Finding and preparing a new to me AMF

audifan said:
I often wondered if the cam has sufficient CLEAN oil supply. Inevitably engines wear and bearing shells take the brunt. Looking at yours I see nothing other than normal wear and no real signs of scoring and that is good I would suggest before fitting whatever cam to the engine that you give the journals a very light polish to improve their surfaces. Biggest killer of bearings is the wrong GRADE of oil that is not to spec, cheap non OEM oil filters and over running the service intervals. Wonder if you will find any dip stick tips when you remove the sump?
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Are the journals the bits that run around in the bearing shells?
 
I think it is worth reporting what i think I know about this engine.
It was originally supplied in a Skoda Fabia which was written off due to accident damage at 90k miles. It was then converted, transfer of manifolds, dipstick tube etc (but not oil level sensor) for running in an A2 where it ran for 12 months before the car being written off due to accident damage.
I think it clocked a few miles in the A2, the engine was filthy with oil and had CV joint grease sprayed up the RH side (back) of the engine. I find it difficult to believe it wouldn’t at least have been wiped down before fitting to the A2. It has had time and miles to accumulate crud. So I think the milage is circa 100k.
I think in the A2 it was run on the cheap but never the less maintained and only for 12 months.
Timing belt and water pump cheap brand and idler pulley not replaced.
Hole in turbo feed pipe.
Several gaskets and seals missing around the engine.
Fasteners missing or substituted with incorrect type and grade fasteners.
Oil is slippery but dirty
Coolant is lacking sufficient anti freeze.
Original 2003 tandem pump replaced with early 1999 tandem pump.
I think the engine was well maintained in the Skoda.
It has had glow plugs
It has had timing belts, the idler pulley is not new but is not factory original.
I think the milage is genuine because
The head cover has never been off
The injector harness is original
Injector wear is consistent with what I expected at 100k
The original tandem pump failed at about the same milage as my same year tandem pump failed
Overall the engine feels good. I’m pleased with the purchase.
 
Interesting in terms answering the questions being raised about oil feed and oil quality is the engine that is in the car. Owned from new 170k miles. However I have never fitted the correct grade oil preferring instead a 5W40. My logic has been, I drive cars long and hard (and tow with the A2) the thicker oil would give better protection particularly in summer. It has however hit fuel economy, I have only ever once managed 60 mpg.
This whole investigation started because RAB was of the opinion that my choice of oil would not have been good for the cam bearings. Let’s not debate it again but wait and see.
Has my choice of oil protected my cam bearings or starved them of oil?

Edit, on the subject of which; this is it running:

 
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Tubo checked out OK. Had to free off a seized wastegate pivot. Should and does open at 10 psi.

 
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I commented on this on another thread but can't find it now and it is bed time. There is a position on a 3 cylinder PD when all valves are closed. Very useful when doing the work I'm doing. With the timing belt removed the crank can be turned without the pistons contacting the valves.

 
I do not believe 5w40 oil of the correct vw505. 01 would cause cam wear, have used this on a B5 passat with around 200k on it with no adverse effects. However 5w 30 vw507 is superior in every way and so is my preferred oil of choice
 
audifan said:
What condition are the journals on the cam shaft? Engine is cleaning up nicely and you will have a cracker once done!

P.S. What condition is the oil pump and balancer shaft chain in?
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I've taken the crank seal housings off both ends of the engine today. The oil pump and balancer shaft chain, is tensioned correctly, the sprocket I can see looks good. There is wear to the tensioner and slipper pads but not as bad as my engine when I replaced the chain at 150k miles. Difficult to photograph:

IMG_0830.JPG


IMG_0831.JPG


The tensioner casting is branded VAG and has a 2 in a date stamp. I assume the 2 indicates a 2002 casting in a 2003 engine and so is original.

One more tick for the engine being a 100k miles engine. The tensioner and chain will be replaced.
 
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audifan said:
The list of replacement parts keeps growing. Remember crank seals.
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Oh the crank front seals! 038103085c vs 038103085e vs 0381035085b on the engine. They are all the same ID but there is 1mm difference in the OD. Have ordered, will advise.
 
This is an interesting aside, I have assumed all parts dated 2002/3 were from the Skoda and all parts dated 1999/2000 were transferred to the engine from the A2 that received the engine. I have a 2000 dated front crank seal housing not prepared for an oil sensor:

IMG_0832.JPG


Did early A2 TDi engines not have the oil sensor?
 
The early ones had the oil level / temp sensor mounted into the bottom of the sump. The later ones had the combined sensor where you were expecting to see it.
 
Been out of action because my son wrote off his car, my wife has been in hospital and I dislocated my collar bone. Apparently bad news comes in three so back to the engine.
This is interesting, some suppliers supply the same seal for cam and front crank but there are two different numbers on 7Zap:
038103085E front crank
038103085C cam
I've got both seals and need to compare. I think there is a 1 mm difference in the OD
 
Not got to compare the crank and cam seals yet. Been doing something I enjoy, scrubbing up old bits.
Studs replaced as necessary, all threads chased and waste gate actuator tested. I will wipe the gasket surfaces with ACF-50, bag them and store them in the attic until I need them:

IMG_0833.JPG
 
The crank vs cam seal mystery resolved. Some sellers list the cam seal as a cam / crank seal but 7Zap list two slightly different numbers:

038103085C cam
038103085E front crank

Cam seal on the left, crank seal on the right, there are slight differences in OD and, despite what 7Zap lists, ID too:

IMG_00835.JPG


Cam seal drops into the front seal housing:

IMG_00836.JPG


Crank seal needs pressing in:

IMG_00837.JPG


Parts I have there for my engine, please check before buying:

Cam Febi 38238 size 32.47.10

Crank Elring 155.560 size 35.48.10
 
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I read elsewhere that PD timing belt tensioner studs pull loose in the head then break off with obvious catastrophic consequences for the engine. Apparently there is a modified M8 stud that has a M10 thread into the head. The head requires machining for it to be fitted. Oh I thought, best get one. No need I have one:

IMG_0849.JPG


Anybody know anything about this problem? Was there a problem? Was there a mod and was the mod introduced in production or has my head been modified?
 
The block is still in the back of the Merc and I’m still trying the understand the possible timing belt tensioner stud issue. Modified studs are easy to get hold of:

IMG_0872.png


IMG_0873.png


Also threads on other forums detailing this problem are easy to find:

Please Help Timing belt tensioned stud failure and engine damage.

I am new to here and don't have much knowledge. VW Passat 2.0 se tdi Engine Code: BKP I changed timing belt day before yesterday in Poland with a private mechanic. Yesterday I was driving to Germany and in to 230 km engine went completely off and battery light came on dashboard. I pulled my...
www.vwaudiforum.co.uk

Anybody know anything? This topic could be worth its own thread but first I will check out 7Zap.
 
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