Pick the guide for your engine: NA means the 2.2 (Z22SE) and Turbo means the 2.0 (Z20LET). The ones marked as factory steps are the Vauxhall TIS procedures. The owner guides record what people fitted and found.
Before you start
- Which jobs need the engine out
A summary of what our guides say about whether a job needs the engine out, the head and sump off, the gearbox dropped, or can be done from underneath with the clam on: crankshaft, pistons, balancer shafts, clutch, turbo, water pump, timing belt and more. - Special tools (KM numbers) and what they do
The Vauxhall special tool numbers named in our guides (KM and MKM) and what each step uses them for: engine support and removal, timing and crankshaft, cylinder head measuring, oil filter housing, water pump, cooling bleed and the F23 gearbox. Includes what owners used instead. - Bolts and nuts to replace on refit
A list of the bolts and nuts our guides say to renew when you refit them: the angle-tightened engine bolts, exhaust and manifold nuts, the driveshaft nut and split pin, mount, shock and steering nuts, and the hub carrier bolts. Collected from the factory manual figures and owner reports; not complete. - Torque values
A searchable list of recommended tightening torques for the VX220 and Speedster: body, suspension, brakes, steering, gearbox, fuel, the NA (Z22SE) engine from the Vauxhall TIS, and two forum lists for the Turbo engine. Figures the forum thread disputes are marked. - Engine adjustment data: idle speed, mixture and fuel (Z22SE, from TIS)
The factory test figures for the 2.2 Z22SE engine from the Vauxhall TIS: idle speed, fast idle speed, CO and lambda limits, minimum engine temperature, the fuel grade and the engine details. The sheet is headed Speedster, so check it against your own car. - Engine data: Turbo (Z20LET) adjustment figures, specifications and clearances (from TIS)
The factory figures for the 2.0 Turbo Z20LET from the Vauxhall TIS: idle and mixture test figures, oil and coolant fill, oil pressure, compression, plug gap, belt, bearing and piston clearances, and the engine details. The pages are headed Speedster, and the TIS disagrees with itself on idle speed and power, so those are flagged.
Crankshaft, bearings and seals
- Crankshaft and bearing clearances (NA)
The factory steps for removing and installing the NA's crankshaft (engine out) and checking the crankshaft and big-end bearing clearances, end float and out-of-round, from the Vauxhall TIS. - Crankshaft and bearing clearances (Turbo)
The factory steps for replacing the Turbo's crankshaft (engine out) and checking the crankshaft bearing clearance and the con-rod bearing play, by the micrometer and Plastigage methods, from the Vauxhall TIS. - Crankshaft seals and pickup (NA)
The factory steps for replacing the NA's front and rear crankshaft oil seals and the crankshaft pickup, from the Vauxhall TIS. - Crankshaft seals, pulley, sprocket and pulse sensor (Turbo)
The factory steps for the Turbo's crankshaft oil seals (flywheel side and timing side), the crankshaft pulley, the timing belt sprocket and the crankshaft pulse sensor, from the Vauxhall TIS.
Pistons, rods and rings
- Piston rings and cylinder block flatness check (NA)
The factory steps for replacing the NA's piston rings and checking the cylinder block for flatness, from the Vauxhall TIS. - Pistons, con-rods and piston rings (Turbo)
The factory steps for removing and refitting the Turbo's pistons and con-rods, replacing a piston, con-rod or con-rod bearing, replacing the piston rings and the engine vent flange, from the Vauxhall TIS. - Pistons and rods: what owners fitted on the Turbo and NA
What the standard Turbo pistons are and how they compare with the Astra VXR and C20LET ones, forged piston options, using Z22YH pistons to raise the NA's compression, a group buy of Eagle rods and Wiseco pistons, and what owners said about checking new pistons. Forum experience from 2009 to 2021.
Balancer shafts
- Balancer shafts removal and installation (NA)
The factory steps for removing and installing the NA's balancer shafts with the engine out, from the Vauxhall TIS. - Balancer shaft unit and backlash (Turbo)
The factory steps for replacing the Turbo's balancer shaft unit and checking and adjusting its backlash, from the Vauxhall TIS. - Balancer shaft deletion: what owners did on the Turbo and NA
What the balancer shafts do, the Courtenay Sport deletion kit for the Turbo and how owners fitted it with the engine in the car, the very different NA method, what owners noticed afterwards, and the reasons some advised against it. Forum experience from 2008 to 2012.
Taking the engine out
- Engine removal and installation (NA)
The factory steps for taking the NA engine out of the car and putting it back, from the Vauxhall TIS. - Engine removal and installation (Turbo)
The factory steps for taking the Turbo engine and gearbox out of the car and putting them back, from the Vauxhall TIS. - Gearbox removal with the engine out
The factory steps for taking the gearbox off an engine that is already out of the car, and for separating and rejoining the NA gearbox and engine, from the Vauxhall TIS. - Engine mount replacement (side mounts)
Replacing the damping blocks on either side of the engine. The near side (passenger side, wheel arch access) is a quick job, if the old bolts cooperate. The off side (driver’s side) holds the engine up and has a name for seized bolts: some owners did it in minutes, others needed a grinder or a workshop.