astra cylinder head

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Bepo 20 years ago

car for query Vauxall astra 1.4 petrol. 1998

Forgive me if this is obvious but..

The other day the fanbelt shreaded and somehow got pulled into the path of the timing belt causing internal failure and a cracked head. i've been trying to get hold of a cylinder head since but keep hitting the same problem.

There seems to be two different types of fuel delivery system on these cars. The one i have has what i initially thought was a carb ( didn't figure tho- a 98 car with EML and this obsolete inefficient technology) but later found out is a CFI or single point injection system and all the possible cylinder head replacements i,ve come across (3) have a long black rectangular black box which is called multi point FI.

My queries(options) are these:

is it possible to interchange these two systems ie could i put the head from a CFI onto my engine. Are there issues with wiring, sensors, intake manifold etc.
I actually got found a whole engine the same as mine for E300(UK

450).with lower mileage. Would it be better to just replace the whole engine, even tho this would require more yanking The Eml came on. Would i have problems trying to restart this new engine. Do i need to get Vauxall to reset anything.
3 The part of the head that is cracked is the bucket where a round cylinder thingy with like a ball bearing(this is damaged also) on top sits into.(hydraulic tappet?). 4 golden coloured rockers are also broken, but as far as i see none of the valves are damaged, although one of them( the one connected to the already mentioned broken ball thingy) had the spring come off. I would test these for trueness.Is this a serviceable head. I know the parts would be easy to get but what about the crack. Can it be welded?

I would like to know what the cheapest and more sensible option of the above would be.I've a feeling its goin to be option 2 but i thought i'd put it out to you guys to see

thanks in advance for any comments

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gazzafield 20 years ago

ITYF the heads will be the same. It is the way they are fed that differs. I could be wrong, but in these days of mass rationalisation with models I would doubt it.

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Bepo 20 years ago

Thanks gazzafield for your reply.

Im getting a head from a multi point system tomorrow FOC. So i guess i can eyeball the two of them and check for differences.

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adder1969 20 years ago

If it's a '98 8 valve then it must(?) be a 14NV or 14NZ engine and the head for these is the same (also found on the Corsa). The older C14SE engine head is different I think.

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Sandy Nuts 20 years ago

It's a C14NZ. The 14NV is a carb'd engine. The C14SE isn't older at all, it's found in alot of Corsas including the GLS. It's a 1.4 8v MPi engine.

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adder1969 20 years ago

I thought the C14SE stopped production about 10 years ago but I'm sure I could be wrong.

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Sandy Nuts 20 years ago

I was wrong too, it's a C14SZ. Not at all sure of production dates, but the C14SE is a MFi engine, the E at the end of the code signifies this. If the OP's engine really is a 1.4 SPi, then it will be the C14SZ. The compression ratio of a 1.4 Astra would signify the S instead of the N.

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Bepo 20 years ago

Thanks for your replies. Anyways i checked both heads and they both looked identical except for one difference, there was squarish inlet holes on the MFI head and round ones on my C14SZ.. I threw them together anyways expecting air/water leaks but there were none. I sealed them up pretty well and i don't hear air !!. . That was all done the night before the NCT/MOT. It failed on emissions and oil temp of 90C. I suspected that the head bolts were not tight enough.I didn't have new bolts and i was sh*teing it in case i sheared one (Ive changed them since, after 400 miles mind you.). Im figuring there may have been a leak with oil/water/combustion mix within the gasket. Damn too because the car passed everything else within the tolerances and the car is running fine (even better), although i noticed after the car was run for about 40 miles a little mayonaisse started to appear on the oil cap.(wasn't there before the change)

I should check the cat i guess but i am just curious if it is highly plausible there is a relationship between the high oil temp/emissions failure and it could be like 90% possibly caused by loose bolts after a head change ( common denominator -sort of). I'l get an emmissions test done at a garage

Is there a good chance that i have now damaged the head gasket anyways in which case i will find out if MOT failure was caused by the loose head bolts because i will be putting another one back correctly.. I changed the bolts one by one, tightening each a little just to keep pressure on the gasket and when all were replaced i started the tightening sequence

How important is it to prepare the faces perfectly and follow the exact tightening torque for the head.

Thanks again for your replies

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astra cylinder head

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