Timing Belt Snapped

Thats right, my timing belt snapped, as soon as my car shut off and I pulled over and tryed to restart it, and all I heard was the starter turning over, I new what the problem was.

Lucky when it snapped it didnt take any valves with it, from what I can see anyways. Here some pictures.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/KoDKingVegeta/DSC03816.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/KoDKingVegeta/DSC03817.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/KoDKingVegeta/DSC03818.jpg

Its never been on a tow truck. Never, this is a first.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/KoDKingVegeta/DSC03820.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/KoDKingVegeta/DSC03821.jpg

Wow. I hate always being paranoid about goddamn timing belts. How old was the mofo? Are you sure you didn't bend any valves? Maybe all the downforce from the humoungous spoiler kept the valves intact? J/K.

Wow. I hate always being paranoid about goddamn timing belts. How old was the mofo? Are you sure you didn't bend any valves? Maybe all the downforce from the humoungous spoiler kept the valves intact? J/K.
198,000 miles, and it was the stock belt. I was going to replace it in 2 weeks when I got paid, but looks like I have to do it now. And Im almost 100% it didnt take any valves with it, Because when I took the cover off, theres a black cover seperating the valves from the belt. And the cover dosnt look like it took any damage, so Im hoping when I take it apart to replace it, I dont see anything.

Here are some pictures, sorry there dark/blury its night out here.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/KoDKingVegeta/DSC03824.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/KoDKingVegeta/DSC03825.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/KoDKingVegeta/DSC03826.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/KoDKingVegeta/DSC03827.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/KoDKingVegeta/DSC03828.jpg

Because when I took the cover off, theres a black cover seperating the valves from the belt. And the cover dosnt look like it took any damage]

What "black cover separating the valves from the belt?" You can't visually inspect for bent/ burnt valves by just taking the valve cover off. You need to either throw on a new belt, cross your fingers and run a compression test, or take off the head and have it inspected by a shop.

198K is pretty damn high for an original belt. My dad used to have a 3g civic carbed with like 250k+ (the speedo cable broke) with original t-belt, clutch, water pump, you name it. You have to be piss lucky not to have bent a valve though.

What "black cover separating the valves from the belt?" You can't visually inspect for bent/ burnt valves by just taking the valve cover off. You need to either throw on a new belt, cross your fingers and run a compression test, or take off the head and have it inspected by a shop.

198K is pretty damn high for an original belt. My dad used to have a 3g civic carbed with like 250k+ (the speedo cable broke) with original t-belt, clutch, water pump, you name it. You have to be piss lucky not to have bent a valve though.

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/9313/dsc03825pa5.jpg

Thats the cover I was talking about, I though that proctected the valves, if the belt broke. Hopefully when I replace the belt it didnt take a valve with it. If it did, then at least I have a second honda sedan, that I can take the motor out of.

naw man, that just helps to seal up your head, it's just a cover. That would help the cam from bouncing up and down a little, but it has nothing to do with the way the cam spins.

wow, it must be time for timing problems... my tensioner crapped out yesterday allowing my exhaust cam to skip a full 1/4 turn...

Yea, the only way to inspect the valves is to pull the head off. That cover just keeps crap off the belt and the moving parts in there. If the belt broke when you were turning the car off, you might get lucky, depending how long you cranked on it to start it. You can get another belt and hope it didn't bend any valves.

Yea, the only way to inspect the valves is to pull the head off. That cover just keeps crap off the belt and the moving parts in there. If the belt broke when you were turning the car off, you might get lucky, depending how long you cranked on it to start it. You can get another belt and hope it didn't bend any valves.

It snapped when I was driving down the road. I tryed to restart it twice, then I new the belt broke.

When my belt broke, it stretched first, and I tried lower gears until I came to stop and it just died. I thought the dizzy failed again. The belt had snapped down by the water pump. I had a new waterpump and belt installed and it was good to go. I guess I was lucky though. GL

better a timing belt snap than a timing chain

When I pulled my belt out. The broken part was down toward the ground.

Just installed a new belt on the car today, retimed it, and it checked out fine. It runs like nothing even happend.

Also this "friend" of mine, that LOVES vw's. Is telling me that the dealer that I called and talked to, is a lier, when he said my motor is a noninterference motor. Which means, when my belt broke it wouldnt take any pistions or valves with it.

Just installed a new belt on the car today, retimed it, and it checked out fine. It runs like nothing even happend.

Also this "friend" of mine, that LOVES vw's. Is telling me that the dealer that I called and talked to, is a lier, when he said my motor is a noninterference motor. Which means, when my belt broke it wouldnt take any pistions or valves with it.

All Honda engines are intereference motors. Meaning the movement of the valvetrain is dependent on the movement of the crank, and vise-versa. Whoever said otherwise is a bad liar. You got lucky though, most people don't get to keep their motor after the timing belt rips.

Not only did the guy at the delear tell me that. But my brother inlaw that worked at a part store for 10+ yrs tell me my motor was a noninterference motor, and my one other friend that has been working on cars since he was 15 (hes not 50+) has told me that my motor is a noninterference motor. So I really dont no, all I no is, I put my belt on, retimed it, and nothing happend. Where they are all lieing or I got plum lucky dosnt matter. It runs and thats all that matters.

Like CRXperiment said, it is an interference engine. I doubt that they are all lying to you, they're just incorrect.

Yep, its an Interference motor. You just got lucky, which I have seen able often. Timing belts are always iffy if they break.

Yea, the only way to inspect the valves is to pull the head off. That cover just keeps crap off the belt and the moving parts in there. If the belt broke when you were turning the car off, you might get lucky, depending how long you cranked on it to start it. You can get another belt and hope it didn't bend any valves.


For future reference, there are other ways of checking, without pulling the head off. It is a simple procedure called a leak down test.

Also, Honda motors are interference motors, like what has been said before. It doesn't mean that if a belt breaks, you are doomed. It means there is a high probability that valves will meet pistons.

So , to the original poster, tell your parts technician friend, and your shade tree mechanic friend, to do some reading before they spew bad advice. Any reference material related to timing belts will tell you the same.

That would be like me telling you, that the un-necessary weight of that huge wing, caused the strain on your belt, causing it to break.

For future reference, there are other ways of checking, without pulling the head off. It is a simple procedure called a leak down test.

Wouldn't it be pretty difficult to do a leak-down test without a t-belt? You would have to get both the piston and the cam at correct timing for each cylinder. I guess you would have to put a screwdriver or something in each spark plug hole and try to find TDC for each cylinder, then try to match the cam timing.

Wouldn't it be pretty difficult to do a leak-down test without a t-belt? You would have to get both the piston and the cam at correct timing for each cylinder. I guess you would have to put a screwdriver or something in each spark plug hole and try to find TDC for each cylinder, then try to match the cam timing.
Not hard at all. Simply rotate the crank, the same you would a cam at TDC, or pull the cam out, shutting all the valves.

So , to the original poster, tell your parts technician friend, and your shade tree mechanic friend, to do some reading before they spew bad advice. Any reference material related to timing belts will tell you the same.

Iv been doing some research, and found a few sites that say the 1.5's are not interference motors. And some that say they are.

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/126553

it is an interference engine, plain and simple they all are. The parts are the same. The only thing that could be argued to say that it is non-interference might be that it has a shorter stroke than the 1.6..