Have you ever wondered whether your vehicle has an interference engine?

[manualman]

What's ever dumber is how many engines have:
1. and interference design.
2. a rubber timing belt.
3. AND the timing belt drives the water pump!

With this brilliant design, a water pump failure means needing a new engine! Almost all Hondas are designed this way. Others are too.

If every time my dad had a water pump seize with his old cars the engine croaked too, I'd not have been to college! (or would still be in debt)

 

[cryptokid]

the mazda bp series of engines, which are dohc 4 bangers with 9:1 or higher, are non interference. they use domed pistons with reliefs cut into the pistons for the valves, which is the proper way an engine should be made.
i have personally checked this on my own engine by rotating the crank untill 1 piston was at top dead center, and then rotating the cams through a full 360. i did this when i had to remove the timing belt to replace a waterpump, which is not driven by the timing belt by the way.
the bp engines are in miatas, protege's, ford escort gt's of the right years and mercury tracers.
with a non interference design, im running my belt till she blows.

 

[SHOZ]

The '96-'99 Ford Taurus SHO V8s are an interference motor with a chain verses the V6 SHO non-interference motor and a belt. Unfortunately Ford has a bad cam design with this motor and the sprockets are just swedged on. Over time they break loose and cause considerable damage.

Ford denied there was a problem until the last year and now still will not pay for fixing the motor. What is worse is there are very few parts being made by Ford for this motor.

Up until 2 years ago Ford wanted over $1000.00 for a new cam that had the same problem. Since acknowledging there might indeed be a problem the price is down around $150.00 for a cam. Still the same flawed piece though.

 

[geeeman]

I broke a timing belt at 6000 rpm on a supposed "interference" Acura engine (B18b1).
The dealer said to first simply put on a new belt, sometimes there is no damage at all...

They were right; engine still has good compression and has purred for another 50 000 miles since the failure.

Sometimes you get lucky...!

 

[moribundman]

Chains can stretch and even break. Chain tensioners can fail, belts degrade over time, and they tear more easily than a chain. Neither sytem is really better, it's mostly a question of doing proper preventive maintenance. A rubber belt needs to be replaced every x miles or every 3 years. And yes, my 2.8 Audi engine is an interference motor...

 

[Titanium_Alloy]

Can you guys tell me for sure if my 96 Kia Sportage 2.0 DOHC has an interference engine. On 4x4 forum other Sportage owners said it was non-interference, one owner even said his belt broke and there was no engine problems(only replaced timing belt). On the posted list it's listed as interference design. This is Mazda's engine which went into 626 as well as Ford Probe and both of these cars are listed as interference design. So I guess it is in fact interference.

Sportage has over 72k miles. I guess time for a timing belt job is coming up. $$$

Other car in my family is 95 Honda Accord 2.2L. 64k miles, interference design. Probably should do timing belt by the end of 2004. $$$

My 2002 Grand Am 2.2 has a timing chain

with hydraulic tentioner

never needs to be adjusted.

LOVE THIS CAR

 

[road_rascal]

Too bad auto manufacturers can't come up with a cost effective gear drive cam design, like the old Honda V4 motorcycle engines. Sure, you'd have to deal with a little gear whine...