HELP - Sick V6 TDi

[macspring]

Paul,

Feel for you, your cars are teaching you far too much for your own good.

Only very small saving grace is you've diagnosed the problem.

Cars, sigh...... is right.

[dubmeister]

Sorry to hear your woes. the v6s are **** for cam wear- seen a load of failures, petrol and diesel. exactly the same as you and Jase have pictured- personal theory is that 99% left the factory on longlife servicing- my fathers 2001 a6 2.5 tdi was showing the same sort of cam wear after 80k and he was going 20k + without an oil change !!!! FFS!!! (traded it in and gave Audi the problem!)
Definately do the EGR blank, and soak the inlet to get it clean. ******* of a job!!
90% of engine faults i see every day in work are emissions related and see a lot of cars just out of warranty (3+yrs old) that come in for servicing and they only have one or maybe two stamps in the book!!!
Good luck with the rebuild.

[S2central.net]

I do the oil every 10k miles, but it probably did have longlife services for the ~80k miles before I got it.

I am resigned to the fact of doing both heads now - can bet the right bank is just as bad as the left.

I degunked the inlet last night - maan that stuff is nasty - you'd need a proper acid bath or something to do it perfectly but I got a good result with boiling hot marine clean.

The EGR is definitely getting blanked off.

Any tips on independent sources for gasket kits on the mainland ?

I am having no joy with local factors - telling me they can only get the bare head gaskets for £65 each - having a laugh as I've seen those circa £25 on eurocarparts, but I want the full kit with camshaft seals & manifold gaskets.

[istoo]

A friend suggest a fix one cam and sell it. But I am of the opinion to do it properly and hope for another 120k miles before more cam problems.

Sigh ...

I did that too, although nothing was wrong with mine, approaching 100k i got paranoid after seeing about 50% of guys i know with the same car hit £1000's bills for either cams or the famous fuel injection pump failure. Its not a good VAG TDi although on paper it sounds alike a good alternative, the unrelaible elements where just too commonplace for me so I shifted mine on at a huge loss.

[GT500]

Longlife just knackers engines! I will not let my customers carry on with it.

I do look after a 270.000 mile V6 tdi. Not even had a clutch!

Don't envy that job... hope it goes well!

[S2central.net]

Anyone heard of engine parts made by FERA ?

I've not heard of them - nor can find anything online about them. Don't even know what country the parts come from... I'm trying to do things frugally here but don't want to fit low quality parts into the wagon either.

[s2driveruk]

i've dug up nothing against Fera any idea on country or which parts they make?

[S2central.net]

Supplier isn't telling me where FERA comes from... clearly its somewhere low cost. Apparently their camshaft kit is UK manufactured which gives me some confidence - the brits don't make cams from chocolate as a rule.

[s2driveruk]

now, a bit of playing with letters brings up something a little more interesting....sure the spelling is right Paul?

http://www.ferrea.com/

[b3robo]

Don't want to steal the thread subject, but it doesn't seem these 2.5 TDI units aren't held in very high regard when comes to quality? On paper it sounds brilliant and I was/am sorely tempted by one in Quattro A4/A6 form, but i've been a bit put off by the idea after s2central's woes.

Hope it goes well

[20Vcqdriver]

Just seen this thread and can confirm that this cam wear is a known issue on the V6 upto around 2003. Apparently a cheap supplier didn't treat the cams properly or something like that. All cars since 2003/4 have correctly heat treated cams for these engines, so you should be OK once new ones fitted. Also heard of the heel of the cam cracking due to poor construction materials. Hopefully Audi learnt that cost cutting has it's limits. Hope you get yours sorted, big bill though unfortunately

[spink]

Everything i seem to hear about the v6 tdis seems to be bad news,quite the opposite with the earlier 5 pot which seem to be indestructible

[S2central.net]

5pot diesel is bomb proof...

I think the V6 TDi is generally unloved cos its such a pain to work on - a little forethought could have put better places for connectors to allow you to get wiring and pipes the hell out of the way when taking it apart. Only had a couple of hours light at it today to get the bumper off, coolant dumped and lock carrier into service position.

Parts bill so far circa 750 quid and thats without any valves that might yet be bent. I also found one exhaust follower lying loose in the left bank.

Got some more pics which I can post up when I get the energy... working outside in the rain is not my idea of 'fun' - hope its dry tomorrow so I can crack on with lions share of work and survey state of head(s) ASAP.

[Pirvu Eugen]

This will sound crazy!....But you really know that the valves are bent? I would pressurise the cylinders afffected before taking the head out. will save you alot off money and time dissasambling the exhausts and so on.
Just a thought
All the best!

[S2central.net]

One or more inlets must be bent to get that backpressure thru to airbox. This could only be felt on left bank when I took the inlet pipe off. Tis a pain all that disassembly but have just consigned myself to the fact I need to do this thoroughly with both heads off to do all 4 cams etc.