Snapped |Exhaust Camshaft

[th3_f15t]

What a crapper mate  This makes me paranoid about my car being a AXX on 100K. What was the mileage when this happened and do you know if the cam follower was ever replaced?

Try to not get too paranoid, this is the first report of this many people on here will have seen and as mentioned its very uncommon generally.

[GrayMK5GTI]

@RedRobin has done around 110,000 miles in his red chariot. His has the AXX engine, and hasn't exactly had an easy life.

I'm sure he will be around soon to explain the importance of regular serving, TLC etc 

[RedRobin]

@RedRobin has done around 110,000 miles in his red chariot. His has the AXX engine, and hasn't exactly had an easy life.

I'm sure he will be around soon to explain the importance of regular serving, TLC etc 

....Currently 112,000 miles in 9 years from new. Very regular servicing (every 20k miles on a modified GTI) and also plugs changes, are sensible preventative measures. Of course any machine constructed out of over 5,000 separate components plus complex electronics, can go wrong but the key is to minimise the chances of expensive problems.

At startup I always allow time for the engine's revs to die down below 1,000 revs before engaging gear so the fluids get a chance to flow. And I never over rev the engine. When circumstances are safe I sometimes do drive hard but always sympathetically to the car. Let's not forget however that a GTI is designed to be given some free rein.

[hunter2003k]

Car is on 87000, the cam follower had worn through and the cam lobe is mess, when i replaced the oil pickup it was pretty bad, i also found a piece of the cam chain tensioner broken off in the chain tensioner housing housing.

i have sourced a replacement head from member fab5freddy, and i will strip the bottom end down to check for any damage before rebuilding the engine.

[th3_f15t]

Might be worth looking at forged internals if you have plans to upgrade power at any stage, would work out cheaper at this point than if you decided at a later stage as the engine will already be dismantled.

As above, I let the revs settle and wait till the engine temperature at 90 degrees before engaging the turbo, ensuring warm oil is pumped through the whole engine before working it up. Also, I've taken to starting the car with the clutch in as it takes load of the starter motor and definitely results in a quicker start each time (hot or cold).

Get a member's ride post up following your progress with the re-build, would be interesting to read about it.

[hunter2003k]

Might be worth looking at forged internals if you have plans to upgrade power at any stage, would work out cheaper at this point than if you decided at a later stage as the engine will already be dismantled.

As above, I let the revs settle and wait till the engine temperature at 90 degrees before engaging the turbo, ensuring warm oil is pumped through the whole engine before working it up. Also, I've taken to starting the car with the clutch in as it takes load of the starter motor and definitely results in a quicker start each time (hot or cold).

Get a member's ride post up following your progress with the re-build, would be interesting to read about it.

I will start taking pictures while doing work on it, only fitting in an hour or two after work

currently the head is off, fitted new thermostat and refitted alternator, stuck waiting on waterpump arriving as parts co sent wrong one.

[Tortaruga]

As above, I let the revs settle and wait till the engine temperature at 90 degrees

That's the coolant temperature. You should wait until the engine oil is up to temp.