Cossiep

Guys,

How can you determine whether a motor has a COSCATS head either by records or physically ?

I'm looking at a 1997 Calibra later (which I thought would've been Ecotec anyway) but the guy (who knows nothing about cars) tells me the top of the engine is definately red. I know the later XE's had GM heads just wondering how to tell ?

Cheers
Paul

fatboyz

it will have coscast stamped on the head somewhere matey

Mint FRST

iTrader: (1)

Core plug underneath the distibuter IIRC. Doubtful on a 97 car, there aint that much difference anyway!

Not.Normal

GM Cylinder Head





Coscast Cylinder Head





As mentioned no difference in performance to be had. 97 car will probably have the ecotec engine fitted though (straight spark plug cover) unless someone has been playing beforehand.

steviecossie

stamped on it.

dont think 97 cars had them tho, unless
its been changed

Chip

iTrader: (3)

The stamping isnt easy to identify when the engine is in the car, best way is by looking for the coreplug as not normal has illustrated.

If its a 1997 produced car then it WONT have left the factory with a redtop in it, it will have been an ecotec.

Daveysaff

iTrader: (9)

The ecotec cam cover is red isn't it? I had a lad in my shop who said he had a 'red top' in his corsa, but it was a red coloured ecotec.

Cossiep

Cheers for replies guys......

I'll see what later brings, I was sure it would be an Ecotec for this year but he said the top of the engine was red ?

He admitted to knowing nothing about engines as said, but ''if'' you can get an ecotec with red plug cover that would explain it. He's only round the corner so I'll go look anyway. If it turns out to be an Ecotec is it worth buying ? I've read more bad than good about these lumps.......... is it founded info about the ecotec's ?

steviecossie

the ecotec is a black cover mate,

the red plug covers are on the XE redtops

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Ignore the colour, the XE also came with a black plug cover on later engines, although called a "redtop" in slang, they werent ever called so by vauxhall and hence vauxhall had no reason to stick to keeping the plug cover red.

The key thing is the SHAPE of the plug cover.

Xe one is like:
__________
|


Ecotec one is like:
__________


Take NO notice of colours at all.

Cossiep

Cheers Chip

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Just to make it even more clear:

20XEV (ecotec)


20XE (reptop)



Other differences are obvious such as the SFi box instead of the black inlet pipe, but those things are sometimes swapped around so arent as definitive.

Cossiep

Right, just got back and it was indeed an Ecotec (with a black cover) nothing was red so he must be colour blind waster of time anyway the car was a pile of sh*t, didn't even advertise the fact the n/s quarter looked like it'd had a previous liason with a lamp post

Thanks for all the help guys

Mike1

If you have a little inspection mirror it's on a lip on the head that sits out from the block - or you can see it from underneath at front of engine