Originally Posted By: StevieC
There is less clearance in an interference engine when TDC with valves closed versus a non-interference engine.
Not necessarily. Pent-roof versus semi-hemi versus wedge, there are plenty of different valve arrangements that have an impact on how much lift is required for the valves to hit the pistons. What you are talking about is ultimately part of what dictates the compression ratio (in conjunction with bore diameter and stroke). An engine with a mild camshaft and valve reliefs can still have a high compression ratio and be non-interference, the same engine with more lift can be interference, yet they would have the identical volume above the piston at TDC.
Originally Posted By: StevieC
I only guessed I didn't say this was for sure. I have no way to tell.
Well, I would argue it is irrelevant. Water/gas/coolant are not compressible, it doesn't matter if your chamber volume is 60cc or 85cc, you put 500ml of fluid in there and you are going to bend a rod if you try hard enough
Originally Posted By: StevieC
All the Hydrolocked engines I got to see (because it's rare) where damaged existed were in interference engines of the Asian persuasion.
I've seen it on a Briggs and Stratton flat-head, a Ford 302, an SBC, and a few outboards that were submerged and somebody wasn't smart enough to pull the plugs before they started them. Actually saw it on a Snowmobile once for the same reason
(it went swimming). I would posit that perhaps the examples you've seen it on were all simply more prone to it, or was simply coincidence. Ultimately the result is generally the same when you have a volume of incompressible fluid large enough to cause a lock and/or bent rod, its the likelihood of that fluid getting in there that varies and is perhaps more likely with certain designs or certain vehicles.