Cracked main Cam bearing

draco76

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Location
Granite City, IL
TDI
99 NB(sold), 03 NB(sold), 100% bug free :) 99.5 4d Golf, 2004 GL Wagon
Looking at this engine that over heated the top main cam bearing has a slight crack, can I just replace the Cam bearing or do the head need redone?
 

TDICADDGUY

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Location
Blaine, MN
TDI
2012 BMW X5 35D
The head will likely be scrap. The caps are part of the head casting which is align-bored as one piece. Talk to Franko6 about it, if anyone can fix it, it will be him. If nothing else he can give you scrap value for it and maybe some value if the valves are good.
 

draco76

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Location
Granite City, IL
TDI
99 NB(sold), 03 NB(sold), 100% bug free :) 99.5 4d Golf, 2004 GL Wagon
Great... Its just a little crack lol just on the rim.. JB weld? ;) j/k

New heads like 1kish rebuilt are like $700ish right?
 

draco76

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Location
Granite City, IL
TDI
99 NB(sold), 03 NB(sold), 100% bug free :) 99.5 4d Golf, 2004 GL Wagon
Might be able to just get a junk yard top bearing and have align-bored..... Really don't want to spent 1k! lol
 

GoFaster

Moderator at Large
Joined
Jun 16, 1999
Location
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
Where is the crack, and is it in a place that would affect the structural capability of the cam cap?

I've got a motorcycle engine with a cracked cam bearing cap and I've put 25,000+ km on the engine with the crack plus who knows how long the previous owner had it like that. The crack is not in a critical place. Same situation with the cam caps being machined together with the head.

If the crack is directly over the bearing surface and all the way across, that's bad. But still ... you can scrap the head now, or you can run it the way it is and it might fail tomorrow, or never fail for the next 200,000 km.
 

draco76

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Location
Granite City, IL
TDI
99 NB(sold), 03 NB(sold), 100% bug free :) 99.5 4d Golf, 2004 GL Wagon
Just a small crack right by the bearing. I'd almost have to take a picture to show ya. Its low by the bearing, haven't even poped the cap off the take a closer look. Probably should do that tomorrow night. I didn't even notice the crack at first it just looked scorched from the over heating.
 
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