VX cambelt idler warning

[stevefoster]

i came across this. Guess what number my engine has.

Website address is

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&q=drive+belt+failure+warning&meta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGB

 

Hope that works... interesting site...

 

 

POSSIBLE CAM BELT FAILURE ON VAUXHALL ENGINES !

 

Some of you may have seen the item on "Watchdog" which alerted me to the possible problem with a faulty component in the Vauxhall 16v 2 l engine. I have investigated the matter with the help of the local Vauxhall dealer with the following results.

 

There are two variants of the Vauxhall 16v 2 l engine. The change point is at engine no 14142838. The later engines have a modified cam drive and cam belt arrangement, which appears to have been carried over onto the Ecotec engine. I have the later engine, which has two idler wheels on the cam drive train. The original wheels are made of a plastic material and carry the marking "para GF50 ". These are the wheels that are the subject of a Vauxhall recall, and should be replaced with wheels made of a rubberised material.

 

If you have a complete Vauxhall road car, Vauxhall will change these wheels FOC. They won,t exchange the wheels though of a buckshee engine - so the cost to Monoposto racers is around £30 - cheaper than a cam belt failure I suppose !

 

By the way Vauxhalls recall campaign is aimed only at '94 on (Ecotec engined ?) cars, they don’t cough to a problem with the earlier 16v engine, but mine had the rogue wheels fitted !

 

 

[16vastra]

yeah close enough. vauxhall wont replace them FOC at all tho lol

and really you want to be looking at the early metal pulleys if you have the non-autotensioning belt setup or the GF25 (half as much flassfibre and less prone to cracking) if its the later autotensioning one. if you dont know when they were changed last then you better change the pulleys and belt TBH as its not pretty when DOHC engines snap a belt.

for cheap VX original parts look at www.autovaux.com (£75 for the 2 metal pulleys which is about half of what vauxhalls want)

[stevefoster]

I have recently changed belt and tensioner... only need to do the idler pulleys now....

[EFA]

Steve,

 

This is a well known problem and applies to what are known as "low noide engines"

 

I think you will find the changeover number is the same point at which the engine changes from distributor to wasted spark ignition.

 

Fat Arn

Visit the K2 RUM siteid=red>

See the Lotus Seven Club 4 Counties Area Website hereid=green>

 

[stevefoster]

Aha,

My engine number is 14182700.

I have the rounded more recent cambelt (does that = low noise?).

[stevefoster]

My local VX wants 35 each + vat for something that was a design fault recall...

[EFA]

Steve,

 

Yes round teeth on low noise engines.

 

Fat Arn

Visit the K2 RUM siteid=red>

See the Lotus Seven Club 4 Counties Area Website hereid=green>

 

[Allan Haighton]

Yes they certainly did carry this across to the Ecotec engines. I've trashed a 16V 1.6 engine this way. The problem still isn't solved. The current 1.8 16V engines had an 80000 mile interval for cam belt change - but this has beeen reduced in the last few maonths to 40000 miles. Same problem, I understand.

[stevefoster]

I changed my belt and tensioner at 5 yrs = 10000 miles.

I whizzed the idlers and they were quiet and so left them alone.. that was on the advice of the Vauxhall parts / service man! He clearly did not know or care about the recall advice.