So in this episode i walk you through a timing belt job on a vauxhall astra 1.8 DOHC timing belt replacement, Enjoy! Contact Email: thesavagegarage2016@gmail.com
Thanks for a good video. Helped me a lot. Same problem with the tensioner bolt, used a grinder. 2 min extra work, no bigger problem. Over all a good economical engine from GM, 296000km and still kickin good. Greetings from Sweden.
Great video, you make it look so easy. I think I'm confident enough to give it a go myself but first I need to buy myself a torque wrench. Keep the videos coming, they really do give people the confidence to try and fix it themselves. Thanks!
That water pump design reminds me of when vauxhall used to use the water pump as the timing belt tensioner back in the day, you had to spin it round manually to do the tension, pain in the arse, those 3 little Allen bolts holding the pump into the block always used to strip. Those 1.8 timing tension bolts are a pain they always strip out because they are way to shallow for the torx to get a proper grip, i used to take an angle grinder to it and shave of the sides down so i could fit a spanner on it, always worked.
Mate this is just great. Really a breath of fresh air at the end. Am really inspired to do my own Corsa 1,4 sport 2001. Its the same engine I guess?. Thanx bro!!
I've had the joys of doing this job this past week...timing belt tensioner bolt was a bastard to get out - ended up using a hammer and chisel on it and eventually cracked it loose.. the water pump is a different story though, 3 days of constant whacking and wedging for it to budge..with the engine still in the car etc (zafira)..safe to say the water pump came out in several broken pieces
Currently busy with Opel/Vauxhall Meriva 1.8 Z18XE petrol timing kit changing. According to your video it's exactly the same engin. Had the same trouble with getting that tensioner bolt out. Allen key broke. So i grined a groove into the bolt head with an angle grinder, took a 5 pound hammer and chizzle, and it came off. Thanks for the torque specs. Now i can finish up the job. Just need a second opinion on the cam markings. They should'nt be exactly in line. Left should be slightly above right according to manufacturer
The easy and smart way is to just move anticlockwise that part that has the Allen key hole in it, just like you do when you adjust the tensioner, the screw wil be engaged and undone by that part with the Allen key hole..
Did a zlet timing belt other day and tensioner bolt was a pain on that, but I’m sure the tensioners are supposed to be set anti-clockwise rather than clockwise on gm otherwise tensioners fail. Also when you put timing belt on gates say to around anticlock wise starting at crank, stops the crank moving which unless it was a dodgy angle the white mark had moved to 5 o’clock on the crank gear
Fair play mate wish i had a garage/drive way to do my own repairs but then who knows maybe i would have loads of parts just laying around and me saying ill get around to it soon 😂 kool video keep it up ☺ 👍
How did you stop engine turning over when you did crankshaft pulley bolt to specs? Also in manual it says to replace with new bolt and some blue locktite thread lock on threads when replaced. Thought I would mention that for other home mechanics to no.
looks easy when engine isnt in the car ,but soon see doing this job as soon as parts arrive, very helpful video thanks,although didnt mention crankshaft marks until late in the video,
Hey mate timing on cam looks half tooth out also crank mark looks full tooth out, left hand drill bits would got that torx out easy as for future reference all the best cheers.
Are there details in Haynes manuals for changing piston rings ? I am most concerned about torque setings and all. I am planing to work on mine Corsa C 2001, its 3 cylinder with z10xe engine.
Nice video , to make it easier to turn over you should take the spark plugs out, also you should turn the engine over at least two times to confirm the marks are still aligned correctly
Jay West what did you do to the new pulley it looks like a chisel job on that as well . The thread is checked against the stud that came out. I agree with the bolt as the new one was scrunched ouff the packet
hi dear, it was great explanation. know I can change timing belt of my car with your help. but I can't find cam locking tool anywhere. I looked at ebay, aliexpress, but didn't find as it as. please help to find it.
I wish there was a video like this on the VVT version of this engine. I've got to change the sprockets and as far as I'm aware they aren't keyed and they can turn independently of the cam shafts. What a faff on.
Just watching some of your older videos James seen as I'm off , that water pump looked like it could release a lot of stress haha I like how you started soft with a rubber mallet then end hard core with the mini sledge hammer 👍 who needs the gym when you have a vauxhall repair. Speaking of vauxhalls have you done the corsa c anti roll bar bushes I suspect that's causing some knocking over bumps but there doesn't look a lot of room to work with, from what I see it's a lot of underneath working blind then to the engine bay , I imagine it's fiddley?
Nice video as I am planning to do on my 2004 Ford Fusion 2 this video just encouraged me to do it. My question is do I need to take the engine out to replace the timing belt
Fantastic video, have Vectra 1.8sri myself, been tinkering with it, to be honest I like these engines they seem to have enough space to work with, the best part of it all is seeing an engine been taken out. Thinking of doing mine now.. great work. Keep it up. 👍
yina it blows me away mate at some of the stuff you do. I have been a mitsubishi technician for 4 years now and I work with some "professional" techs who wont do anything bigger than servicing because they are scared of a bit graft. where is you have no vehicle qualifications to your name and your pulling engines out, replacing timing chains and seem to know quite a substantial bit about vehicle repair. well done mate. keep it up!
+Caillin Greer Comments like this make my absolute day! Thankyou very much for the kind words bud, i try my best! I guess having a passion for this stuff can drive you on to do more than just wanting to get a paycheck every month.. I suprise myself sometimes on the knowledge i have considering i have never had any professional training. Thankyou for watching and im glad you enjoyed!
Nice work, quick question if in the car, is can belt change possible with top engine mount in place or is this a removal job and prop engine up? Cheers
Those torx on the tensioner are a right pain. I've always just used the Allen head socket on the tensioner mechanism and turned that anti-clockwise and that has loosened the main torx holding bolt. Tip for next time! Saves you breaking out the drill and chisel, especially if the engine is still in the car.
Cheers for that having a nightmare with the bolt on an x16xe, Corsa b (bloody tight engine bay) I'll give it a go in the morning before I carry on drilling the bolt. Thank again!
Thanks mate for showing step by step some guys on this youtube should take a leaf out of your book most of show your half a story keep up the good work
Nice one again James. Good camera work and fine instructions. Plastics, plastics and more plastics, that's alot of plastic on that engine. Changed a leafspring on my Landy today, one more to go. Oké thanks for the vid man, keep up and I will follow!
+The Savage Garage Landy owners can get a little upset if you use the J word lol. Got a cousin who is landy mad I'm often referring to it as a Jeep, really passes him off too.
The timing belt isn't too difficult to change. When I did mine, I managed without the cam locking tool. I bought my belt from Autovaux which included the tensioner and pulleys. I didn't change the water pump but I'm going to do it at the next timing belt change. Although Vauxhall originally recommended 60,000 miles between belt changes, they should be changed every 40,000 miles. The new belt will be total peace of mind for the new owner.
Very helpful video, viewers may want to confirm the torque values for those 3 water pump bolts, your 25nm recommendation may sheer the heads off? I suspect it's 8nm on the 1.8?
Hi James, I know it's a long time ago but at 17.05 it looks like you have fitted the tensioner and removed it. If you fitted it incorrectly it would be useful in future to show mistakes to aid others. Not moaning you do great video's just may help in future.
+hanksranger I didnt have to remove it, this is the new engine going in the project sri.. So made sense to do it before i put the engine in plus for filming purposes you can see much more! :)
to say he dont konw anything about timming up hes got some nice tools and that timing tenstioner look used with marks all over it but good job nicely done
Be carefull that the notch on the tensioner pulley is at the bottom of the hole on the engine block which James does correct here.This will give you the maximum play for the tensioner to move up and tighten. Iv seen a video on u tube where the notch is put in at the top of the hole and he had problems with tensioning the belt.
just replaced the timing belt. having tentioner problems. I had to use a std bolt on the tentioner cause it stripped. ive got the bolt in tighter than I can do with a breaker bar. any way i've spun the engine around twice to check timing. thats fine. then when I go to take the crank bolt out to replace the pully the tentioner pointer keeps moving!!?? whats the solution?? should I leave the clamp pliers on the cams to hold the timing until ive taken the bolt out or will this damage the teeth on the belt? cheers for the help people
Kiristin käännetty väärään suuntaan löysätään myötäpäivään ja kiristetään vastapäivään ja kun kiristin laitetaan momenttiin joka kerta ehdottomasti lukitukset tulee olla irrotettuna ja kampiakselia tulee pyörittää 2-3 kierrosta myötäpäivään.
probs best to turn the engine over while the cams are exposed, you can confirm then that it is all in time and you can also adjust the tensioner if it has slightly deviated from the "new" notch position which they sometimes do
Someone has already replaced belt-tensioner has been setup and tensioned wrong -see allenkey tab should be approx 5 oclock when set, starting at 7 oclock!
This was a great video. Enjoying watching all your old stuff. Cheers. 👍
Thanks for a well informed video. Great to see with the engine out of the car. Makes it a lot easier to see how the job is done properly. Many thanks
Thanks for a good video. Helped me a lot. Same problem with the tensioner bolt, used a grinder. 2 min extra work, no bigger problem. Over all a good economical engine from GM, 296000km and still kickin good. Greetings from Sweden.
Z18XE? The best GM engine since the 20ne, the Z18XER seems to lose head gaskets
Great video, you make it look so easy. I think I'm confident enough to give it a go myself but first I need to buy myself a torque wrench. Keep the videos coming, they really do give people the confidence to try and fix it themselves. Thanks!
Good video, well explained, well shot, well narrated. Thanks for the tips :)
That water pump design reminds me of when vauxhall used to use the water pump as the timing belt tensioner back in the day, you had to spin it round manually to do the tension, pain in the arse, those 3 little Allen bolts holding the pump into the block always used to strip.
Those 1.8 timing tension bolts are a pain they always strip out because they are way to shallow for the torx to get a proper grip, i used to take an angle grinder to it and shave of the sides down so i could fit a spanner on it, always worked.
Quality idea! Having a nightmare with mine, thank you.
Brilliant. Planning to do mine soon. Had a rough idea but now I know actually.. well done. Nice one 👌😁
Great video bud and top job on that belt change never would have known it was your first go 👍
Thank you very much - I have to do my grand-daughters Astra very soon, so this is very helpful.
just watched the tool box tour video. really liking this channel.
great video/ channel. I had exactly the same issue doing my belt on my old bertone. took an angle grinder to it carefully!
I just watched the whole video excellent job for a first time round and I'm glad you use a torque wrench thumbs up from me 👍
Mate this is just great. Really a breath of fresh air at the end. Am really inspired to do my own Corsa 1,4 sport 2001. Its the same engine I guess?. Thanx bro!!
Thanks for the video I really enjoyed that...so much easier when the engine is out if the car
if that's your first belt change you did very well congrats Daz
Supporter from Belgium. Keep up the good work mate!
Cheers for another video man! Great content! You definitely appear more confident than your previous videos!
+MerDjence Thankyou! remember i am still new to youtube! Only been doing it a year and a bit! Thankyou for watching :)
I've had the joys of doing this job this past week...timing belt tensioner bolt was a bastard to get out - ended up using a hammer and chisel on it and eventually cracked it loose.. the water pump is a different story though, 3 days of constant whacking and wedging for it to budge..with the engine still in the car etc (zafira)..safe to say the water pump came out in several broken pieces
well another cracking video :) im really enjoying watching these and looking forward to the next one :) keep it up buddy!!
Thank you so much! I'm glad you are enjoying the project so far! Next episode should be up Sunday :)
Currently busy with Opel/Vauxhall Meriva 1.8 Z18XE petrol timing kit changing. According to your video it's exactly the same engin. Had the same trouble with getting that tensioner bolt out. Allen key broke. So i grined a groove into the bolt head with an angle grinder, took a 5 pound hammer and chizzle, and it came off. Thanks for the torque specs. Now i can finish up the job. Just need a second opinion on the cam markings. They should'nt be exactly in line. Left should be slightly above right according to manufacturer
The easy and smart way is to just move anticlockwise that part that has the Allen key hole in it, just like you do when you adjust the tensioner, the screw wil be engaged and undone by that part with the Allen key hole..
Did a zlet timing belt other day and tensioner bolt was a pain on that, but I’m sure the tensioners are supposed to be set anti-clockwise rather than clockwise on gm otherwise tensioners fail.
Also when you put timing belt on gates say to around anticlock wise starting at crank, stops the crank moving which unless it was a dodgy angle the white mark had moved to 5 o’clock on the crank gear
Fair play mate wish i had a garage/drive way to do my own repairs but then who knows maybe i would have loads of parts just laying around and me saying ill get around to it soon 😂 kool video keep it up ☺ 👍
How did you stop engine turning over when you did crankshaft pulley bolt to specs? Also in manual it says to replace with new bolt and some blue locktite thread lock on threads when replaced. Thought I would mention that for other home mechanics to no.
just come across your videos , fair play to you for doing a cambelt even tho it's your 1st time respect is due !
looks easy when engine isnt in the car ,but soon see doing this job as soon as parts arrive, very helpful video thanks,although didnt mention crankshaft marks until late in the video,
Great video! Never in my life have I used my External Torx Sockets.
You seem to use them in EVERY video Lol,
I used to work for Vauxhall...9 times out of 10 those tensioner bolts are always a pain
Great video James keep them coming :-).
Hey mate timing on cam looks half tooth out also crank mark looks full tooth out, left hand drill bits would got that torx out easy as for future reference all the best cheers.
Thank you, I have always wanted to know how this is done, now I can see
Are there details in Haynes manuals for changing piston rings ? I am most concerned about torque setings and all. I am planing to work on mine Corsa C 2001, its 3 cylinder with z10xe engine.
Nice video , to make it easier to turn over you should take the spark plugs out, also you should turn the engine over at least two times to confirm the marks are still aligned correctly
Exactly what I was going to say, covers will go last after 2 complete cycles
Jay West what did you do to the new pulley it looks like a chisel job on that as well . The thread is checked against the stud that came out. I agree with the bolt as the new one was scrunched ouff the packet
hey, regarding the white tipex mark on the 2 top cranks. were they marked by the manufacturer?
hi dear, it was great explanation. know I can change timing belt of my car with your help. but I can't find cam locking tool anywhere. I looked at ebay, aliexpress, but didn't find as it as. please help to find it.
I wish there was a video like this on the VVT version of this engine. I've got to change the sprockets and as far as I'm aware they aren't keyed and they can turn independently of the cam shafts. What a faff on.
I did a water pump on a VW Golf and it was welded to the block, I could feel your pain, when trying to get it off.
Use vaseline silicon on gasket
Just watching some of your older videos James seen as I'm off , that water pump looked like it could release a lot of stress haha I like how you started soft with a rubber mallet then end hard core with the mini sledge hammer 👍 who needs the gym when you have a vauxhall repair.
Speaking of vauxhalls have you done the corsa c anti roll bar bushes I suspect that's causing some knocking over bumps but there doesn't look a lot of room to work with, from what I see it's a lot of underneath working blind then to the engine bay , I imagine it's fiddley?
Hi , thanks for the video. I'm having serious problem with my Opel zafira timing belt. Pls what can I do to stop it from cutting all the time. Thanks
Nice video as I am planning to do on my 2004 Ford Fusion 2 this video just encouraged me to do it.
My question is do I need to take the engine out to replace the timing belt
Great video👌! Good to see someone just working on his car who is learning by doing.
+Luca Car Mods Thanks alot mate! Best way to learn :)
Watching some oldies mate 😊👍
Is it a good idea to use blue loctight on all the bolts ?
Should the crank shaft be locked when doing this job ?Also is it recommended to use thread lock for the bolts ?
Fantastic video, have Vectra 1.8sri myself, been tinkering with it, to be honest I like these engines they seem to have enough space to work with, the best part of it all is seeing an engine been taken out. Thinking of doing mine now.. great work. Keep it up. 👍
Is it okay to release the pulley's bolt as shown here w/ impact gun but without locking tools if the engine is not removed from the car?
only thing id say is I would crank the engine over by hand a few times when I can still see the timing marks but awesome video man love it
yina it blows me away mate at some of the stuff you do. I have been a mitsubishi technician for 4 years now and I work with some "professional" techs who wont do anything bigger than servicing because they are scared of a bit graft. where is you have no vehicle qualifications to your name and your pulling engines out, replacing timing chains and seem to know quite a substantial bit about vehicle repair. well done mate. keep it up!
+Caillin Greer Comments like this make my absolute day! Thankyou very much for the kind words bud, i try my best! I guess having a passion for this stuff can drive you on to do more than just wanting to get a paycheck every month.. I suprise myself sometimes on the knowledge i have considering i have never had any professional training. Thankyou for watching and im glad you enjoyed!
Timing Belts
Nice work, quick question if in the car, is can belt change possible with top engine mount in place or is this a removal job and prop engine up? Cheers
Those torx on the tensioner are a right pain.
I've always just used the Allen head socket on the tensioner mechanism and turned that anti-clockwise and that has loosened the main torx holding bolt. Tip for next time! Saves you breaking out the drill and chisel, especially if the engine is still in the car.
Cheers for that having a nightmare with the bolt on an x16xe, Corsa b (bloody tight engine bay) I'll give it a go in the morning before I carry on drilling the bolt. Thank again!
Nice scooter in the end of the place!!!!
What stops the rollers and tensioner bolts from coming loose ?
Thanks mate for showing step by step some guys on this youtube should take a leaf out of your book most of show your half a story keep up the good work
Good job, thank you for this useful video :)
did you repair the break on the timing cover you smashed with the malet ?
Nice one again James. Good camera work and fine instructions. Plastics, plastics and more plastics, that's alot of plastic on that engine. Changed a leafspring on my Landy today, one more to go. Oké thanks for the vid man, keep up and I will follow!
+RED h.c. Thanks again bud appreciate it! Yea alot of plastic lol i dont suppose your 'Jeep' has that much plastic lol! Thanks for watching as always!
+The Savage Garage It's not a J**P!!! Bye
Haha im only messing mate!
+The Savage Garage Landy owners can get a little upset if you use the J word lol. Got a cousin who is landy mad I'm often referring to it as a Jeep, really passes him off too.
excellent video mate
top job you have inspired me to do my c20ne corsa combo timing belt myself
Awesome! Let me know how you get on with it :) if I can do it you can too!
+The Savage Garage I'll let you know might stick a video up I can find my own gopro
+suzuki guy (1 arm bandit) old *
great video mate. Thanks 🖒
Do you need to lock the crank shaft to do this job ?
Same engine on meriva A and still works like brand new. Only using 5w30 oils as its the best for this motors
Great video, had the same issue with the tensioner torx bolt, mine ended up twisting a brand new T40 impact bit. Glad I wasn’t the only one!
The timing belt isn't too difficult to change. When I did mine, I managed without the cam locking tool. I bought my belt from Autovaux which included the tensioner and pulleys. I didn't change the water pump but I'm going to do it at the next timing belt change. Although Vauxhall originally recommended 60,000 miles between belt changes, they should be changed every 40,000 miles. The new belt will be total peace of mind for the new owner.
not doing water pump big mistake ,,guess what will fail before you get it changed ,,,,yep water pump ..so called sealed for life rubbish
If you get a punch and tap the Allen key bit on the tensioner and tap it anti clockwise it undoes the bolt when there rounded out, 😉
👍🏼👍🏼 dead blows on the impact tool will shock it free
nice one bro very informative
Great vids ... just one thing , one click on the torque wrench is all that is required and no further
Anyone is it advised to use blueloctite on the tensioner bolt and the roller bolts ?
Nice vid, so much easier with engine out!.
Much easier! Thanks for watching
Left handed drill bits (yes they are a thing) or a screw extractor would be your answer to the difficult pulley bolt.
Great tutorial. Thanks
wey aye good stuff mate......
Is this video on the Astra H 1.8 SRI?
Wat gebeurd er als je de stand gebruikt waar die op staat dus ditekt zelf streepjes zetten in de midden en dan vast zetten of kan dat niet
Very helpful video, viewers may want to confirm the torque values for those 3 water pump bolts, your 25nm recommendation may sheer the heads off? I suspect it's 8nm on the 1.8?
This happened to myself on my 1.8.....set the torque wrench to 25nm and im now left with a snapped bolt inside the block :(
Hi James, I know it's a long time ago but at 17.05 it looks like you have fitted the tensioner and removed it. If you fitted it incorrectly it would be useful in future to show mistakes to aid others. Not moaning you do great video's just may help in future.
Doing timing belts are so fun lol never had to remove the motor to do one though
+hanksranger I didnt have to remove it, this is the new engine going in the project sri.. So made sense to do it before i put the engine in plus for filming purposes you can see much more! :)
ya good idea, you replace anything else on it?
+hanksranger going to be doing the clutch kit, exhaust manifold (as its cracked) and then just a general service!
Did you say you’re going to (Rout) the belt.
to say he dont konw anything about timming up hes got some nice tools and that timing tenstioner look used with marks all over it but good job nicely done
Cool Video.
thanks for the torque specs
Hey guys how do I lock the crank shaft in place I have the same engine any idea coz the video does not show this
th-cam.com/video/ZovQggn5fMY/w-d-xo.html @ 2:05
This is a video for the 1.4 version of this engine so it should be the same.
i loved it ! :)
what ever happened to the bike in the background and the trike ?
Be carefull that the notch on the tensioner pulley is at the bottom of the hole on the engine block which James does correct here.This will give you the maximum play for the tensioner to move up and tighten. Iv seen a video on u tube where the notch is put in at the top of the hole and he had problems with tensioning the belt.
How long is the timing belt of 1.8 f18d3
Buenas amigo que números de dados y llaves usaste?
just replaced the timing belt. having tentioner problems. I had to use a std bolt on the tentioner cause it stripped. ive got the bolt in tighter than I can do with a breaker bar. any way i've spun the engine around twice to check timing. thats fine. then when I go to take the crank bolt out to replace the pully the tentioner pointer keeps moving!!?? whats the solution?? should I leave the clamp pliers on the cams to hold the timing until ive taken the bolt out or will this damage the teeth on the belt? cheers for the help people
how did you get on ? and did you tighten the tensioner bolt nice and tight with the breaker bar
Kiristin käännetty väärään suuntaan löysätään myötäpäivään ja kiristetään vastapäivään ja kun kiristin laitetaan momenttiin joka kerta ehdottomasti lukitukset tulee olla irrotettuna ja kampiakselia tulee pyörittää 2-3 kierrosta myötäpäivään.
Thanks for the sharing bro... I'm here malaysia... My car Chevrolet nabira same ingine
great job very informative cheers
Thanks bud appreciate it :)
Ben bir uydurma selam yanlış olduğunu düşünüyorum
Ben uygun bir selamlama yanlış düşünüyorum
great job
probs best to turn the engine over while the cams are exposed, you can confirm then that it is all in time and you can also adjust the tensioner if it has slightly deviated from the "new" notch position which they sometimes do
Well done,,
Bravooooo!!!
Not sure about Circoli TBH, I had one of their thermostats last about 2 months.
Someone has already replaced belt-tensioner has been setup and tensioned wrong -see allenkey tab should be approx 5 oclock when set, starting at 7 oclock!
He set the pointer correctly
Excelente!
Good job ,thanks
Link for the locking tool?