(85 740 GLE, non-Turbo) Timing Belt Break - Chances Of Engine Damage

It's a non interference engine, from the posts I have read it's basically you get a new belt, make sure all the timing marks are lines up and whatnot... whatever is involved (I've never done it, just read it many time) then you are good to go again.

Hi Rob,

thank you for the information, especially the good news that it is a "non-interference" engine.

Regards

DevoFan

Just have your mechanic install a new timing belt & away you go ( Of course have him line up the timing marks 1st) Glenn

Everybody keeps telling me that B230 is non-interference but in my experience that is not true. My 88 240GL with a B230F suffered so much damage when the timing belt broke that the mechanic advised me to junk it. It was running beautifully prior to that.

Maybe you had a weird cam in it? I've rotated the cam 360 degrees with the crank at top dead center and none of the valves hit, that was an '87 though.

If the head had been machined too much, that could possibly allow it to hit a piston... but other than that (and the weird cam option posted earlier) it shouldn't hit.

Tony

Was it really a B230F?

At least before leaded gas was banned Australia got the B230ET, and so I assume the B230E. Perhaps your mechanic didn't even bother to look at the car, and just wrote it off. The E engines got higher compression pistons and hotter cams, both of which could easily be non interference from the factory.. but with carbon deposits or head milling could easily become interference engines.

I know for a fact that the B21FT and B230FT engines are not interference engines. I've rotated the cam on mine many times with the crank far out of tune, etc.

- alex

'85 244 Turbo '84 245 Turbo

It was definitely a B230F. No modification that I know of. As for the mechanic I dont't really know. Wouldn't do his reputation any good if I found though.