JUST for the cambelt, and nothing else...

 

I'm sure I got a quote for parts from some vauxhall genuine parts website at £160ish, but if I'll fall flat on my arse doing the work then obv that negates the point. If it's going to cost £300+ to farm it out then that's also a bit crap as I have £300 to do several jobs to both our cars...

 

Or should I lob some hydraulic lifter stuff into the oil, take it for a rag and leave it? The cooling system isn't blocked, I flushed the heater matrix out when we got it and loads of crap came out, and the heaters do work well. Should I lob a coolant temperature sensor in instead and see if that helps?

 

HBOL does detail the cambelt change procedure, but obv is HBOL, so fistfulls of salt have been taken, and I got lost diving about from section 4a7 to section 3b9, back to chapter 9, across to section B etc etc for all the bits that have to come off around the job...

[beko1987]

This is the site, and I think all the bits I'd need (apart from beer...)

 

 

Will I be out of my depth though? Done the rear suspension on the thing, brakes all round, sump removal and re-seal, but this looks more complicated...

[320touring]

Cavcraft Astra is my advice!

[hairnet]

not worth

 

if it goes ding either during or after you do it then yer still outta pocket

 

just run it till it goes ping put the frag money and yer 300 to something else cough honda cough civic

[HH-R]

Are 8v engines generally a bit more noisy at idle and when cold? My Panda sounded rough at idle when cold even though it wasn't damaged. Might be wroth asking round on a price for the timing belt etc to be changed, even main stealers can have some good offers on at times.

 

The temp never reaching normal could be a bad thermostat.

 

I wouldn't just leave it because it will cost more to replace the car and it's better the devil you know. Wouldn't attempt it myself either, but I'm useless.

[Shoysty]

Thermostat is behind cambelt rear cover on these , so if you do it best to change that at the same time

[Rusty_Rocket]

Is it not the 16v twin cam engine Bek? I thought z16xe was?

Does the oil light go out quickly or does it stay on while it's making the noise?

 

Belt replacement on the 16v is fine but I'd recommend the little tool that holds the two cam pulleys still. It's a couple of quid and makes things really simple. 8v belt is easier still.

[Cavcraft]

Thermostat is behind cambelt rear cover on these , so if you do it best to change that at the same time

 

 

/\ This

 

 

Definitely do water pump, cam belt, tensioners/pulley and thermostat at the same time. Pattern parts are stupidly cheap for these, we (aka my son) di it on a 16V Zafira, shop round for a deal on all items.

 

 

Edit: Google says X16XE is 16V, X16SE is 8V.

[dave21478]

Oil pump needs the sump taken off, no? iirc its a proper twat of a job.

 

cam belt and water pump arent too hard, but if you have never done one before perhaps get someone who has to help you?

[beko1987]

Ah, so mixed reactions then!

 

The thermostat isnt behind the cambelt, its very accessable. Does that mean its 8v?

 

the £300 wont be here for long already spent it on stuff in theory,

[Cavcraft]

16V

[lisbon_road]

16 valve is to do.  Really need convincing that there is any need to do the oil pump.  Like a post above said, if the oil light goes out quickly, the problem isn't the pump.  It probably isn't the pump regardless.

[Rusty_Rocket]

Yes, GM oil pumps are good unless they've been fed very neglected oil..

Also, I'd always undo the oil pressure relief valve first (under a hexagonal bolt head- harder to get at if the car has A/C) and check the plunger is free to move in its bore.  Quite often, it's jammed in place with a little piece of grit or swarf, causing less than ideal oil pressure!

[beko1987]

After much readings in the internetz I;ve decided this is a go-er. I've always wanted to change a cambelt for reasons unknown, so it looks like this is going to be the time!

 

Ordered - 

 

1x Cambelt and waterpump kit with rollers and bolts - £77

A nice torque wrench as I do not own one as of yet - £18

Bottle of thread lock as the video's I watched show this being used

£13 on a camlock tool just because

£14 on a new thermostat

£12.69 on a pack of 5 fan belts as it was still cheaper than anywhere else I found for a single one, and I trust it will be the right size as the listing specifically mentioned air con engines...

 

Need to grab some coolant from ECP, will do that when I get paid.

 

After the above and the bits for the ZX I have £20 left, will do nicely for a haircut at lunchtime I think!

 

WCPGW!

[beko1987]

Yes, GM oil pumps are good unless they've been fed very neglected oil..

Also, I'd always undo the oil pressure relief valve first (under a hexagonal bolt head- harder to get at if the car has A/C) and check the plunger is free to move in its bore.  Quite often, it's jammed in place with a little piece of grit or swarf, causing less than ideal oil pressure!

Interesting, where does this sit? Will I loose all the oil doing this though?

 

The car does have air con though... will read the HBOL later. Have sacked the oil pump idea off, as the sump would need to come off again, and tbh there's no oil problems at all, the tappy top end, if not solved by the cambelt will be getting a bottle of valve free-er-upper lobbed in and taken for a 320_touring/cleland style drive!

[bub2006]

It's a vauxhall, they all sound tappy

[beko1987]

This is an extreme tapping though!

 

Just been advised to maybe try some expensive oil and a long drive first to see if that sorts it. Have been using euro car parts ccheapy stuff for the past few changes...

[worldofceri]

Good luck Mister_Beko.  Make sure to take eleven billionty pictures with a vacuum cleaner in at least half of them.

 

 

 

 

 

(As you may have gathered I have no useful advice to dispense.)

[beko1987]

I'll take a threads worth of pics just incase I fuck anything up. Will have reference shots then, may lob a how to together if it would be handy.

 

Will see what I can do re a cleaner in a shot...

 

Of course now I've bought all this there will be a sticker under the cam cover saying it was changed 20 minutes before we bought it, although we've had it 35k now, and the intervals 40k, so that wont be an issue anyway thinking about it (bought at 52, now on 84ish)

 

At least if I sell it I can sell it with part service history rather than the none we bought it with

[jonny69]

If it's top end noise, these engines have hydraulic lifters don't they? Is the tappety noise not just where the engine is a bit worn and they have drained down when the engine is stopped? It takes a short time for them all to pump up again and the clattering goes away.

[beko1987]

That describes the symptoms perfectly tbh. Clattery after being sat overnight, quick pump of revs (2k for a few seconds) takes it away and it's then fine until left for a few hours.

 

Would thicker oil help, or will it just make the noise until the end of time and run fine? It did blow a light wisp of blue smoke out the exhaust in winter when really cold, hasn't done that for a few months though, jsut the usual wispy white smoke when cold, which goes when its warm.

[Taff]

I was about to suggest a good-quality oil change, it might quiet the tappets down somewhat

[sierraman]

You sound like me, working myself up mentally to tackle a job! Woke up in the night last night worrying about if I break an exhaust stud. God I ought to have a different hobby.

[Bren]

Try a genuine filter as well.

[beko1987]

You sound like me, working myself up mentally to tackle a job! Woke up in the night last night worrying about if I break an exhaust stud. God I ought to have a different hobby.

Yep, we are alike! I've read shit loads of forum posts on the subject, have 2 guides printed out, hbol on standby, Laquer Peel sent me the TIS printout of the job etc. I'm at the stage where I could probably talk someone through it step by step, without having changed the bastard.

 

The next step is to JFDI! (providing all the parts arrive), and check that my e-torx bits fit my breaker bar (I think they do, I have an adapter somewhere)

[panhard65]

With the engine rattle run a flush through it then a decent oil of the correct grade. A lot of lifter problems come from people using cheap oil of the incorrect grade. I had a Mondeo in a few years ago that they had been topping up with 20/50. It totally fucked it the lifters wouldn't open even to get the bugger started.

[mat_the_cat]

I wouldn't spend money on lifter treatment in this case - it sounds less like a stuck lifter (intermittent tapping, perhaps at random intervals) which magic in a bottle may cure. If the correct grade of oil and filter don't help, that points more to actual wear.

[sierraman]

Probably better than going in arse about tit and making a massive cock up.

[jonny69]

Would thicker oil help, or will it just make the noise until the end of time and run fine? It did blow a light wisp of blue smoke out the exhaust in winter when really cold, hasn't done that for a few months though, jsut the usual wispy white smoke when cold, which goes when its warm.

 

Probably not. I used to stick thick cheap stuff in her old Renault when it was up at 135k, but someone pointed out to me that the size of the bleed hole in the lifter relies on the grade of oil for correct operation. If you use a thicker oil it can pump up too much when running and not be able to bleed down sufficiently during normal operation. Not sure how true that is, but it made sense at the time.

 

Can't see any harm in using one grade thicker, mind. My engineering head says it'll take up the additional space in worn bearings etc.

[beko1987]

Can anyone recommend a magic potion? Never used one before tbh. I'd better gen up on the correct grade as well, have always relied on euro car parts reg finder system! It has had a year of being topped up with asda oil of possibly the wrong grade back when the sump leaked too... I think it started at about that time too. It's due a change enxt month (it is now), will hit this up!

 

Probably doesnt help that it rarely goes above 3k. I have to sneak it out for a thrash as swmbo won't let me if she knows...