First up great and informative site!
Recently brought a 2.2 auto vectra with a suspect cam chain fail which turned out to be a broken con rod 🙁 . Brought a second hand block that came off an engine with a snapped chain and rebuilt 1 from 2 using the head from original engine. Replaced Chain as a matter of course and away she went. Or so I thought.
When ever I nailed her over 5k she would kick out a huge plume of smoke, most enjoyable when a convertable is behind me at the lights!, and in the 400 miles since fitting the engine she has gluged her way through 2 litres of oil. Now having done the valve stem seal's and checked that the guides were ok when the head was off the first time it pretty well looked like a new set of piston rings would be needed.
So made a few calls and ordered a set of rings, another head gasket and another set of head bolts. Finished work and pulled the pistons out. Piston rings were sitting free in there groves but as I had already pulled 3 pistons out of the old engine that had not been bashed by the valves used them and picked the best looking piston out of the 4 from the new block. Cleaned the pistons up and swapped the con rods as didnt want to use con rods out of an engine that had gone pop!
Hoping to get the engine back up and running by Saturday, if parts turn up in time might even have it done by tomorrow,so I can fit the new cruise stalk I brought from flea bay and take her for a cruise up and down the M3 to bed the rings in.
Now having had a good read of this forum before joining going to do a few mods to her over the coming months as well. Pre cat is going, air box is being un-restricted, Vectra C intake is being fitted and going to fit an oil catch tank as well.