Full on failed cam chain tensioner.

[Pimped up vario]

I have a AWT code 1.8t engine with a failed cam chain tensioner. It has as the title failed most comprehensively in that it has extended fully and cracked the cam/rocker cover. Its left a visible mark as in like a shadow or impression of the chain beneath the cover. Where the cover has worn thin it has developed a crack and oil is pumping out and on to the turbo/exhaust manifold. I have not taken one of these engines apart and am not 100% sure about the internal passages and workings. My query then would be is there loads of small aluminium fragments in and around the engine internals. I'm assuming the chain would remove aluminium particles from the cam cover and deposit them in the oil but I'm not to sure what path they would take on the way to the oil filter. I'm also not to sure of the oil filters capabilities in terms of particle size and if everything was kept from the cylinders and pistons and whether any damage has been done or not.

Any and all expertise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[towcester vag]

repair chain/guide valves etc
drain oil and do filter
run for 100miles and change again
it should be ok
never had a problem with ones ive done

 

[Pimped up vario]

What do mean when you say guide valves? Surely not head off job. The guy I bought it off had said he'd had a new tensioner fitted and from what was clear from the invoices was that a new cam chain tensioner and chain had been fitted but that it was either an inferior part or his mechanic had fitted it incorrectly. I changed the oil and filter not long after a got the car and thought it was unusually dark for a petrol engine much like how you would find diesel engine oil upon it's schedule change interval of 5000 miles, that's when I done my tdi leon. Having said that as soon as you change the oil and check the oil on the dip stick, in a diesel engine, it's as black as it was before you changed it.

If it's a case of change the tensioner, chain and gaskets then oil and filter I'll be a happy chappy.

I what talking to the wife today about it and came up with the idea of getting an oil sample from the sump analysed for to see what it's make up was. Do you think that would be a good idea?

 

[Pimped up vario]

Bit of an update. I think the cam chain tensioner that was fitted to the was defective or installed incorrectly. The timing is out due to the tensioner being failed. I hope this is why she emits a fair bit of heat from the engine bay or is this just 1.8t engines in general. I done a compression test on the engine and got a reasonable 160/165 psi across the four cylinders. I got a bore scope and found a slight amount of scoring at the top of the piston stroke and a good honing pattern further down the bore. The engine has had signs of running very hot/overheating by signs of whitish silvery deposits on the piston crowns. The oil passages to the cam journals are clear although the cam lobes do have small amounts of wear at the peaks and they are exhibiting signs of having been burnished. The cam caps show small signs of scoring but not too bad. One cam bearing and journal shows signs of significant but not excessive wear probably due to oil starvation and overheating. Oddly enough the turbo is perfect and I though that oil starvation would have hit the turbo first. All said and done with 100,000 miles and 160 psi and low to moderate engine wear I'm going to put a cam chain tensioner in to it and check over oil and coolant pump and clutch while I'm at it.