Gurus, what's your findings over the years on PD cam failure vs. oil use?

[jay_fyp]

Just curious. Is there any noticeable variables? Are the failures you've seen more with one brand/spec of oil compared to another or is it completely random? I've stuck with TXT until it was no longer available, and have used Castrol Edge 5w-40 Turbo Diesel 505.01 since then which I order online (which vw claims they can't get and don't make anymore and try and sell you 5w-30 something something even though I confirmed it's readily available online and they do still in fact make it).

So my main question, although a better oil spec and brand in most peoples eyes is available, what oil were the majority of people using for the general life of the car, when they had severe wear and or failure?

Knock on wood, 260,000k strong on my 04 and had it checked a couple months ago.

 

[fixumrich]

Pentosin 505.01 . one can of Lubro Moly MoS2 . Hengst filter .. Every 6 K and you will make it to 400 k . Good luck Man

 

[jay_fyp]

Pentosin 505.01 . one can of Lubro Moly MoS2 . Hengst filter .. Every 6 K and you will make it to 400 k . Good luck Man

Is that your experience or you see it happen often? I have no plans to change up my oil, its done me justice so far, I'm just curious to peoples findings. I do occasionally use additive but not habitually.

 

[Barnitz]

I replaced my cam right after purchasing the car, and have stuck with Mobile TDT since. I'm not sure what the previous owner used, but I suspect it was taken to the dealership for most maintenance. (Former 'Company' car).

Cam and DMF were both shot when I bought it.

 

[jimbote]

i picked my 05' golf up last year with over 300k miles on the original cam...po gave me a stack of reciepts from the local oil change place and i was surprised to see the oil used was what ever synthetic was on special that week.... castrol, valvoline etc., it ran the gamut ... and the cam is still perfect @ 330k miles although now its on a strict diet of T6

 

[jay_fyp]

i picked my 05' golf up last year with over 300k miles on the original cam...po gave me a stack of reciepts from the local oil change place and i was surprised to see the oil used was what ever synthetic was on special that week.... castrol, valvoline etc., it ran the gamut ... and the cam is still perfect @ 330k miles although now its on a strict diet of T6

Ha! Seems to be completely random. Did you notice in the receipts if it was specifically 505.01 oils used, or was it rated better or worse? Seems odd that some fail whether the "correct" oil was used or not and others have no symptoms at all, though I guess that's the case with a lot of car parts. I wonder if there were more than one factory producing the part that perhaps made the faulty cam. 330k is awesome, hope I get that far

 

[jimbote]

it seems totally random.... i would say "no" on the 505.01.... it was mostly off the shelf synthetics you can get at any chain parts stores .... when i bought the car i was so sure the cam was shot (car had a skip) i shipped a used one with lifters to the guys house in ny ... checked my tools at the ticket counter and flew up ready to install a used cam and drive back .... when i arrived i did a quick scan with vcds which revealed number 3 injector electrical fault.... pulled the vc rolled through the cam just to be sure, it was perfect! unplugged #3 injector (a bit loose) plugged it back in, reinstalled vc fired it up and it ran smooth as butter and i drove it back home to NC