My Corsa B: Doubty McDoubtface

[fordperv]

Got to be time for an engine conversion

[eddyramrod]

What you need is a nice cheap Saab...

[Pillock]

...with a Perkins Prima in it.

[Split_Pin]

My wallet is getting killed with petrol costs from running the Astra for the last 3 months so 1.4 max.

[320touring]

now if you had a 2.2 vectra that did 35mpg +

[eddyramrod]

My wallet is getting killed with petrol costs from running the Astra for the last 3 months so 1.4 max.

You can seriously say that to a man with a 7.7 litre Cadillac???????

[Split_Pin]

now if you had a 2.2 vectra that did 35mpg +

That may* be necessary come the end of summer.

[Split_Pin]

You can seriously say that to a man with a 7.7 litre Cadillac???????

I think you have slightly bigger gonads than me though!

[Split_Pin]

A good and bad day today for the Corsa but mainly good.

 

It's now running loads better since I fitted the new MAF, the management light just requires turning off.

 

The bad is it failed its MOT but the good is its all very minor. The seat belt thing is my fault as I didn't angle the upper mounts properly when fitting the roll cage. A simple slacken and readjust should sort it.

 

 

Brand new tyres were in the boot ( good riddance to the Wanli ditchfinders) and they always say the handbrake is shite. In operation it works fine, much better than the Astra which always passes with no advisories.

 

The other bad is that the garage have cocked up AGAIN. They didn't put my booking, made a month ago, in their diary. They are currently mega busy and I have a list of things requiring done to the car, all of which were disclosed at the time of the booking. Looks like they will have the car until at least Wednesday, although going on past experience, this is likely to become protracted.

[Split_Pin]

Full MOT now in hand but things are getting silly with this car. I've spent a ludicrous amount on it this year and I'm still not happy with it.

 

The valve train clatters under light acceleration yet it appears that there is NO explanations. It's as silent as a fish at idle and higher revs. This car has had its oil changed meticulously every 6 months regardless of low mileage, yet the Megane with nearly double the miles and having survived on the same black stale dribble of piss for likely some years, runs sweet as a fupping nut. What's that all about??

 

Also changed my EGR valve and Thermostat a few months ago and the temp needle started to sit right in the middle of the gauge. EGR valve was a shite copy, changed it for a Pieburg OEM item and now the needle sits bang in 90 not moving. What does the EGR have to do with this?

 

Im seriously losing my mojo with this flipping chariot.

[SiC]

This car has had its oil changed meticulously every 6 months regardless of low mileage, yet the Megane with nearly double the miles and having survived on the same black stale dribble of piss for likely some years, runs sweet as a fupping nut. What's that all about??

Cause all Vauxhalls are shit mate

 

Tbh, I now prescribe the view that its all down to luck with cars. Some are fine. But some are just fucked from day one. However you get more luck with some brands+models than others...

[dugong]

Full MOT now in hand but things are getting silly with this car. I've spent a ludicrous amount on it this year and I'm still not happy with it.

 

The valve train clatters under light acceleration yet it appears that there is NO explanations. It's as silent as a fish at idle and higher revs. This car has had its oil changed meticulously every 6 months regardless of low mileage, yet the Megane with nearly double the miles and having survived on the same black stale dribble of piss for likely some years, runs sweet as a fupping nut. What's that all about??

 

Also changed my EGR valve and Thermostat a few months ago and the temp needle started to sit right in the middle of the gauge. EGR valve was a shite copy, changed it for a Pieburg OEM item and now the needle sits bang in 90 not moving. What does the EGR have to do with this?

 

Im seriously losing my mojo with this flipping chariot.

Would a known good second hand engine help the cause, using the original lump as donor with all the decent new bits taken off as spares?

[Split_Pin]

Definitely. Trying to find a known good one is proving fruitless however.

[Split_Pin]

Cause all Vauxhalls are shit mate

 

Tbh, I now prescribe the view that its all down to luck with cars. Some are fine. But some are just fucked from day one. However you get more luck with some brands+models than others...

Totally agree with that, a bit like human health and life expectancy really!

[Cavcraft]

Could the clattering under light acceleration could be timing or cheap fuel?

[dugong]

Definitely. Trying to find a known good one is proving fruitless however.

Ah, balls. They need to be cheap and easy to fix after the mither yours has given!

 

Is there a specific engine code I should be watching out for? There are some large pikey yards near me with a few Corsas in.

 

M8 WEL SIK U SHUD RED TOP STILL 1.2CC ON LOG BUK (KAKKE)

[Split_Pin]

CHERZ WAT. It's an x10xe.

 

Bully it could be that but I have worked out for now that as long as I don't nurse it anywhere and turn up the radio, it's fine, even with the window down!

[SiC]

Are these hydraulic valve lifters? I know the z16xe in the Astra we have.

 

Wynn's valve lift treatment should quieten it - did on our mk1 mx5

[Split_Pin]

Yep hydraulic lifters in these.

 

I do an oil change every 6 months, will I need to add the Wynns every time?

[SiC]

I only dropped it when it started doing it. It's one of the few snake oils that I've found that actually does what it's supposed to do.

 

When was the oil last changed?

[Split_Pin]

Last changed in April.

[Split_Pin]

Just bought a winter cover for this from Halfords today. It's meant to be triple layer and all that, we will see. Last outing tomorrow to the Vauxhall Show at Knockhill then it's off to the land of nod until March.

 

Started it up yesterday and one of the lifters is chapping it's tattie-bo-jangles right off.

 

An erstwhile fellow of this fair borough keeps tempting me with pictures of cheap Corsas to use as engine donors.

 

However, I know this engine inside out and also know that it's a good one, and been kept that way for the past six and a half years by me. I can't help thinking better-the-devil-you-know.

 

Has anybody any experience of changing out hydraulic lifters from a dohc engine? Is it a massive strip down or what?

[overrun]

I have an A10XEP here. When looking for that engine, I was tripping over seemingly fine X10 jobs.

 

Forget the 1.0 stuff and shot something else in. Even an OMG20XE would still return decent MPG.

 

Hope you get sorted, one way or another!

[320touring]

see its no just me:)

[Split_Pin]

Yeah fur doos!

 

I wouldn't get involved with an XE, too many humped ones around, making the search for a good one impossible. Then there's all the other upgrades to brakes, suspension and wiring that I cba with.

 

Any ideas on the tappet replacement?

[lisbon_road]

You need to take the camshafts out, which means taking the cam chain sprockets off.  It supposedly needs special tools to set the timing, but I've done it with a metal bar and some feeler gauges, possible a hacksaw blade. I always use a DTI to find TDC to set the valve timing.  I can't remember what you do with the chain.  With a strip down like that, might be worth putting on a new chain and tensioner.  For that, ideally you need to drop the sump but I've done it by loosening the sump screws at the timing end.  

 

I'd consider a 1.2 4 cylinder engine if you fancy a change, as they are a bit smoother.  The three cylinder is ok once you're motoring though.

[Split_Pin]

Cheers chap, v useful. I'll see what's about come spring time for an engine donor. I think the dash looms are the same for the 4 cyl 16v engines as the 3 cyls.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I liked the 3 cylinder in mine. Not the most powerful but unusually characterful especially for vauxhall. Always thought it would be cool with a turbo bodged on, a bit like the daihatsu charade gtti, it was a diddly 1.0 3cyl but made 100hp....

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

[Noel Tidybeard]

the 3 cyl always sounds like a skeleton wanking in a bucket

[Split_Pin]

Only if you neglect oil changes and the chain tensioner wears out. 4 cyls completely the same and both entirely the owners fault.

 

Drove it up to Knockhill today, sounds fine above 30 and drives as it should, even when you give it death up long hills. Might just see how it is next year and drive it as is.

 

It polishes up ok though.