Cams scored

[Petrus Doyle]

Hello all,
Has anyone been told that the cam shaft and nodules are scratched and engine needs to be replaced? This was from Pug main dealer garage that reported this when fitting new chain on my 156 petrol with 61000 miles. They did a valve clean in February and I have replaced the turbo as that was not performing right apparently. I have been driving it for 3 weeks and it goes great and engine sounds fine on idle. They said to keep the oil right up to top while I looked for another car. I am just going to keep running it but are they trying to get me off their service list I wonder by trying to encourage me to sell, it has been tricky for them to get right as power drops kept occurring after they worked on it and car went back for them to get right several times, they've done last four annual services too at around 7000 miles each year. The chain seems to be the fix at last.

 

[EddieJ]

As much as the cams are marked and pitted, I’ve seen worse. You can prolong any drastic actions, like cams or engine replacement by asking them or changing up to 5/30 oil and fitting a magnetic sump plug yourself Next oil change. The oil below is recommended by PSA for the prince engine and you’ll see it in your cars handbook, there just is a fixation in dealerships and auto parts places to use 0/30, I too was guilty of swearing by it till somebody on here mentioned they had been on 5/30 for quite a while. The extra couple of pound in oil should help by increasing the cold start protection level, when most wear damage occurs. Also get vigorous if you aren’t already about visually checking your oil level every week or so and keeping it topped up. Otherwise keep driving it, seems that when cars start getting a bit older dealers will try to convince you it’s time to move it on. The cams on one of my 156 engines have markings, but I am not going to rush into anything with it, other that oil and mag plug and monitor as it still drives like a champ.

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-162101-totalenergies-quartz-ineo-ecs-5w-30-advanced-synthetic-engine-oil.aspx

pics below are of both my 156’s, the clean one has minor markings, no issues and not concerned. The dirty one (serviced by the book intervals before I got it), not too concerned but monitoring. They are both serviced at 6k or 12 months whichever is first. If the dirty one degrades much further and I start to see metallics on the mag or in the filter then I might look to do a rebuild or something.

 

[Petrus Doyle]

Thank you Eddie for your detailed well informed reply. I would have rectifying work done but not sure if cost is workable against changing to another car, but that could have its own problems underlying. I found a proper engine replacement garage, 4k for reconditioned engine with ongoing warranty if they can check it over at intervals. There are RCZ enthusiasts that could replace their own cams I expect but damage may have gone further I have been told by people who fitted chain. They included other photos when engine was open
Best Wishes, Petrus.

 

[EddieJ]

….shame to get rid of your RCZ, as your chain guys have said, the debris has went somewhere and buy the look of the cam journals it hasn’t all been caught in the filter. My suggestion of prolonging the engine life is just that….no known timespan. (My dirty engine has about 15k on it since that pic and when I take the top off in a couple of months or so I’ll know where I am at). Good luck.