Recent content by dieselhead

X14XE in 1997 Astra F Engine very sluggish, vacuum is 9" at normal idle; should be 18 - 22"; compressions are all OK; brakes are crap because of insufficient vacuum. Have checked for leaks from the easy-to-treach hoses. Is this a known problem with these engines? diesel

The efficiency of the boiler as given in its instructions is 77%. A modern fanned flue one is only 80 - 85% The annual saving in gas bills is let's say 10% so that would save me £50 a year. £2000 replacement cost ... it would never pay for itself. And I also have a solid cast iron heat...

Yes the pump is in the return. The boiler's instructions say the pump should be fitted on the flow if inside the boiler casing which it is. Does this matter How would you upgrade/modify the system? I bought a cylinder thermostat but the wiring would be quite difficult and have just had...

Here are the photos. You can just make out the arrow on the bottom of the pump (points to the left). www.decandole.eclipse.co.uk/images/ I did the writing in marker pen. It's a glo worm hideaway 50 with conventional flue. Some of the pipework round the boiler looks very shiny and new...

Yes I don't know what's going on here. When I first moved in in March I looked at the radiator in the hall and thought it had been plumbed in the wrong way round because the hot was fed to the bottom. Weeks later I found the pump was pumping the water from the bottom of the heat exchanger (ie...

My hot water appears to leave the boiler from the lower tapping and return via the upper tapping ie the lower pipe is much hotter; also on the hot water cylinder the hot water appears to enter at the bottom and leave at the top; surely this is the wrong way round? Why would this be? It happens...

The brakes on this newly acquired astra work well enough for ordinary driving but when you go to do an emergency stop the pedal feels like it is hitting a mechanical stop and the braking effort isn't as good as it should be. I got my father to test drive it yesterday and he agreed there was...

Yes a compression test would be the obvious thing to do. May be worth getting the injectors removed and checked by a specialist; should be only about £25. Check for lift pressure and spray pattern. ben