1994 Civic EX - 1.6 V-TEC - Is this an interference engine?

there aren't any reliable visual indicators. and unless you know for sure a honda belt was used last time, you need to be careful anyway. if in doubt, swap it out. it's worth the few extra bucks for the honda parts because they are more reliable and fit better.

regarding interference engine, yes it is. i'm not sure exactly why people regard this as a huge deal on cars - every diesel you'll ever see on the road is interference, and nobody complains there. changing the belt on schedule is the price you pay for performance /and/ fuel economy from /one/ engine - it more than pays for itself.

er, i was aware of that. my point was, people come to these groups bleating about gasoline engines and interference, yet diesels, which are interference by definition, are never criticized. it makes no sense.

Like it was posted before in doubt change it, no matter what the mileage or previous owner said, could be BS , its jus good to swap it for a new one. It'll keep your honda running good for thousands of miles more. When you go to do it a few other parts also gets replaced during the process. Such as a new water pump and timing belt tensioner, jus a few more expenses to think about when you do the job.

"jim L" wrote in news:36kik.955$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews6.bellsouth.net:

It's not a given that valve damage will occur with an interference engine. It's just that there is an increased chance of valve damage. I've seen a number of people with Hondas that have had a belt break, sometimes at highway speeds, with no valve damage.

There are engines out there that are "officially" non-interference, but become interference once some carbon builds up on the piston tops. The Toyota 5E-FE is one of those.

Jim, since you are a month ahead of everyone else, I would say you have a good grasp on the future.

Sometimes it helps to look back & see where i screwed up so I don't do it . Either that - or I used adjust date/time as a calendar, & hit ok instead of cancel

I just bought this car - runs great - 177K miles, and the timing belt was supposedly changed at 144K. Aside from some creature comfort issues and what sounds like a noisy rear strut bushing everything seems sound mechanically. I plan on pulling top timing cover to check belt for wear, but would rather be safe than sorry if this is an interference engine. How do i find out?

Jim

Hi Jim - the reason interference matters is because if belt breaks on one while engine is running valves contact pistons causing bent valves, damage to guides and sometimes even piston damage. a lot more expense and trouble. If the belt breaks on a non int. engine, you just get it towed & change the belt and go. Jim.