Mikes 2.0 Gls

[Mikebmth]

Hi all,

I have recently bought my latest project after my previous car a Mk3 Astra died on me in a big cloud of smoke on Boxing day and took a while to find another car but now have a Cav and am loving it.

So a bit about her, she was a Vauxhall demo car for the first year and a bit of her life before being bought by a local guy who owned and maintained in for 15 years so I am only the 3rd owner its ever had.

Its a Cavalier (obviously) 2.0i GLS with the OHC 8v engine in it but since new it has covered 102000 miles and has not a spot of rust on it bar one patch that has been welded up 2 years back on the O/s sill by the wheel arch where they always go.

I dunno if I will mod it much to be honest as I kinda like it as it is but knowing me as and when I find bits I will add them but nothing chavvy you'll be pleased to hear.









Sorry about quality of the pics I took them with my mobile but its colour is 14L which apparently is called Nautilus Blue but its Green so go figure on that one..lol

[supersport]

is that the asda carpark?

[planetc]

is that the asda carpark?

yer supposed to be looking at the car, not the trolley!!

[Mikebmth]

is that the asda carpark?

Nope....Its my work, I work for Britannia Parking in Bournemouth and thats the service deck at the Sovereign Centre...lol

BUT

You're meant to be looking at the car with my work mates rusty Astra mk3 estate beside it..lol

[Cavalier342]

Pics don't do it justice but I'm quite convinced it does look tidy. Haven't seen it yet out and about, hopefully will soon.
Good job posting the pics up.
Andrei.

[Envoy CDX]

As Andrei said, pictures probably don't do the Cav justice - but it looks nice and standard.

[Mikebmth]

Believe me lads this is one super clean Cav!!

Has had one bit of welding done on the O/s sill but had a butchers underneath and it is mint, guess thats what you get for buying a 1 family owned motor.

Small update while im in here:

Went down to Vauxhall dealer in Aldershot while im up here with me girlfriend, bought a new Temp sensor as mine is fubar and reads 80+ degrees all the time..lol

While I was in there asked about a new leccy aerial for it as mine wont go up much further than 3 or 4 inches so no radio signal what so ever! Near fell over when they told me I would be looking at £140.00 for a chrome vauxhall one excluding fitting!!

So anyone know where I can get me hands on one cheap ish as gotta go pay tax on it end of month which will be a shock to the system after having a 1.4 Astra...lol

Only other small job I have to do is pull out stereo again and switch live feeds over as have no memory currently on station presets or on Cd player which does me swede in listening to same track every time I turn it on...lol

Hopefully get these bits done soon ish and catch up with Andrei so he can have a look over the old girl (the car, not me mrs..lol)

[HAIRIBO]

I've found with aerials that they need to be really clean or they stick up or down. WD40 is great to free the crap out and make them work.

[Mikebmth]

^^^Cheers mate^^^

Heard you can remove actual aerial (metal bit) so may try that and soak in white spirit or sumin to get all the c**p outta it then hopefully it will save me all the hassle of replacing the damn thing, otherwise may consider a smooth over and put a amplified roof one on.

[Cavalier342]

WD-40 is good, but the overspray ends up on the windows and paintwork. I found another good trick, how to grease my electric aerial, open the front passenger door, keep it open. Get some 3 IN 1 drip oil ready and a tissue/clean rag. Switch on the radio (aerial extends). switch off the radio, then quickly pop back out and as it's retracting section by section, drip the oil onto the shaft. Try to get as much in as possible without squirting it everywhere. Then extend it again, wipe clean with the rag/tissue, then repeat until you get a clean shiny aerial. Should keep clean for a while. I've never had problems with mine, (touch wood) but I'm taking this precautionary step. Works well so far.
Andrei.

[Mikebmth]

WD-40 is good, but the overspray ends up on the windows and paintwork. I found another good trick, how to grease my electric aerial, open the front passenger door, keep it open. Get some 3 IN 1 drip oil ready and a tissue/clean rag. Switch on the radio (aerial extends). switch off the radio, then quickly pop back out and as it's retracting section by section, drip the oil onto the shaft. Try to get as much in as possible without squirting it everywhere. Then extend it again, wipe clean with the rag/tissue, then repeat until you get a clean shiny aerial. Should keep clean for a while. I've never had problems with mine, (touch wood) but I'm taking this precautionary step. Works well so far.
Andrei.

Fait nuff Andrei but mine only the centre thinest bit goes up the rest is well and truely stuck, tried losing with mole grips gently and got it up another few inches but as soon as it retracted it went back to normal again so think im gonna have to take the bl**dy thing off.

May do it sunday while im at work, never do much on sundays anyway and spend most of my time at work playing with my cars and installing ice system..lol

On that how easy is it to change over the tweeters sat up on the dash as I have some Magnat Bulldog 5" & 1" components I would like to put into it.

[planetc]

Ref Aerial.....
Cleaning is good, but if it doesn't help you can buy the mast on it's own for a fraction of the cost. There were two types, early and late. On the top of the aerial you will notice that the bit were the mast goes through has flats to take a spanner (about 14mm from memory).
To remove....
1. Undo this top nut
2. Turn on the radio so that the mast section starts to extend
3. If you grab the mast and guide it complete with the threaded nut on the top you will find it comes out completely with the white plastic inner part that pushes the mast up. This has a black sleeve on the end which is trapped in the motor assembly so sometimes needs a good tug just as it reaches full extension to free it. (it is useful to have a second pair of hands for this)
Early ones have what looks like teeth on the white plastic part, later ones it is smooth.
To refit....
1. With the radio on push the white plastic part into the top of the aerial, along with the black sleeve and give it a shove to engage it in the motor.
2. Turn off the radio and you should find it will retract and pull the mast into the unit (if it doesn't work first time the turn the radio on again, let the aerial finish cycling and then have another shove and try again)
3. Guide the mast in as it retracts then screw the nut back on the top.( don't worry if it doesn't fully retract at this point as long as it's somewhere near it)
4. Turn the radio on and off a couple of times and it will set itself up so that it fully extends and contracts properly.
Job done. From memory a mast is about £20

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[marcia]

I priced the inner part a few months ago with Autovox and it is priced at £20.39 + vat.
My ariel only extends enough to give fm reception but thats all.
William

[Mikebmth]

^^^Thanx Guys^^^

£20.00 for just the internals though seems rich to me as can but a whole new aerial off ebay for £18.99, its not a vauxhall one but sure could work out wiring to match it up.

Will hopefully have some bits for her 2moro as going to local breakers (trents) on my way home as he usually has a few Cavs laying around in the yard so will see what I can find!

[Mikebmth]

Just been out to the car and tried to play with aerial, thought a bit of brute force may well do it and I was nearly right as managed to get aerial to come up a little more with the help of a pair of pliers but the damn second section won't extend which is doin me tits right in but will have a proper bash tommorow!!

Just popped the bonnet while I was out there as back down the motorway 2moro and lucky I did, some nob head has put the Cam belt cover on at the top with a cable tie instead of bolting it back in.

Because of this the plastic cover was rubbing the cam belt so just hope the belt ok? I aint got the talent to get the belts off and check and definetly cant afford to do a belt change etc right now.

Will have to get a few bits done then Tax her and speak to some friends nicely and get it checked out I spose....Why cant people just do the f**kin job properly...NOB HEADS!!

[Envoy CDX]

I soaked mine in 3in1 oil then kept working it till it extended fully.
Took a while, but it was worth it in the end, its something you have to keep ontop of though.

[Cavalier342]

Belt should be ok, they only snap if something catches on the pulley and goes under the belt. But that is a poor job. tits. Your's is the later model so it will have the auto tensioner pulley, that's how you slacken the belt. Same as the alternator belt really. At least on the C18NZ engines anyway.
Andrei.

[Envoy CDX]

Cambelt on these is simple enough once you've done 1 or 2
£12 for the belt, £26 for the waterpump if you choose to do that, then you just need to find some beltcover bolts

[Mikebmth]

Belt should be ok, they only snap if something catches on the pulley and goes under the belt. But that is a poor job. tits. Your's is the later model so it will have the auto tensioner pulley, that's how you slacken the belt. Same as the alternator belt really. At least on the C18NZ engines anyway.
Andrei.

Coolio, I hope its ok then as really dont need a belt snapping on the motorway at 80mph

Cambelt on these is simple enough once you've done 1 or 2
£12 for the belt, £26 for the waterpump if you choose to do that, then you just need to find some beltcover bolts

Not so bad then, my old Mk3 Astra was around £35-40 quid for the cam belt kit I believe anyway as was gonna do the HG on that before it seized... ...Do miss my Astra but now loving my Cav!!

[Envoy CDX]

Get some pics up of the engine bay when you get a chance I'm assuming it's an 8v lump.

[Mikebmth]

Get some pics up of the engine bay when you get a chance I'm assuming it's an 8v lump.

Will get it done 2moro!! It is a 8v OHC lump I can tell you that much..

Would be handy to know what type of engine this is (ie engine code NE or whatever)

[Envoy CDX]

K reg onwards, usually c20ne, unless it's been swapped out for an earlier 2litre 8v.

[Mikebmth]

Should be a C20NE then as cannot see the previous owners getting the engine swapped as this was a family car used mainly by the old chaps wife for doing the weekly shop...

Can imagine her doing burnouts in Tesco's carpark...lol

[Mikebmth]

Just googled images for C20NE engines and it is definetly a C20NE in this one!!

Goes quite well but then after driving a 1.2 litre corsa then a Astra 1.4 spi it would feel quick...Any idea on wat kinda figures it should be producing?

I will take a pic tommorow of mine and get it up once I get home as dont have digi cam etc with me.

[Cavalier342]

If it's 8v, then mpg would be roughly the same as the C18NZ engines, providing good engine health. Obviously a bit more power to play about with though. What do they give, about 110 brake from new, if I'm right?
Andrei.