I see no reason to buy the high dollar cam. If you haven't done the balance shaft delete put the extra money there.

 

Best way to answer your question/s is with 2 more questions. How much do "you want" to spend? How much longer do "you want" to keep this car? 224,000 miles is a good run for any passenger vehicle, but it's 12 years old car...and all the infers. Just saying.

 

Good Questions, FroDoz. First, some background information. I have owned the car since 67K miles. I have already unchained it and installed the geared balance shaft module (done before the delete option was available), converted the automatic to a 5-speed manual and upgraded to a stage II tune.

I plan on keeping the car until it just won't go any longer. It is such a blast to drive since I had the 5-speed installed. The good thing is that I get a consistent 45+ mpg's and insurance is ultra cheap. Also, I have already fixed all the major stuff ... I want to see just how many miles I can get out of it since it is not worth much ($) with all these miles on it. It is worth more to me as a cheap road car that I use for business travel.

To be honest, money is not really the concern. I just don't want to make a mistake and not put the "best" cam option in as a replacement. I like the Colt cam but haven't found anyone that has installed one. It seems like the Frank06 kit has a much larger following.

Anyone have any experience with the Kermatdi Colt Cam in a BHW Passat TDI?

 

Regardless the "real reason" some BEW/BRMs chewed them up fast, and others did not...you were lucky the cam lasted that long...especially with an '06 Jetta. It is my considered opinion that for your stated use, either option you are looking at will serve your needs...and likely outlast the car's useful service life. Did you install an "updated" DMF during the swap?

PS - Using other than 505.01 oil did not cause the cam wear problems VW claimed to avert liability.

 

Did you install an "updated" DMF during the swap?

PS - Using other than 505.01 oil did not cause the cam wear problems VW claimed to avert liability.

My installer converted it over to a SMF setup. Much easier to deal with and work on in the future (so I hear). I plan on using Rotella T6 5W40 Synthetic oil when I get the cam replaced. I am tired of having to order my oil over the internet when I can get a very good oil (Rotella T6) locally. Just my opinion. I don't want to start an oil war.

 

 

I just used the standard kit on mine. If I run another 170k like the first cam got, I'll be thrilled to change it again.

 

db - I used the Colt cam on my BEW. Installed at 177k and now at 183k. My cam had the worn lobes issue. It was a smooth job, and I've never changed a cam before. Car has slightly better mid range and I picked up about 2mpg (that were probably lost due to the imprecision in the old cam).

 

Hey Lux, what did you do for a break-in procedure?

 

Ran it at 2,000 RPM for 20 minutes, I believe. Changed the oil after 500 miles, which was probably not necessary but I tend to be overly thorough.

 

Did you run a bottle of ZDDP before AND after the 500 mile oil change?

Also, are you running 505.01 spec oil?

 

hey I just ordered a Frank06 cam should come in today, this is the break in procedure he gave with the kit...
Break-In Oil Procedure
1 Fill crankcase with Joe Gibbs BR oil & new filter
2 Start car with minimum cranking (no load: do not move car)
3 Immediately raise engine RPM to 2500
4 Bring engine to operating temperature and keep RPM at 2000-3000 for half hour
5 Raise & Lower RPM every 5 minutes
6 Put in new BR oil & new filter
7 Drive 500 miles
8 Change to 505.01 synthetic oil & new filter
9 Drive 2500 miles then change again

10 Resume normal maintenance schedule

 

Resurrecting this thread hoping to hear what people's experiences have been with the standard cam replacements. I have a BHW with just shy of 160k miles, so it's due for a timing belt and figured I may as well take care of the BSM delete and the cam since it's showing signs of wear. There's lots of good out there about Franko6 and Colt's cams, but very little empirical info about the standard cams, good or bad, that I can find.
I can get a a standard cam kit, BSM delete kit, VCDS, and new glow plugs (still running the factory ones as far as I know!) all for about the cost of a Franko6 or Colt cam kit. Are the standard cams with nitride followers available today better quality/longer lasting than the original factory cams?