Timing belt damage

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Wed 19 Jan 2005 16:59
Timing belt damage - far0n
Are there any cars that currently on the market that don't suffer engine damage from a snapped timing belt. I was always under the impression that at Hondas were designed like this?
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Wed 19 Jan 2005 17:49
Timing belt damage - GrahamF1
Such engines are termed 'non-interference' engines. The concept is that at no time do pistons or valves occupy space which at another time is occupied by the other.

I don't have a list of current engines designed along these principles, but I believe they are mainly found in Japanese cars and that they are not especially common.
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Wed 19 Jan 2005 18:50
Timing belt damage - martint123
MX5
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Wed 19 Jan 2005 18:59
Timing belt damage - mjm
Do you mean that the MX5 engine will be damaged if the belt breaks, or it won't?
It would be nice to know for definate as son and heir has a 1998 1,6. Lovely little car.
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Thu 20 Jan 2005 16:36
Timing belt damage - martint123
The question was if there were any cars that didn't suffer engine damage. I said MX5 because it doesn't.
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Thu 20 Jan 2005 10:57
Timing belt damage - chronyx
Such engines are termed 'non-interference' engines. The concept is that at
no time do pistons or valves occupy space which at another
time is occupied by the other.
I don't have a list of current engines designed along these
principles, but I believe they are mainly found in Japanese cars
and that they are not especially common.



If this is techically possible, why on earth are engines designed any other way? Seems absolutely ludicrous to me.
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Thu 20 Jan 2005 11:13
Timing belt damage - solara
to get higher compression ratios and more power.
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Thu 20 Jan 2005 17:57
Timing belt damage - Kingpin
Better policy is to avoid it all by aiming for cars with a timing chain. Seems like madness to risk all to a rubber belt, along with connected problems of water pump failure etc.
Belts are a cheap solution and in theory fine if replaced regularly but there is always the element of risk and expense.
It's been discussed previously, I think most Nissans have chains instead of belts. More of the modern Fords and Vauxhalls also.
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