broken solid lifters!

[Possum79]

So I finally have take my 1.5l apart. It's been down sense may when she overheated on my on the freeway. Well I took the cam out today and started to pull the lifters out to see whats what. I found three that were all broken on the bottom. I cant see any form of contacts on the pistons from valves or anything. What could cause the bottoms to break off without showing signs of contact. Cam looks good too.

One stupid question what does the cam bearings look like. I was thinking it was kinda like a main bearing in apperance just smaller and when I took the cam out I was trying to be careful not to loose any but to my surprise I dont see anything. looks like the cam just was sitting in the caps. no real scoring on the cam of caps.

[Possum79]

Ahh I see. When I was reading the bentley it said take the caps off in the right order or the cam can shift in its bearings and wreck them or destroy the cam.

Thanks for the info! and the quick reply. I will get some pics tomorrow when I find my camera of the lifters. I cant remember off the top of my head but the broken ones were all from the exhaust sides or could be the other way round and from intake I cant remember just thought it was odd.

[Quantum TD]

VW sold bearings for remanned heads with cam bores that had to be line-bored. I've seen a couple of head with these bearings in them. Basically, it's like putting in oversized main bearings. They look like connecting rod bearings in design (sides drape over the bores).

[Zulfiqar]

x2 seem them too in a volvo 6 pot diesel - vw family engine

[Fisher]

I had a Head rebuilt once and the rebuilder didn't check the Cam Line, did a complete rebuild and the Cam Line was out considerably.  I sent it to an outfit in CA. and they Line Bored it oversize and installed Insert Bearings just like tiny Rod Bearings.  Worked fine.

[Possum79]

Edit: All broken apear to only be from exhaust valve side.