Tiger
Member
Registered: 12th Jun 01
Location: Leicestershire Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
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Thought I’d reach out you guys since I’m getting nowhere.
My Astra VXR stalled early December, then misfired a bit and was then ok for a bit. It started misfiring again but only under hard acceleration. Codes came back as cylinder 3 misfire. Ordered a new coil pack but didn’t fit it. Took it for its MOT and passed fine, no misfire. Driving it home and the engine started ticking. Rocker cover off, plugs out. Plug for 3 had dropped the electrode hook into the piston so it had been sparking onto the plug thread. Anyway. Replaced all 16 lifters and it had a new cambelt kit from Courtney. Still ticking. Went to garage, they thought it was the bottom end but on removing the sump the crank and big ends are fine. Visible signs of metal in the oil. Camera down cylinder 3 shows 2 small witness marks from where the piston had hit the bit of spark plug but no sign of the bit. No deformity on the crown and no scoring on the bore that could see.
Any ideas?
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Tiger
Member
Registered: 12th Jun 01
Location: Leicestershire Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
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Regularly serviced with all correct oils and only serviced 1000 miles before it developed an issue. Plugs were changed about 9000 miles previous.
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Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
User status: Offline
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Any lack of compression on a compression test? Assuming the hook has left the chamber it may have collided with the valve or seat on the way out.
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DaveyLC
Member
Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
User status: Offline
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Out of interest were the plugs also changed during the service 1000 miles ago?
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Tiger
Member
Registered: 12th Jun 01
Location: Leicestershire Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
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Sorry for the late reply on this. The head was only removed yesterday. The garage has found nothing visibly at odds. compression checked out ok.i didn’t change the plugs when I did the service, no. I think my next may be to get the garage to change the piston, rings, rod and bearings for cylinder 3 which is where the spark plug failed.
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Tiger
Member
Registered: 12th Jun 01
Location: Leicestershire Drives:Astra VXR
User status: Offline
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Ok so an update on this:
I bought a used but good conrod and piston from a working car, a new set of OEM rings and bearings. Whilst the garage was looking at this, they found one of the main bearings had failed.
To this end, they pulled the engine, replaced the main bearings, conrod and piston. The turbo coolant hose at the back of the turbo had a split in so needed replacing. Turns out GM don’t manufacture these anymore, no one else makes them either so Jon at Courtney made one from scratch. Everything went back together and ran with no more tapping or issues. The oil cooler had a weep of oil so was replaced too.
All in all, aside from the piston, conrod and rings, coolant hose, cambelt kit and 16 lifters which I paid for, the cost came to £1500.
I’ve got to change the oil and filter in 250 miles but that’s only come to £50 in parts aside from 45 minutes for me to do it.
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