How to tell a non-interference engine@

Soldato
Joined
10 Aug 2003
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London
How can you tell if the engine in your car is an non-interference engine so if the cambelt snaps it will not damage the engine?
Thanks guys :)
 
Caporegime
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26 Aug 2003
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Leafy Cheshire
Can the pistons hit the valves if the valves are down and the piston up?

Yes - interference.
No - non interference.

Externally it would be impossible to tell. You'd either have to know or not.
 

Deleted member 66701

D

Deleted member 66701

you would have to be very unlucky to have a chain fail(thats why its service life can be over 200k)

Tell that to 24v Cosworth owners :)

To tell if your engine is interference, remove the cylinder head, put no.1. piston to tdc, place 2mm of plastacine on the top of the piston, place cylinder head back on and replace bolts but leave them 5mm from tight, get a spanner that fist camshaft pulley(s) and cut it in half (this is important) - now turn camshaft through 360 deg - stop immediately if the head seems to lift slightly or it suddenly gets harder to turn, lift cylinder head and see if there are any marks on the plastacine - yes - interference, no - not interference.
 
Soldato
Joined
8 Mar 2006
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13,300
Location
Near Winchester
true but a lot less likely, than a belt
your more likely to have a chain tensioner fail than the chain it self
you would have to be very unlucky to have a chain fail(thats why its service life can be over 200k)
or the life of the engine

Not true, Escorts like to fail, the fools didn't use a siamesed chain.



You can try turning the camshaft by hand, with a piston at TDC when you have the belt off. Non interference engines tend to have 2 valves per cylinder too.
 
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