Moderators?

[sparky Paul]

I notice a few spam posting IDs have been dribbling onto here recently, reporting doesn't seem to do a lot.

 

What's the mod situation, I don't know who's left?

[gregers]

er me,..................er thats it.when i see them i try to move the offending posts.but thats all i can do.

[sparky Paul]

Ah, a familiar face...

 

Sorry it's all been lumped on you Gregers. I would happily help out, but I'm not sure how much longer I will have the old Galaxy.

[gregers]

i come in here every day for a looksie,and the other site but this 1 seems to have stagnated,very few visits by anyone.

mk1 mk2s are getting a bit long in the tooth.so only the die hards will keep them running.

the mk3 info is still scarce.

i have no access to make anyone a mod as that can only be done by glen,site owner.

[BrianH]

The bizarre thing is most of the spam doesn't even seem very targeted - Coilovers on a galaxy and racing pistons??

 

You certainly don't see many mk1s about now, mines in a similar state to Pauls undecided if looking for a mk2 would be better than fixing it.

[sparky Paul]

mines in a similar state to Pauls undecided if looking for a mk2 would be better than fixing it.

 

Oh no, not you as well Brian! :o

 

I've been looking at a few mk.2s, most of the one I see are either silly money, or rotten, or both! Even the newest ones are 11+ years old, and the mk2s seem to rot faster than the mk.1s... and try finding one without squashed sills.

 

I'm proud to say, 18 years old, and the old bus' sills are still unsquashed. :P

 

It is quiet on here now, but there's a wealth of info for anyone trying to keep an old Galaxy on the road.

Edited August 22, 2017 by sparky Paul

[BrianH]

Most of the bodywork on mine (except a wing mirror with a back cover in primer, and the passenger side door scratch where my mate managed to drag it too close to a hedge) is pretty good - theres a couple of rusty patches on the sills, but nothing that couldn't be sorted. Its the engine in mine thats the issue, on compression test last time i checked it has approx 100psi on 1/4 and 75 on 2/3 - its probably worse now as thats when i changed the plugs. It doesn't run particularly well any more (as you'd expect) and could do with a new set of piston rings, plus cylinder head checking out/refurb.

 

It is on 235k now though, and given the state of the oil when i got it originally (grey in colour!) I'm not surprised its having engine issues now. Just haven't had time to fix it of late as too much other stuff getting in the way!

[sparky Paul]

I know the feeling.

 

Most of the usual rust points were tidied up on mine a few years ago, but the nearside sill lower edge is getting crusty, with odd bits of weetabix. The actual sill is solid, it's just the bottom seam that's going. The back wheelarch on that side is starting too.

 

Half a day's work would see it on for another couple of years, but there's that windscreen and a couple of greasy bits to do also.

 

Other half has a Honda Jazz now, and loves it... so the Galaxy got put on the back burner. There's also a Terrano to get through a test...

[BrianH]

I know the feeling.

 

Most of the usual rust points were tidied up on mine a few years ago, but the nearside sill lower edge is getting crusty, with odd bits of weetabix. The actual sill is solid, it's just the bottom seam that's going. The back wheelarch on that side is starting too.

 

Half a day's work would see it on for another couple of years, but there's that windscreen and a couple of greasy bits to do also.

 

Other half has a Honda Jazz now, and loves it... so the Galaxy got put on the back burner. There's also a Terrano to get through a test...

Oh Dear

 

It really isn't well - I now know why its losing compression. Cylinder 4 appears to have 2 holes in it.

 

Looks like unless a replacement engine can be found that its days are now numbered!

[sparky Paul]

That looks poorly Brian. Head looks a bit chewed up too, by bits of piston lip I guess...

 

I think anything so serious would be the end of the road for me. Not afraid of an engine swap, but If you are going to put that much work in, you may as well look for something newer to put the effort into.

[BrianH]

That looks poorly Brian. Head looks a bit chewed up too, by bits of piston lip I guess...

 

I think anything so serious would be the end of the road for me. Not afraid of an engine swap, but If you are going to put that much work in, you may as well look for something newer to put the effort into

Getting the engine out to that point took a lot of effort - It appeared we couldn't get the head off the engine without removing the engine first (as we needed the sump off anyway).

 

At any rate - I'm looking round to see if a newer better spec model is available as its an excuse to upgrade.

 

The head and piston looks worse when you can see it than the photos make clear - I'm surprised it was running at all, it seems one of the coil packs might have begun to fail as well (casing has split apart on the back where you can't see it when installed). Its no wonder the oil didn't want to stay inside the sump given the holes present though.

 

It helps having somewhere under cover to work on it - Make some stuff a lot easier (as you can shut the doors when you've had enough and leave it there!)

[sparky Paul]

 

At any rate - I'm looking round to see if a newer better spec model is available as its an excuse to upgrade.

 

If there's a significant amount of work involved, it's got to be worth looking at replacement.

 

It's surprising what you can pick up if you are handy, nice cars with minor faults going for a few hundred pounds, especially at this time of year. Little more than scrap money really, so there's no risk. I've even seen nice cars with what appear to be classic relay 30 symptoms, going for a few hundred quid after the owner has given in - it's surprising how many garages are still stumped by that one. At the right money, there's not a lot of risk - they will currently scrap over £200 if you weigh the battery & alloys in separately.

 

The biggest enemy now with used Galaxys is corrosion, but there are a few gems out there.

 

On a brighter note, I think mine is going for an MOT. I've bit the bullet and ordered a pair of tyres, it may also need a brake cable if it won't free off, and a bit of tidying on the nearside sill, then we'll see how it goes.

[sparky Paul]

I just worked out the first picture, is that the air filter? Bloody hell Brian!

[BrianH]

I just worked out the first picture, is that the air filter? Bloody hell Brian!

Yes its the air filter. It had oil running down the towing eye over the bumper towards its last few trips.

 

Its done well, but i think the 237k miles it managed have taken their toll on it somewhat.

[sparky Paul]

I'm not one for changing stuff just because it says so in the schedule, but I think you had you money's worth out of that one. :lol:

[gregers]

nah think your a bit of a spendrift,couldve got a few more miles out of that.lol

[BrianH]

nah think your a bit of a spendrift,couldve got a few more miles out of that.lol

It had only been on there for about 4000 miles to get in that state. Thats oil on the prefilter. Which was changed around the same time as the filter.

 

Its actually held most of the oil on the prefilter - theres not much on the paper part. But its coated everything around the air filter box!

[sparky Paul]

I'll let you off, I thought you meant it had been on 237k miles. :rolleyes:

[gregers]

I'll let you off, I thought you meant it had been on 237k miles. :rolleyes:

this lol

[BrianH]

Well this piston has definitely had it - The oil control ring is mostly intact, but the other two rings (or whats left of them) seem to have caused most of the damage up to the top. Not sure what happened but the slots are too wide it seems (though that may have happened because its broken up). I suspect it may be oil related as when i first got the car it had what looked to be very old oil in the sump - Grey in colour, got changed asap once i discovered that, but maybe it had started the damage and its just taken time to show. Or maybe that level of wear is expected i don't know.

[sparky Paul]

What's the bore like? Is it knackered, or would it hone?

 

That head looks nasty, but it's surprising what can be done. My mate does engine machining and rebuilds, I know he's fixed heads that looked really mangled - basically cleaning the impact damage up, cutting out and replacing the damaged valve seats and sticking new valves in.

 

Normally, I would say abandon it and get another engine (or car), but you seem fairly determined... makes the problems I have with mine look quite pathetic in comparison.

[BrianH]

I think the block would hone but it looks like it probabbly needs 4 new pistons as the rings don't seem to be held as well as i'd expect. Given that it also wants a hole welding up on the sill (not major, but more to do) and the last set of piston rings i brought were the best part of £100 (different vehicle) plus it needs full gasket set, various bolts need attention/replacing as they wouldn't come undone etc (the usual grief you get with old cars) Plus new timing chain, both guides (as the longer one is broken and has a wear groove up it) and the hose from the coolant pump to the t piece under the bumper i think its a non-starter to fix it. It also wants a new set of tappets, and thats without anything you'd want to replace whilst your there like the oil pump/water pump etc.

I've pretty much given up on it for now. It would need new valve seats/valves as they are recessed, which is hardly a surprise (and what I'd expected to find somewhat, though the compression that was noticeable when you removed the oil filler cap should have been more alarming than it first appeared!).

 

And to round it off the clutch is nearly worn out, so whilst its out that would have to be changed as well!

[sparky Paul]

Even if the parts were free, that's a lot of work piling up there.

 

It's probably time to give in. Find a decent 2.3 pre- March 2001 and swap the gas conversion over!

[BrianH]

Even if the parts were free, that's a lot of work piling up there.

 

It's probably time to give in. Find a decent 2.3 pre- March 2001 and swap the gas conversion over!

sort of the plan - It won't be using that gas conversion kit though, as the tank is needing replacement, and i'm not too sure the front end is working as well as it should (was fitted by a previous owner at 70k 10 years ago, its now done 167k on that front end so don't think its fit for much anymore!) I've got another front end that will be going on it in time (once any other issues have been sorted out) and just need a suitable tank then.

 

Been to look at one today - looks ok (wants the locking issues sorting, and needs a backbox as the one currently fitted to the car is not connected to the rest of the exhaust - though might be able to use the one on the broken one in place of it). Just waiting on confirmation of if someone else has taken it tonight, as phoned them back when I got home and had spoken to the insurance company to check how much more it would be, to find someone else was on their way to look at it (but had been on their way for an hour and a half, so may have changed their mind). Sadly its 2002 so its £305 for tax!

[sparky Paul]

Sadly its 2002 so its £305 for tax!

 

 

Gulp! Not so bad on LPG, softens the blow a bit.

 

The back boxes will all fit the same. The 2.0 and 2.3 are different, there's a lot of restriction on the 2.3 back box, but I bet the 2.0 is near enough. I had a diesel one with the two tailpipes on mine for a couple of years, was sent by mistake and I didn't realise the difference at the time. Car went like the clappers, but MPG suffered.