Off-topic posts from Cam Failure Data Collection thread

Dimitri16V said:

the problem starts with pitting on the lifters.
Pitting is caused by
- excessive heat
-bubbles in the oil
- improper mettalurgy/treating
-lack of additives in the oil
-stuck valve
-non-rotating lifter ( worn out bore )
- excessive load on cam ( stiffer springs and engine design)

once lifter pitting starts , material gets transfered to the lobe . First sign is "skid marks" or deep scratches on the lobe surface. It progresses fast till the hardened material from the surface is gone. Once that's gone , the lifter and cam lobe start shredding metal in layers.

IMO, the issue with the PDs lies with the narrow lobes and the extra load on the camshaft/lifter created by the injector system.

Using extra additives , thicker oil and other remedies will only prolong the agony , the end result will still be the same.

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So how do we fix this?

Fix it ? you can't , the design is bad.

I replaced a cam/lifters on a jetta with 220K on 505.01 . Mine has 240K and it still holds. I have been using M-1 TDT 5W-40 and M-1 15W-50 in summer with addition of ZDDP supplement

GTIDamien_407 said:

So how do we fix this?

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Damien, don't listen to him.

Go through the actual thread where people list their cam replacements. No more than a handful of the some 20 odd thousand active members here have actually replaced cams in pre 2006 PD's. And I believe nearly all, if not all, have extenuating circumstances that may account for the failure - chief among them, unknown oil history, known non-certified oil and chipped.

I don't know that even one claims to be otherwise.

Go back to threads from before a single cam failed - Dimitri was already predicting that the sky was going to fall. And as he's been doing that near daily for years now, many just take his repetition as gospel.

Do yourself a favor, look at the data, think about what you've read making note of those who think they have a bad cam, and those who've actually replaced one. Note the extra's like a powerchip and the oil history. Note the minuscule percentage of active members who've experienced this first or even second hand.

Then put another 600+ mile tank of fuel in your car and relax.

SuburbanTDI said:

Do yourself a favor, look at the data, think about what you've read making note of those who think they have a bad cam, and those who've actually replaced one. Note the extra's like a powerchip and the oil history. Note the minuscule percentage of active members who've experienced this first or even second hand.

Then put another 600+ mile tank of fuel in your car and relax.

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Yeah, relax but drive carefully! And expect for the best.