Cam Bearing Cap Scuffing

**Nebone** · 08-04-2008 10:22 PM

Replaced my cam chain tensioner with a VW tech friend today in 3 hours. Pulled both cams out while at it. With 130k on the clock, there were no visible oil leaks. Only the tensioner body had some dirt on it. Replaced all the gaskets and cam seals.

While inspecting the hardware, we came upon this scuff on the last bearing cap of the intake cam (near cyl 4) but he said not to worry about it

. Lack of oil pressure? I get 20 PSI of oil pressure at idle with 225F oil temp and ~60+ over 2k RPM.

Sorry for the blurry pic but my hands were dirty and didn't feel like adjusting and dirtying the camera.

**Beemer832** · 08-04-2008 10:59 PM

right now that doesnt seem to bad to me :)..... i just want my fvkcin car to stop smoking!! :)

I guess that would be something to be concerned about though. There has to be a wear limitation on the cam bearing caps. Not sure how you could/would measure those though. Why not replace the cap while its still apart or is this a special "audi" only OEM part that would take 16 weeks to order and cost you two fingers, a toe, and 3/4 of your dominant arm?

good luck!

-josh

**Nebone** · 08-04-2008 11:16 PM

Already back together with some 7k RPM pulls under its belt to break it in. I'm waiting to hear how a cold start sounds like as for the last 3 years, it sounded like a rarrra-tat-tat for 2 seconds each start. My random chatter is gone finally, and people said it was the flywheel or a heat shield. I got a slight quiet random rattle from that area on a warm motor but I can live with that; its a 1.8T and they are noisey.

PS. Only the cam cap is scuffed; the cam isn't.

So...I change the oil with a synthetic 5W40 every 5k and take care of the car but how in the world do you get a valvetrain to look like this after 90k miles like ModifiedA4?

Mine looked like this today after 130k miles.

**Nebone** · 08-05-2008 10:27 AM

First quiet cold start today morning in 3 years, 70k miles. I should have a beer for lunch to celebrate.

**Beemer832** · 08-05-2008 11:00 AM

cheers~ i need to heard to the bar here soon too...

-josh

**onemoremile** · 08-05-2008 11:19 AM

Congrats.

**Nebone** · 08-05-2008 11:57 AM

Cam tensioner tool is being passed on to Doug now so he can install new cams in his 2.0 stroker.

Drove the car at lunch today and its running very smooth and quiet, nothing abnormal. (Knocks on wood.) That bearing cap still kind of sucks tho. Wonder how that happened.

**dougyfresh** · 08-05-2008 12:08 PM

Thanks Sebastian.

Unfortunately you can't go swapping bearing caps. They are mated to the head. If that bearing cap winds up giving you problems you'll have to find another head.

**Nebone** · 08-05-2008 01:36 PM

I'm looking forward to solving the Knock Sensor issue I've been having. Faulty chain tensioner is a possible culprit in this riddle.

**slammeDUB** · 08-05-2008 02:15 PM

i got a new head from a guy on here and the cam journals on the head were scuffed in two of them, im just taking some 600 grit to take out the high spots and hopefully ill be all good...this makes me feel better

**Nebone** · 08-05-2008 03:08 PM

We cleaned the valve cover and head mating surfaces with 400 grit and it cleaned it nice but i seen scuffing from that. I would use finer than 600 for those journals. All others journals were nice and polished.

Must have been the bad tensioner that caused the damage to mine as that journal is right next to the tesioner past the cam gear.

**317ssayzarc** · 08-05-2008 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by slammeDUB

i got a new head from a guy on here and the cam journals on the head were scuffed in two of them, im just taking some 600 grit to take out the high spots and hopefully ill be all good...this makes me feel better

BAD idea