Vauxhall Cavalier mk1

[GTEPETE]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1979-vauxhall-cavalier-GLS/392945976418?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200520130149%26meid%3D572a11f83ef84483b85484a046103d52%26pid%3D100012%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D154088823853%26itm%3D392945976418%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganic&_trksid=p2047675.c100012.m1985

 

No mention of restoration...paint looks too new?

 

[Rapierdave]

It's a nice example of a rare Cavalier GLS saloon but i'd be worried that the rear arches are starting to go despite what looks like a new paint job in the recent past.

[®evo03]

Em, rear arch repair panels are cheap! 

[Rapierdave]

20 minutes ago, ®evo03 said:

Em, rear arch repair panels are cheap! 

The labour to fit them & then paint isn't !

[®evo03]

Yeh, No, I ment they should have fitted arches before wasting paint.

Its gonna need done regardless, its not gonna improve and will only get worse, could it get any worse? Dont mention chicken wire, old newspaper, and shiney new paint! 

 

 

[Monaco Blue]

One of those colours that I'd never have chosen, but for some reason looks great on a GLS with the vinyl roof. Likewise, a Manta SRB. 

[cam.in.head]

it sure does. and respray or not ,arches or not its an excellent car with great panel gaps and alignment.

underbonnet looks near perfect and has obviously had a fair bit of care and attention spent on it rather than a quick tidy up. 

there are a few very good cars popping up at the moment.anyone seen the red k reg viva on ebay . 

trouble is,when cars like these do pop up it makes some of us want to redo bits of ours again.mine are everyday drivers all year round and keeping them in that condition is harder than actually getting them there in the first place. 

stiill worth the effort thou !

[Paul Lickorish]

H

Edited December 25, 2020 by Paul Lickorish
Mistake

[Paul Lickorish]

I bought this at the end of October,  drove it back 300 miles from Glasgow with no problems .  I've been after a 2000 GLS saloon for a while, a virtually identical car just sold at auction for £7100 + fees = £7800. Respray is 19 years old but is almost mint, rear arches are very sound, bubbles are in the paint. Original owner for first 39 years. Had to do a few jobs though, new front wheel bearing,  ignition switch was tricky to operate, now replaced with 1995 corsa one which is identical, will keep original one though. Very pleased with the car, I've had a 1977 Cavalier GL saloon in the early 1980s, a 1900 Cavalier GLS coupe, an Opel Manta Berlinetta coupe, Y reg and 2 GTE coupes B and E reg, 20 years ago. 

 Are there any experts on the CIH engine? I've got a few technical questions. 

Paul. 

[H-400]

I work on those engines for 40 years, fire up those questions. 

[Nivlek2525]

2 hours ago, Paul Lickorish said:

I bought this at the end of October,  drove it back 300 miles from Glasgow with no problems .  I've been after a 2000 GLS saloon for a while, a virtually identical car just sold at auction for £7100 + fees = £7800. Respray is 19 years old but is almost mint, rear arches are very sound, bubbles are in the paint. Original owner for first 39 years. Had to do a few jobs though, new front wheel bearing,  ignition switch was tricky to operate, now replaced with 1995 corsa one which is identical, will keep original one though. Very pleased with the car, I've had a 1977 Cavalier GL saloon in the early 1980s, a 1900 Cavalier GLS coupe, an Opel Manta Berlinetta coupe, Y reg and 2 GTE coupes B and E reg, 20 years ago. 

 Are there any experts on the CIH engine? I've got a few technical questions. 

Paul. 

You'll find lots of answers on here, just ask. I'll not be much help as I'm normally the one doing the asking!!

Best of luck.

[Paul Lickorish]

Thanks for the reply folks!                               Question 1. The oil pressure gauge goes directly to maximum when the ignition is switched on, the oil light doesn't come on but the bulb is ok. Am I correct in thinking the sender unit is kaput or is it something else? If it is the sender are they easy to get?  Are they different to a normal one which just operates a bulb and no a gauge as well? I changed one on my first cavalier in '84.                                                            Question 2. My 1979cc engine is a bit tappety, it has the hydraulic valve lifters. After watching many YouTube videos I think the oilways may be blocked, causing the tappet to collapse, is there anything wrong with me removing / dismantling them, cleaning them thoroughly, refilling them with clean oil and refitting them? Again I've seen this on another video. I'm reluctant to buy new tappets as I'm worried they'll wear the cam out.  Regards Paul. 

 

[Jessopia74]

1) sounds like wires on sender unit are wrong way around (2 pole can) or it's wrong sender unit (1 pole can is pressure switch only, should just be on bulb), it might have been done to hide a low oil pressure when hit @ idle .( hope not). Good info here

2) more likely they are out of adjustment and/or wear. Strip, clean purge oil and reset. The engine must be running when setting the Hydraulic followers on CIH, so you need to make a shield/ cover that goes over the timing chain and sprocket at least, otherwise you will be covered in oil !

2b) later engines gave a slight tube fitted to the head oil drain hole to keep the camshaft in a bath of oil, this is to stop excessive wear during intermittent oil starvation incidents that happen when braking heavy. If you don't have one, it's worth getting one fitted.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Jessopia74
Adding links

[Trooker]

If your oil pressure seems to be erratic this thread is worth a read. 
 

 

 

[cam.in.head]

that is one hell of a nice cavalier. you certainly dont see many around in that colour or condition and if the paintwork is 19 years old then i wouldnt be worrying about hidden rust either. keep it clean and well protected especially underneath and all should be well. 

all the issues youve just mentioned are easy enough to check .early cavaliers with the 2 litre engine had wear issues with the original camshaft but thats easily checked.( usually one or more of the lobes wear so you end up with very little lift on some valves.) visible as a basic check by just spinning the engine on the starter with the cover off or more accurately by measuring the actual tappet lift.if all is well just fit a level raising tube and keep to regular oil changes. tappets can indeed beremoved,dismantled and cleaned.keeping them in their original locations. adjustment is simply one turn down from when the tappet is JUST starting to compress( valve closed) and not critical a quarter turn either way.

anything you need info on were all here to offer help.

all the best .chris

[Paul Lickorish]

Thanks very much Chris, I'm very pleased with the car,  it drives really well and I intend to keep it as original as is possible. I've just changed the oil and filter, I've recently had to get a new voltage stabilizer unit as the temperature and Petrol gauges have just started to over read. Regards Paul. 

[H-400]

As most written above:

1: looks the 2 wires of the sender are mixed up

2:Check the cam for wear, easy to check when you remove the hydraulic tappets. Those hydraulic tappets can be cleaned. Click the black top ring of with a flat screwdriver and they open. Clean the slutge and clean the calibrated holes with compressed air. Fit them together in engine oil and put them in your engine as Cam-in-head wrote above.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

First start they will make noise, takes some time to fill the tappets again with oil, my engine after overhaul his first start:

After that adjust the tappets with running engine, you need a home-made valve cover or something like that:

Loosen the nut till the rocker makes a sound as "clapping", turn in till the "clapping" stops. Than turn the nut slowly 1 complete turn. I do that in 4 times1/4...

Succes

[Paul Lickorish]

Thanks for the advice guys! Is the oil raising tube easily available?

[TheRealExile]

On EBay  now for 7.40 searching manta oil raiser found it for me. 

[Paul Lickorish]

Thank you sir!

[Danny D114BCW]

12 hours ago, Paul Lickorish said:

Thank you sir!

Hope you get sorted. A great reason to join the club is for the other technical threads. 

[Jessopia74]

43 minutes ago, Danny D114BCW said:

Hope you get sorted. A great reason to join the club is for the other technical threads. 

Agreed, 

[Paul Lickorish]

Yes I fully intend to join in January,  can someone let me know the details please. 

[cam.in.head]

dont want to misinterpret others advice hear so please no offence intended 

ive never in 40 years of cav ownership needed to do the hydraulic followers with engine running.

think of it this way. the hydraulic follower adjusts itself to take up the slack and works on the basic principle that the valve spring pressure will ( or should be) much greater than the oil pressure .so it always opens up as needed and not any more than that. so in theory ( and in practise) they will do their job once the adjustment takes up any initial slack .they go quiet just after this and would still work until they were tightened down to the maximium . then they would become a solid lifter. 

the gm factory setup of 1 turn down keeps them in a " middle adjustment" nicely inbetween theire working limits.

i have always installed new or cleaned lifters and tightened them down untill they JUST start to compress themselves and then one full turn extra.   i then years ago tried the " adjust with engine running" method and found that they take pretty much exactly one turn to undo untill the rattle is heard and then you end up back at the very same adjustment amount. 

this also saves on the messy way with engine running,   but like i say  THIS is my way and has aways worked for me. nothing wrong with the other way if you desire .we all have our ways !

anyway ,as i said earlier . that is a hell of a nice cav.whoever has repainted it has gone to a lot of trouble making sure it was done right. i mean just look at those inner wings and attention to detail. very rare to see it in any restored car . no obvious overspray on anything .no obvious welds,repairs or filler.unless the inner wings are in original paint and then that makes the car even better. 

all the best to you and happy tinkering !

[IanMc]

I used Chris’s method described above  - it worked a treat and my engine runs very quietly.