1,2,3....and the list keeps rising

[DoinItMyself]

Evening e'rybody..

The last few weeks I have had nothing but trouble...getting good exercise is probly a better way to put it. I have a VS2 Com-manual.

after doing a water pump and waiting lengthy amount of time waiting for parts to arrive (I like to 'cheep cheep' the parts, generally grab em online) I completed the whole process went to start the car so I could bleed the radiator and so forth and .. nothing! Okay I say, BCM has chucked it as I was aware of anti-theft det. missing. What a mission it turned out to be as auto-elec had to syncronise the car to the new computer. I live 100kms outa town so had to get a mate to drive it out for me when job was done. He informed me the auto-elec had taken water pump out again and put blue extra-glue around seal (i had already put goo on it) and car seemed to go fine around town here.

Upon having to take a trip into town 100kms away only 3 days of getting the car back I got 8kms out and snap! goes the serp belt. okay so I pulls over seeing the temp gauge go over-haul. Not until I got it into my house yard did I realise the water pump pulley was hanging by one bloody screw (cool I says) then looks down yonder and notices a snapped what I think is an oil sensor (?) next to the oil filter, the wiring goes to alternator.
Lovely, well if that's what it is I can do the sensor, and as far as the screws are concerned I grabbed 4 new ones from hardware and used a washer and nut to take up thread space (that wouldn't do any more damage would it?).
My main concern is the water pump pulley, although the head part is good, where it locks onto and gets screwed into I think looks a little out by 1 or 2mm. If I put a new belt on how likely would be the chances of damage occuring and would I do another belt? Im pretty sure the last one snapped and caused the oil sensor to snap when it hit it..

Thanks in advance for advice as Im a fulltime working single mother and having to do this stuff myself can be very frustrating as we depend on our wheels out here... Cheers Mel

[hako]

Maybe the waterpump hub that the pulley bolts onto is OK - it would take a heap of force to move it.....however you should be able to check if it runs true when you bolt the pulley back up to it. It's normal for the belt to break the oil pressure switch when it fails....sometimes it also breaks the crank angle sensor. Sounds like your mechanic forgot to tighten up the 4 bolts on the pulley!!!.
So, what I would do is screw the pulley back on - use bolts the same as the one left hanging, then spin the pulley by hand and make sure it doesn't wobble. Then put the serpentine belt back on and get someone to start the car whilst you watch it from the front - stop the engine immediately if you see it run out of line. If it all looks OK go for a short run...if all OK then no problems.
I guess you bought the correct waterpump? - the series 2 VS has a different pump from the series 1 although some pumps are now made to fit both. You should not need to use any goo etc on the gaskets as they are made from paper which swells when the coolant contacts it....sealing the gasket prevents coolant swelling it and can cause it to leak (though this is open to debate!)
I've got a working single mum daughter as well so I can understand your predicament...mine can do just about anything to her VS and really hates asking me for advice and I really hate restraining myself
Good Luck.

[DoinItMyself]

Thanks heaps..The way you explained it makes a whole lot of sense. I dont think the cas has suffered (fingers crossed) The pulley without the belt is moving freely and looks to the eye to rotate nice...just if we wanna get all technical yeh I think it out by a cuple of mm..Ill wait until I get a new belt for progress on that one..
Im hoping now that I bought the correct pump, I was a bit dubious when I first fitted however when bolted at correct tension she's come into place nicely..as with all parts I order I double check that it is compatible with VS2 as Im finding it pretty much with every part Im buying there are differences.
Ive been told so many different things bout that goo, yes I understand the debate possibilities and yet what I dont understand is why the auto flippin elec took it off again. I replaced it perfectly, that is just extra wear and tear on my new part. When I took it into him I mentioned that he will need to have a hose ready in order to filll radiator cos that's as far as I got, mayb cos Ima chick or something dunno but Im not happy he played with it. Now there is some excuse I cannot put coolant in until a few weeks to let this blue goo stuff settle. Apparently its extra non-leak stuff (oooh I wish they would just make one product for one thing, it's confusing me lolz) So do you think It's the oil pressure switch that is broke? has a 4-wire connector and a little blak plastic sleeve, connects into a bolt thingy, but dont look exactly like the base of a sensor. Is it the same method to remove?
When im cashed up and can complete this task Ill fill you in,,, cheers mate

[vscaprice98]

the bolts u brought for your pully having a couple washers on em wont do any harm as long as they are all balanced and the same weight so hopefully u put all 4 in instead of leaving the 1 short bolt
other thing to be carefull of with the bolts did u buy high tensile ones or just normal u really do need high tensile bolts for the moving parts specially at higher rpm

[Commo_Carl]

Yeah as caprice said, you need high tensile to be on definite safe side. And for the oil pressue sender. They are easy as to replace. They about $16 from holden. Just unscrew it with multi-grips or vice-grips or a spanner/shifter. One thing to remember; on a new sender unit there is already white thread sealant so do not apply any to it. Just screw in pretty tight and plug back in. Prob good idea to disconnect battery before commencing work

[DoinItMyself]

Yes I put 4 new ones on...however OOPS no I didnt check for high tensile. Will endeavour, I didnt even think about that one. Thanku