Nova 1.6 GSI

I used to have a GSi and had to get the head gasket done, so here's some stuff I remember.

The plastic cam cover is fairly flimsy and it shed mouning lugs left & right.

It's worth not disturbing the water pump if you can help it as there's an auto tensioner to take up slack. My garage couldn't get the tension, found they couln't get the pump to move as it was locked in place with limescale and were reduced to beating it to bits to get it out. After all that they still couldn't get the tension right due to a duff tensioner. So, if you can't get the tension right then suspect the tensioner before moving the pump.

You might also want to consider replacing the thermostat as that's a belt off job to do, though I'm not sure if that requires the water pump to come out (I forget.) Worth doing if it doesn't.

Hope that helps!

Yep. The water pump is the tensioner. What happens is the O ring on the waterpump sometimes splits when you're turning it to set the tension on the new belt. Get one from Vauxhall just in case, they're only pence. You'll also need a thin spanner to get between the pulley and the "nut" shape on the pump face to turn it.