Opel Corsa B 1993–2000 Service and Repair Manual: Camshaft and tappets - removal and refitting

Removal

1. Remove the engine from the car, and then remove the sump and timing gear components.

2. If the cylinder head is still in place, slacken the rocker arm nuts, move the rocker arms to one side and lift out the pushrods, keeping them in order.

3. Invert the engine or, if the cylinder head is still in place, lay the engine on its side.

4. Undo the two bolts securing the camshaft retaining plate in position and lift off the plate (see illustrations). The engine front plate should also be removed as all the bolts securing it in place have now been undone.

Camshaft retaining plate bolts (arrowed)

Removing the engine front plate

5. Carefully withdraw the camshaft from the cylinder block, taking care not to scratch the bearing journals with the sharp edges of the cam lobes (see illustration).

Removing the camshaft

6. From within the crankcase withdraw each tappet from its bore and keep them in order for refitting (see illustration).

Removing a tappet

Refitting

7. Scrape away all traces of old gasket from the engine front plate and cylinder block.

Make sure that both mating faces are clean and dry.

8. Lubricate the tappet bores in the crankcase and insert each tappet into its respective bore.

9. Lubricate the camshaft bearing journals and carefully insert the camshaft.

10. Place a new gasket in position and then locate the front plate, patterned side outward, over the gasket (see illustration). Temporarily refit two or three of the timing cover bolts to act as alignment guides, but only tighten them finger tight.

Fitting a new front plate gasket

11. Now position the camshaft retaining plate with its forks located into the groove in the boss on the end of the camshaft. Note that the fork section faces upwards. Secure the retaining plate with the two bolts.

12. Check that the camshaft is free to turn.

13. Refit the timing gear components and the sump. If the cylinder head is in place, refit the pushrods and adjust the valve clearances.

14. Refit the engine to the car.