What happens when timing belt fails?

[lbullis]

I have acquired a 2002 P/T Cruiser that appears to have a failed timing belt. The odometer shows 114,000 miles.

Years ago I used to work on foreign cars with timing belts. On some engines, timing belt failure had catastrophic results and on others it was just a matter of replacing the belt.

Has anyone out there had a belt failure and what happened to the engine? Was there any internal damage, such as bent valves or broken pistons?

From other threads in this forum it appears that belt replacement is no simple matter but it beats having to replace an entire engine.

[crusierdad76]

ok so ill take a stab the belt WILL usually break or strip between 90-115,000 some have been really luck and went farther but from what i have heard that is about the limit

the engine is a non interference engine that is the good news one the bad news is you will probably want to replace the water pump and the oil pump and the tension pulleys and if you have it done probably part with like close to 1 big close to $1000 but then you should be good to go for another 100,000 the engine should not be hurt but a lot of folks have had a hard time getting it back in time

good luck

[lbullis]

Thanks for the reply.

I had already figured out that belt-and-pump replacement was not cheap, but had not found out whether the engine might suffer internal damage.

Knowing that it is a non-interference design takes a load off my mind. I have acquired the car for next to nothing as the previous owner just abandoned it when he could not afford the repairs. Aside from the non-working engine, the car is otherwise a jewel, so putting $1000 into it is not a bad investment.

[quicksilverdon]

While the valves cannot hit the piston, they CAN hit one another, so a bent valve or 2 is not out of the question. $1,000 should cover it - I've read of some having it done and paid as little as $700.

[crusierdad76]

Hey quicksilver just a question mainly cause im curious but how can the vales hit each other????? they don't drop like in the old ford escort or do they??? if not I just cant see how they could hit each other but it is just a question