Thread: 300Tdi lifter guide drama

Hey folks,

Bit of a weird breakage I haven't seen before - I'm just after some advice. I've seen a lot of things break on a 300tdi but a lot of you guys are a lot older and wiser than me!

I had one of the bolts that hold the roller lifter guides (number 2 valve) drop out! The guide then was allowed to rotate and the roller (now perpendicular to the camshaft lobe) jammed the camshaft rotation. The timing belt tried to turn the camshaft pulley and couldn't, so it sheared the locating dowel on the end of the camshaft off and then snapped the bolt off the camshaft pulley centre too.
I stripped the top end off this arvo - and ill try and add some pics below. The usual slightly bent pushrod or two and a broken rocker arm and a slightly chewed up roller guide.

Obviously I have spare pushrods, rocker arms, camshaft pulleys, roller lifters etc - but the roller has marked the lobe on the camshaft... you can just feel a small shallow depression with your finger nail. I was actually surprised - I was expecting the whole lobe to be chewed up - but it looks like the roller just slipped down the lobe - bang - and fell down in the sump probably... The tiny mark is not on the high point of the lobe but on a side (maybe visible in the pic).

The engine is about 4 years old since I totally rebuilt it. Driven all across oz many times in it since. Was running sweet. All other roller guide bolts seem tight.

Anyway, she is my daily driver as well, so I need her back asap.

My queries to you guys are:
Do you think the tiny depression on the side of the lobe will interfere with the roller lifter - if I just drop a new lifter assembly in?

Can I put in spare good camshaft without changing the cam bearings? I really don't want to have to do the cam bearings as that is engine out and fully strip block down cos the machinist will get metal rubbish inside. Then it will be a hone and new rings - on an engine that was running with lots of power.

Obviously if I keep the same camshaft with the mark on the lobe I have to put in a new locating dowel for the pulley - I'm presuming its just a pressed interference fit?

Thanks so much for any guidance!

IMG_20251119_170227~2.jpg IMG_20251119_170400~2.jpg IMG_20251119_175107~2.jpg IMG_20251119_175254.jpg IMG_20251119_175416.jpg IMG_20251119_175300.jpg

swap the cam, run the old bearings.