Is it dead? Please help!

Hi guys,

I'm sorting out my DX GTI engine and took the rocker cover off tonight and discovered a small amount of mayonnaise. The bolts are slightly rusty and so is the camshaft and it's not looking good. Can someone give me some help? What should I do? Is the engine dead? Don't know how water could have got in. It has been sitting for 3 years or so, so I guess could have happened then. Thanks guys. 

You do get condensation in engines if left standing especially over the winter months that's why it's better to start the engine and get it hot every month, clean the rust off and start up the engine, get it nice and warm so the fan kicks in and keep an eye on the temperature gauge, it should go up 3/4 before the fan kick in then back to 1/2 way.

Thanks very much. Do you think I should replace the camshaft as the engine is currently out of the car and won't be back in for some time to come! 

Clean it up and coat it in oil to stop it rusting. Properly easier to clean if you remove the cam shaft, just make sure you follow the correct procedure to loosening the cam shaft.  

as above undo the bolts and lift out, whilst doing that may as well lift tappets out and give them a rub..

Thanks for that. Just emery paper to clean? Is there an order to undo the buts? I rebuilt an ABF engine about ten years ago and seem to remember that they had to be undone in a certain order but can't remember what the order was? 

Kenneth Cartwright said

as above undo the bolts and lift out, whilst doing that may as well lift tappets out and give them a rub..

If it has been sat for a while it might not be too easy to get the tappets out. I couldn't get a decent hold on mine so resorted to a strong magnet (once I'd taken the tappet shim off). Might be an obvious statement - but don't mix them up, they must go back in the same place they came out of!

Sorted. Thanks guys. I was a bit of A fool though marked everything up on the camshaft so it was all in the right place timing wise, then realised when I was cleaning the camshaft up I had used the worst indelible pen ever and the marks basically rubbed off. I think I got right and all back together again but now I need to check timing. And torque the bolts up to the right setting. Amateur mistake! Need to replace cam belt anyway so I'd have to check then as well so no biggie I guess. 

Don't feel bad even a sharpie will fade with cleaners.
What I have found over the years is to use plastic baggies that I label and place the parts into them one for each Valve as in  #1intake, #1exhaust… .  In the old days I used Paper Sacks.  Chock it up to lesson learned.