3a4s

1996 12v 2.8 bought in current non-running condition. The left side cam was hit by the #1 valve, which took a chunk out of the lobe, and the lifter is in two pieces. I purchased a good used cam, but I need some help from the experts. Do I take my chances with the valves and just replace the cam and check the timing? The TB is new. Thanks.

turbo510

So how did that valve get jammed into the cam? If the timing belt had come off, count on more damage than one cam and one lifter. Just the lifter breaking could ruin the lifter bore, and therefore the entire head. I would expect the heads need to come off to see what the real situation is.

3a4s

The compression is around 185 lbs on all other cylinders, and I did not hear any odd sounds when I gave it a 5-second crank. Maybe the po let the oil run low or maybe the lifter was the only thing to fail. The lifter well looks undamaged. but I guess the best approach is to take off that head.

MikekiM@PureMS

Sludge, or a busted timing belt can do it.

turbo510

Well if you have normal compression on the other five, maybe you're in luck. Still, what happened? Did the valve or lifter seize?

3a4s

I bought the car for it's body panels only, then I saw it up close I decided to repair the engine and use another car as a donor for my wrecked 97 A4. So, I don't know any history and the po will not respond to friendly calls or emails. When I bought the car he told me that he spent almost $4000 for parts and labor on the other head, but I don't know if the TB ever broke or if it was re-installed correctly. The crankcase was virtually empty, so I added oil before cranking. Maybe I should start by dropping the pan and check for sludge or other obvious problems internally.