[Corsa C 2000-2006] Timing Chain general info request

[Badspeller]

Hi Guys. I'm a newbie here and sorry if I am duplicating any previous thread.
I have just bought my son a 04 Corsa C 3 pot 1L petrol with a Z10XEP engine, His first car.
In Ireland there is a huge demand for 1L cars for first time drivers as the insurance can be as much as half that of a 1.3L.
So its really hard to get a 1L in good condition all round as most have been bashed about by learners or been used by the "Inbetweeners"
Anyway managed to get a low mileage (75K miles) spotless body and interior, however the engine is rattling out for a chain.
Its not burning any oil and seems very nippy for a 1L.
Also a super little car to work on, except for those Torx/Star drives.

All threads so far say to use a genuine GM timing chain kit.

So my questions are:

Is a Febi or FAI kit any good?
Does anyone have a link where to get a genuine GM kit at a reasonable price?
Do I need to replace the sprockets? Can I inspect them by removing the camshaft cover first?
I'm also going to remove the sump and cam covers, Kit that includes these?
What is the best oil to use to keep the noise down and keep the engine clean?

Thanks All, A Super Site!

[Taurus]

Personally I've only ever used the genuine GM kit from Autovaux - so I can't give any personal recommendation for anything else. There are some good alternatives people have used, but a lot are rubbish and will fail within six months.

Autovaux are very good, but their website is useless, so ring them for parts. Home - the phone number is on the website. Vauxhall World Parts are also good.

You can inspect the sprockets with the cam cover removed, but it's hard to tell from visual inspection. The amount of wear needed to be noisy is minimal. You must replace the sprockets and they will come with the kit.

The kit will contain everything you need, including a new crankshaft oil seal. The gasket on the cam cover isn't included as that's rubber and usually re-usable. The last O4 1.0 litre I did didn't use a sump gasket if I remember right - your local Vauxhall parts dept. will confirm if you give them the reg. no. Either way it isn't in the kit. You can cheat a bit by just lowering the sump enough to remove and refit the cover. Some guys do it without moving the sump at all but I've know that to distort the mounting dowels very very slightly and that's an issue because the oil pump is mounted in the timing cover and runs directly off the crankshaft - so if it's out of line it doesn't do it any good.

You will need the timing kit as there are virtually no marks on the engine to time it, and you need to set the phase disc spot on. Sealey VSE243 Petrol Engine Timing Kit - Vauxhall/Opel 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 - Chain Drive

Oil - either 10W/40 or 5W/30 - semi-synthetic and changed every 5k. Use genuine or good quality filters or else they break up and clog the system. If the engine is mucky do not use a flush. Do a few 2k oil changes with cheap oil, that will clean it gently without dislodging anything that can cause a blockage.

Any problems - give us a shout. The fun bit is how you support the engine with the o/s engine mount off and the sump lowered. It has to be supported from above, or remove the sump entirely and use a cradle to support the block - remember the crankshaft needs to turn when you rotate the engine to check the timing. Always check the timing at least twice before firing it up. A lot of them are fine first time round and slip slightly afterwards. You get the EML throwing a cam sensor code because the cam sensor and crankshaft sensor are out of phase if that happens.

[Badspeller]

Thanks Taurus

Taurus
Thanks so much for all the information and the links.
Micksgarage is usually good for prices in Ireland, but the sites you gave me are super.
Will start the oil schedule intervals shortly.

Nice work on the Viva by the way (bet the ladies are impressed!!)

Thankz