Timing Belt Broke while Driving

[rcrespo36]

I have a 96 Camry 2.2L. While driving the car quit. After the shop looked at it they said it was the timing belt. The old one was missing some teeth. Then they said it had bent valve. Is that possible to bend valve because of the belt? Or what can make the valves bend if it is true?

[DFBonnett]

Your Camry has a non-interference engine, meaning that if the belt breaks the engine just stops dead. The valves do not hit the pistons and get bent. Be careful what else they tell you if they didn't know this.
Some cars will bend a valve if the belt lets go. These are called interference engines. Yours is not one of those.
Go to www.gates.com and look up the Timing Belt Replacement Guide for some good info.

[ProMan]

Yeah right, bent valves. I have only one suggestion, get out of there and don't do business with them.

Honest shops are not easy to find. Be patient. All you need is a new timing belt.

[rcrespo36]

Originally Posted by DFBonnett

Your Camry has a non-interference engine, meaning that if the belt breaks the engine just stops dead. The valves do not hit the pistons and get bent. Be careful what else they tell you if they didn't know this.
Some cars will bend a valve if the belt lets go. These are called interference engines. Yours is not one of those.
Go to www.gates.com and look up the Timing Belt Replacement Guide for some good info.

Thanks for the info. I had checked with the dealer and they told me the same thing. The car is going somewhere else.

[Brian R.]

You can tell by the sound the engine made when it died. If the piston bent the valve, you would have heard it.