Hi,

I have a 2006 Audi 1.6 FSI. It was low on power so I took it to the garage who advised the fuel pump has worn a grove in the cam lobe, and that the cam shaft and fuel pump will need to be replaced. There was no cam follower - should there be?

It's not worth retaining the car based on the sum I have been quoted. Can I install a cam follower and replace the fuel pump rather then replace them both to cut down on cost? If not what about welding the groove in thd cam lobe?

Any insight would be much appreciated.

Chris.

Welcome Chris,

Odd! What mileage has it done incidentally? 
I don’t think anyone on here will be able to advise you on whether to spend on this or not, without being privy to your financial situation, and the overall condition of the car. 
If it’s a fix-it-to-sell-it situation, then why not try another fuel pump to see if that will pump under the current lobe wear?

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Hi Gareth,

Apologies my question was more directed towards whether there are cheaper ways to resolve the issue without replacing the cam.

I've looked online and it seems I can buy a cam follower for 2.0 FSI but can't find anything for 1.6. Was thinking I could put one of those in rather than replace the cam? The thing I want to avoid if possible is replacing the cam shift due to the expense.

was also wondering whether welding the groove in the camshaft would be a lot cheaper?

Chris.

Apologies I forgot to mention it has done 150K.

I'm also unsure whether there should be a cam follower in there already as there was none and whether this has accelerated its wear.

Thanks

Chris.

Have a look on LLL Parts website Chris. This might reveal follower/no follower. 
Even if no follower, I’m surprised the arm hardness is greater than the cam lobe. 
Welding would be a no no. How would you machine it leave alone get it hardened? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Not sure. Il rule welding out in that case then. Mechanic seemed to suggest the same.

It seems they replaced the cam from 2006 due to being too soft?

If no follower was thinking using 2.0 FSI follower but think it's too large for 1.6?

The mechanic suggested replacing both pump and cam otherwise the new pump will continue to wear cam lobe and itll just make the issue worse? If there's no other alternative to replacing cam il have to scrap car as not worth the expense.

 

Chris.

Chris.

There is a technique known as micro-welding that uses a laser to deposit tiny spots of metal without heating the bulk of the metal and affecting its hardness. As the name implies it is used for small scale repairs in instruments and and clocks etc. but it may be worth investigating if it is available for repair of your cam. The profile would have to be restored by hand using diamond files and stones which is quite feasible for a single cam.

Presumably it's profile /smoothless isn't as important for fuel pump?

The profile is important to ensure the correct lift from the cam. The smoothness is important to avoid wear of the pump. Both can be achieved with diamond tools. I have done exactly that in a non-automotive application.

Will the welded metal be hard enough to resist premature wear?

Yes.