Cossiep

Guys,

My daily runner (1990 2.0i Cavalier CD) has had the cam belt slip and damage the valves

Question is, what's the most cost effective repair option ?

1) Remove head, buy all neccessary parts and rebuild/ pay someone to rebuild

or

2) Buy a decent 2nd hand head from a breakers and bolt straight on

Do breakers usually sell heads bare or complete ? Would a 2nd hand unit need a skim ?

Any help appreciated

Cheers
Paul

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Is that a 20SEH (8v) or 20XE (16v) engine on that mate?

Cossiep

8v Chip

James

take the head of, see whats bent, get some new valves and away you go! won't take no time at all on a 8v.

BillyCabrio

iTrader: (1)

Wouldn't be the XE Chip, more like the EcoCrapTec lump

James

ecotec is also called xe20se iirc!

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Given that they didnt release the EcoTec till 5 years later, it was a safe bet it wasnt that one mate

I thought it would be the 8v but was just checking!


anyway.......

Heads for these engines are pennies, and so are compelte engines.

I woudl get the head off yours first and decide whats needed, if the pistons have had a real whack you might be better off chucking a new engine in (50 quid or so!)

BillyCabrio

iTrader: (1)

My bad

Cossiep

Cheers Chip,

£50 for a new lump ?

Just had a quote from a breakers for a second hand head for £94

Don't really want to change the lump as it's a bit out of my abilities and paying my usual mechanic would make the car a write off, whereas I could manage the head I think

Any suggestions where to get a second hand head for pennies ?

Chip

iTrader: (3)

If you need a hand fitting it and can get one really quickly, I can help you out next week (last week of me staying in london during the week)

Try www.vauxsport.com for a secondhand head, and www.migweb.co.uk and also of course ebay.

I would get it skimmed if it was me.


Make sure you get a picture of the inlet and exhaust sides of the head as I beleive that like the 1800 there are a couple of different configurations of port.

Ojc

Aren't those engines safe engines?

Cossiep

Cheers for the offer Chip, really appreciate that

Won't be able to source one that quickly, trying to juggle all this with working away myself.

Will try and get the head off and take it from there

Thanks for all the help guys

Chip

iTrader: (3)

no, its only the small block ones.

although often on the bigger 8v ones they just snap the sintered rockers and everything else survives.

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Well if barry will let me kip in his old man's caravan in croydon a couple of nights, me and him could pop round and give you a hand anyway I expect if you get stuck

They are dead easy to work on but the water pump will probably be seized (IIRC its literally about 5 years since I last touched an 8V lump, lol)