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1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 V6Robinxr4i
@robinxr4i
Club Retro Rides Member 143
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Dec 30, 2010 22:20:41 GMT
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Thought it was about time I finally got round to sticking a thread up for this, despite it's complete lack of retroness or quedos. In my defence it was cheap, manual and RWD ;D Anyway this is what it looked like then I picked it up.......... .....Mmmmmmmm bland! It is (I mean was) a fairly straight car with 94k on the clock and FSH all for the sum of £570, needless to say I've kinda ruined it.......... First job was ride height, which I foolishly tried to correct with -40mm lowering spring. As you can imagine this wasnt low enough so I removed a coil and a half from the front springs which made the front nice and low. Unfortunately the rears are pig tail springs which I am a bit scared to cut The diff got welded..... I welded the my gawd awful Momo bucket seat in....... and fitted my Luke harness Got rid of the chrome on the front grill, satin black tasty....... Happy days
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Last Edit: Jan 22, 2011 17:02:35 GMT by Robinxr4i
Sierra - here we go again! He has an illness, it's not his fault.
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1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 V6Robinxr4i
@robinxr4i
Club Retro Rides Member 143
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Dec 30, 2010 22:45:28 GMT
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I then booked a drift day then the clutch started slipping I looked into a new clutch to find out that the bloody thing had "the most stupid and curse word invention ever" or the dual mass flywheel I work at a motor factors so I thought how expensive can it be? Well the clutch on staff discount was £190+vat and a new dual mass flywheel was £400+vat WTF!!!!!!! Plus it turns out pretty much only Luk do the flywheel, GREAT!!!!! So after a little research it appeared that the Vectra V6 flywheel and clutch might work, thankfully a mate of mine had a second hand Vectra flywheel and clutch which as brought for £20 After a little comparing of the Vectra and Omega flywheel and clutch.......... Flywheels..... Clutches..... There is a slight difference in the height of the clutch cover, about 5mm. I was worried this could cause problems with the release bearing, but I decided to take a gamble. So I fitted it and it works perfectly ;D So this happened........ Good times! Then I saw some uber cheap 5x110 to 5x114.3 hub adaptors on RR awesome then they turned up and I measured them and they turned out to be bolt on 20mm spacers oh well they were still cheap anyway. I've fitted the rear ones........ A bit of a fail/win but I'm still happy with the extra track. I need to the roll the front arches in order to fit the front spacers, as the tyres is super close anyway. Comments, abuse, advice and opinions welcome ;D
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Sierra - here we go again! He has an illness, it's not his fault.
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Colonelk
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,740
Club RR Member Number: 83
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1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 V6Colonelk
@colonelk
Club Retro Rides Member 83
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Dec 30, 2010 22:53:35 GMT
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ground down the lockstops yet? dibs on those adapters if you chop the motor in love the stance..... dirty!
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v8jim
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,304
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i had one once it was very cheap so i thought i'd learn to drift was quite tidy but not for long was slow as hell but it had an engine management fault(like all vauxhalls)and as there is no where to practice around here it got scrapped.i never did learn to drift. yours looks 100% nicer
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Max sig pic size: 80px
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Colonelk
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,740
Club RR Member Number: 83
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1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 V6Colonelk
@colonelk
Club Retro Rides Member 83
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v8jim.... shame you never got to take it out skidding, its great fun!
The management in these normally tell you where the problem is, but I agree they are a pig to work on (the v6s anyway).
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1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 V6Robinxr4i
@robinxr4i
Club Retro Rides Member 143
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Dec 31, 2010 10:25:59 GMT
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195/50 on a 6.5x15" The V6 isn't too bad makes okay power but does feel a bit flat low down. Mine seems healthy the engine management light is off, no hesitation or flat spots and doesn't smoke so I assume it's close to the 170ish bhp it's meant to be. It's no missile (as I'm sure your aware lol!), but it's got enough power for 2nd gear skids, but yeah it does bog down in 3rd in the dry. The heavier solid flywheel does seem to help, as do the 195's and a fair amount of tyre pressure. It's easily the easiest and best car for skids I've owned, the steering is superb and it's got decent power. Ideally I'd like to stick a 3.0 or 3.2 V6 in it as it seems like an easy swap, but that will be some time off.......... If ever! Yeah the lock stops are next on the list
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Sierra - here we go again! He has an illness, it's not his fault.
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1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 V6Robinxr4i
@robinxr4i
Club Retro Rides Member 143
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After Bruce did such a good sales pitch for Flyeyes tinting film I got hold of some to do the Omega front lights with. Hopefully it will be in keeping with the bland styling lol. WIN!!!!!!!!
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Sierra - here we go again! He has an illness, it's not his fault.
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Chris™
Part of things
This is clearly filler material.
Posts: 519
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Was wondering when this thread would make an appearance, turns out it already had and i'd missed it ;D Liking it so far, looking forward to seeing it progress - headlights look like a win =)
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1989 Volvo 340 1986 Suzuki SJ413 2000 BMW 318ti 2006 Lexus IS250
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Jan 10, 2011 12:35:28 GMT
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Looks like a good old drift toy to me mate. Makes a change from the usual e36's and Sierras too. Are they as heavy as they look?
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1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 V6Robinxr4i
@robinxr4i
Club Retro Rides Member 143
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Jan 10, 2011 22:00:37 GMT
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Matt you've got a PM Head lights back in ;D Looks like a good old drift toy to me mate. Makes a change from the usual e36's and Sierras too. Are they as heavy as they look? Yeah it skids really well, and yes the weight is massive from what the Haynes manual says it's around 1500kg is not more (although I've made a half hearted attempt to strip it, I do like a bit of carpet and front door cards. No point in going to mental) A sierra feels much more chuckable! Although the weight and wheel base almost makes it easier to slide, feels very composed. Seen some uber cheap £150 Raceland coilovers (i know there curse word quality!) which are designed for the mk4 Astra but I'm pretty sure the front struts and rear spring can be made to fit the Omega with a bit of messing about.
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Sierra - here we go again! He has an illness, it's not his fault.
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Jan 11, 2011 22:22:57 GMT
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I've had a couple of these, a 2.5 V6 and a 2.0 (X20XEV). Worked on quite a few V6's, and, by far the best way to get access to the engine, is to remove the wipers and scuttle. The black hole at the rear of the engine bay suddenly becomes visible and you can see what you're doing. They're not too bad to work on, I just take my time and realise a simple job (such as HT leads and plug change) will take around 4 hours . Engine management issues, easily resolved. Pre Tech 2 models can have the codes flashed off with a paper clip . Didn't really do much with my 2.5 V6, mods wise, well, except the Cadillac Catera grille I fitted (GM marketed the Omega B in the US of A as the Cadillac Catera, it failed and was replaced with the superior CTS). Most of my time was spent fixing the typical Omega faults and enjoying the near 50/50 weight distribution!!
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Jan 12, 2011 15:01:21 GMT
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195/50 on a 6.5x15" The V6 isn't too bad makes okay power but does feel a bit flat low down. Mine seems healthy the engine management light is off, no hesitation or flat spots and doesn't smoke so I assume it's close to the 170ish bhp it's meant to be. It's no missile (as I'm sure your aware lol!), but it's got enough power for 2nd gear skids, but yeah it does bog down in 3rd in the dry. The heavier solid flywheel does seem to help, as do the 195's and a fair amount of tyre pressure. It's easily the easiest and best car for skids I've owned, the steering is superb and it's got decent power. Ideally I'd like to stick a 3.0 or 3.2 V6 in it as it seems like an easy swap, but that will be some time off.......... If ever! Yeah the lock stops are next on the list The engine swap is fairly easy, but.....ex police MV6's are as cheap as they'll be at the moment, and, do sometimes come with an LSD (usually manual transmission models I think). There does seem to be a big difference between a 2.5 and 3.0 in terms of performance, having driven both, the 3.0 is a lot, lot sprightlier.
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Jan 12, 2011 15:05:34 GMT
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On the subject of performance.....these engines don't seem to respond well to the following.
- Exhaust mods (had a mate that decatted his 3.0 and lost quite a bit of low end grunt) - Intake mods, they're geared to produce a good wallop of performance as standard - ensuring your vacuum operated flaps on the dual length intake are working, if they stop working, you loose quite a lot of torque, believe it or not. They should open at around 4-4.5K RPM.
You can improve the cooling though. Some of the German Omega guys remove the valley based oil cooler (lives in the V) and reroute this to a conventional cooler at the front of the car. This improves cooling to the rear two cylinders. As far as I can tell, they modify the cooler plate and reroute some of the plumbing. Especially important as some run either low pressure turbos, or go the supercharger route (again low pressure).
Saab did take the 3.0 and fix a single, low pressure turbo, I am pretty certain they did not change the internals at all.
James
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Jan 12, 2011 19:04:03 GMT
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hi there mate i love these omegas =] the backs are easy me and my mate lowerd his by using standard astra pigtails on the back heres a pic for you we did try standard corsa ones but it was too low so we tryed astra ones and it was spot on as you can see it the pic hope this helps you mate =]
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1979 mk5 ford cortina 2.0 pinto 1989 fiat panda-van lowist panda =p
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juggs
Part of things
Posts: 150
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Jan 12, 2011 19:16:29 GMT
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Omega's looking good, always been put off by the horror stories though! Just out of interest did you have to do anything to mod the clutch of flywheel to fit or is it a straight swap?
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Currently cut down the fleet, Pulsar gti-r, sierra v6, E36 328i.. currently looking for crude oil...
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Jan 12, 2011 20:09:46 GMT
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Omega's looking good, always been put off by the horror stories though! Just out of interest did you have to do anything to mod the clutch of flywheel to fit or is it a straight swap? Don't be put off, they're a great car, good to drive (in V6 form), and well equipped. The following horror stories can be easily put to bed . - V6 cambelt snapping If you buy one, change the belt and tensioners first off. Easy job with the locking kit (around £50 for the locking kit, or, Autovaux can loan you one). The tensioner is the weakpoint on both 4 and 6 cylinder cars, change every 40K or 4 years. Change the waterpump on 4 cylinder ones every belt change to avoid pain. It's easy with the locking tools (4 cyl one is a tenner I think) - Oil Cooler failure Results in head gasket failure like coolant. Head gasket failure on the V6's is rare, if looked after. I've changed a couple of coolers in my time, a very good flush (with some persil, or degreaser) and a new cooler, problem solved. - Overheating usually a failed Heater Bypass valve - Misfiring Usually a failed coil pack (caused by the above) or shonked leads (4 hour job to replace, they're a bit of an to do). - Autobox shonkyness Get a manual. But, selector switches and fluid/filters being changed can usually resolve the issues, if caught in time. Rear diffs are usually solid, unless the preload has been incorrectly set on the Pinion bearing, changing the diff is not difficult, took me about a day to do mine on my old 2 litre. Engine management gayness, V6's use Bosch Motronic, earlier models have easily flashed off diagnostics. Main failure items, crank angle sensor (easily replaced). 4 cylinders, some Siemens affair, again, easily flashed codes. Main failures, Crank, Cam and Mass Airflow sensors. Crank sensor is a pain to do, as the engine mount has to come out. In fairness, parts are cheap, DIY maintenance possible, if you have the patience. Grab one now, especially a V6 (CDX Spec or Elite spec best) MV6 or Elite, as they're never going to be cheaper and are earmarked as a future classic. James
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10mpg
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,253
Club RR Member Number: 204
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1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 V610mpg
@10mpg
Club Retro Rides Member 204
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Jan 12, 2011 23:10:15 GMT
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I must be in a minority then, I hated my 2.5 V6 manual estate, continually going wrong and absolutely awfull to work on, possibly the worst car I've ever worked on in my entire career as a mechanic, I lost my rag with it in the end when the coil pack went at the same time as the duel mass flywheel and the big ends. Weighed it in in the end and was damn grateful to see it go.. When it did work it was surprisingly slow handled like it was drunk when pushed and used nearly as much fuel as my 4.6 Range Rover it wasn't even good at towing.. At the time my Mrs daily was a 2.3 Scorpio estate, better in every way, much faster, far comfier handled far better, used much less fuel towed better and hardly ever went wrong, also simplicity itself to work on .. Die die die...
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Last Edit: Jan 12, 2011 23:13:57 GMT by 10mpg
The Internet, like all tools, if used improperly, can make a complete bo**cks of even the simplest jobs...
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Jan 13, 2011 16:15:33 GMT
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@ 10MPG I can see your point, the consumption on my 2.5 was at near Rangie levels, which always made me wonder why I didn't just go out and get a P38A (Pegasus) Rangie, as I rather like them. Price was my main factor back then. The V6's can become consumptive if there is an airleak on the intake plenum. I'd had mine apart a number of times, and didn't replace the various rubber O rings, so had air leaks past the plenum at this point, increasing consumption. A sturdy 25 around town is acheivable though.... SHame about yours, looks straight from that photo. Admittedly, the estates don't handle as well as the saloons, due to the position of the rear shocks. The saloons shocks go to the top of the arch. They do tend to understeer before over steering, but, the balance is near 50/50, a reason why the police loved them so much, plus that estate is very spacious. Suprised to hear about the Big Ends though..... As someone (not a mechanic by trade) who likes getting my hands dirty, I always relished the chance to work on my, and other peoples Omegas. Once you've changed one Oil cooler, you can usually change others far quicker!!. I could strip down to the cooler plate level (in the V) in about 30 minutes with the scuttle and wipers removed . Part of the problem is the engine was designed for transverse applications, and didn't really translate well to north/south configuration. Some owners have shoved in the 24 valve from the Carlton/Senator. One guy I know of has transferred the complete running gear from a smashed up Lotus Carlton, to create something rather interesting!!. GM did toy with the idea (Opel rather) of making a V8 version, but, cooling was a problem. The visually similar Holden Commodore is actually wider and slightly longer, plus a lot stiffer to cope with the 5.7 litre LS1 V8 .
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