2006 TDI Jetta 152k Cam lobes wiped and one lifter is gone

Cam valve lobes are wiped out and one lifter is nowhere to be found. #2 intake.
The lobes for the FI rockers are scored.

I dont know if the valve is damaged or not. The retainer looks good.

What sort of expense am I looking at to fix this, if I have a shop fix it?

What expense if they have to pull the head?

Problem is, this happened while traveling and there is no where close that is reliable

Thanks

This is what the #2 looks like.

Lifter bore is probably damaged.

I cant find the remains of the lifter so I assume its down in the oil pan.

https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=small+P1000778.JPG

Valve stem?

https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=valve+1+20180924_133859.jpg

1200? Get some quotes. If head had to come off, just sell it. Fingers crossed my cam is still good at 262k

The lifter grenaded at 85 mph, so the head is probably toast.
If you havent inspected your cam lately, do it.

I had no clue. Car was running fine the morning I left on the trip.
Even at highway speed after it grenaded I had no clue.

Didnt know anything until I pulled off the highway and slowed down.

tta said:

The lifter grenaded at 85 mph, so the head is probably toast.
If you havent inspected your cam lately, do it.

I had no clue. Car was running fine the morning I left on the trip.
Even at highway speed after it grenaded I had no clue.

Didnt know anything until I pulled off the highway and slowed down.

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It can be hard to tell before it goes kaboom but I do inspect mine every 20k. I was thinking of replacing it as a preventative maintenance.

After what happened to me, I would.

If I would have known what I know now, I would have changed the cam and lifters (to ones that would last as long as cams and lifters should) at 100k miles.

I have never had a cam fail like this and I have never had a lifter grenade in 45 years of driving. Of course I have never owned a car where the flywheel falls apart either.

tta said:

After what happened to me, I would.

If I would have known what I know now, I would have changed the cam and lifters (to ones that would last as long as cams and lifters should) at 100k miles.

I have never had a cam fail like this and I have never had a lifter grenade in 45 years of driving. Of course I have never owned a car where the flywheel falls apart either.

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Yeah sometimes you find out later that the cars we buy have known issues. I research after i buy it seems.

I knew there were cam problems with these cars.
However, I never knew a lifter would grenade. Just read of a few other cases.

tta said:

I knew there were cam problems with these cars.
However, I never knew a lifter would grenade. Just read of a few other cases.

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That happens if it's not caught early on. Think I might inspect mine when the weather is better.

Like I said above. If I would have known how critical it was, I would have swapped the cam at 100k. I did the timing belt at 100k, so it was only a few more steps to replace the cam and lifters with some parts with proper metallurgy.

As is now, I have a paperweight. Need a new head, DSG transmission on the original clutch, original turbo, and a few other odds and ends. Add it all up and not reliable unless I do everything now. If I pay someone else to do all of this work, its one-third to half the cost of a car.

Well I checked the cam again. Looks fine to me and no sharp edges on the exhaust and intake lobes. Who knows I could make it worse by replacing it now.

Excellent. I should be so lucky.

My 2006 (BRM engine code) Jetta gave no indication of a problem at 135K miles. I bought it used, gave it the 'change all fluids and filters, give everything a once over' service. My VW tech friend and got through that in short order, we decided to pull the valve cover and have a look, just for ****s-n-giggles, as he mentioned these sometimes have a cam that goes bad. Sure enough, all but one lobe was VERY worn, like loosing 0.75mm lift kind of worn. All the lifter buckets were dished as well, one or two of them dished 0.5mm or so. He cautioned me that when they (lifter buckets) wear all the way through, "it's all over but the crying". He said most cars he's seen where the lifter bucket has worn through, come in on the flatbed running super rough, at least 1 cyl mis-fire, sometimes 'no-start condition'. I got, uh, lucky?



We swapped mine out for Kerma stage 2 cam and oem replacement lifters, Franks' modified cam bearings, new timing belt and water pump, cleaned the crud out of the EGR at the same at the same time.


As a side note, he fact that VW continued on with their total shamless 'blame the owner' line, then it would seem recognizing the issue an getting away from the BRM series all together, is a complete bull**** move on VW's part, IMO.

I was 10k from a timing belt change and I was going to check the cam then.

Anyway, I have a DSG with a 150k mile clutch, 50k more and I will probably need a flywheel (done that once already) 150k on the turbo, God knows how long this mechatronics unit will last (that was also replaced at 100k) and now it needs a head most likely.

Think it's done. Too bad as the body is in good shape.

If you do the work yourself, it can be less costly. You can order the Turkish camshaft online and have it ground and parkerized directly by Hillcrest camshfts in Arkansas. That's where Frank gets his ridiculously priced camshafts ground. Where are you in Florida?

Not interested in working on the Jetta any more.
I'm done.

Will probably sell it.

I am in S. Florida, but the car is in SW Georgia.

tta said:

Not interested in working on the Jetta any more.
I'm done.

Will probably sell it.

I am in S. Florida, but the car is in SW Georgia.

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Don't blame ya.

If it was a 5 speed manual, I would think about it, but being a DSG, I dont consider it a reliable car.