[Vwdiesel] Signs of PD worn cam syndrome?

[travis gottschalk]

www.dieselgeek.com sells one of a few styles of the metal belly pan. OEM has a steel one for about $400 so they could come stock. dieselgeeks is aluminum and also has metal side skirts (called the full metal jacket). There is another maker from Canada as well. The oil pan on the VW's is cast aluminum and doesn't take much to fracture and there isn't surrounding structures like what my chevy Lumina had around it to help absorb the impacts. Also it is much easier to do an oil change with the metal pan as there is any opening to get to the drain plug. http://lubricationspecialist.com/front/shop.aspx?catid=3,8,10&parentid=0&productid=13 makes the oil change even better. http://www.kermatdi.com/servlet/-strse-378/Pumpe-Duse-Intake-Hose-fdsh-Manifold/Detail will help you seal up your leaking hose going into the intake. I will bet it is leaking because the hose dog ear one of them will be broken off. To check you pull the wire clip out from the piping some and then pull out your hose and one will be broken. I have several other things I have done as well but don't want to totally bore the non PD tdi guys around here as well. I like all the diesels but I have the experience with the 1.6 NA 1.9TD aaz and the 1.9 BEW pd engines as that is what our family owns. 

As far as pulling the valve cover off you have to first pull the EGR valve out to get that out of the way. It is three allen head bolts. Don't need to unhook the wires, just move out of the way. Then a 1/4 inch ratchet with a small extension and a smaller metric socket will get the rest of the valve cover off. You have to lift up on the tranny side of the engine and then pull toward the tranny as the timing belt cover holds it down some. The gasket is reusable and is rubber. Reverse to install. You may notice how dirty your intake is when you pull the EGR valve out. If you want I can tell you how to clean that out as well.
Travis G

> Hi Travis and the list,
> 
> Thanks for all the info. I'm curious about your comment on the metal belly
> pans - is this for impact protection? Where do you find them? Were they
> stock on some models?
> 
> The dealer is offering to let me take the car until Monday, which would
> allow me to get an estimate at a body shop for a rocker panel repair, but
> also I could pull the VC and inspect the cam. I've looked at the procedure
> (and have the Bentley), but have never worked on a TDI. I've rebuilt a few
> IDI engines though. Any special tools to pull the VC?
> 
> Thanks