Tom,
A lot of the Japanese overhead cam 4 cylinder motors are interference
motors. As long as the rubber timing belt holds everthing is OK. This is
because the valves open far enough that if one was open enough and the
piston for that cylinder is at TDC they would hit, not touch, hit...
That is why it is so important to pay attention to the milage on those cars
and not go over the 60-70K mile replacment limit on these timing belts.
My son had a Eagle Talon which had one of those motors and his wife was down
in Louisville, Kentucky (about 100 miles from here) when the timing belt
just went in traffic. The engine was just idling when it happened. We tried
to fix it our selves but the damage was so great that it ended up being
cheaper to buy a engine from a salvage yard and just replace the dead one.
I had a '91 Honda Accord that had a timing belt too. I always changed mine
at least 10K miles before the limit and never had a problem. I ended up
giving it to my son to drive to work and back two years ago. His wife
totaled it. I see a pattern here but that is another story!
Dave Connitt
'67 TR4A
http://home.fuse.net/davestr4a
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