If a Honda has 242000 miles would you replace the timing belt?

Answer 1

"Interference engine" means pistons will hit valves if the timing belt breaks. A high-lift cam, which pushes the valves closer to the pistons, combined with a high-compression engine, which pushes the pistons closer to the valves, equal an engine that is either always an interference engine or just an interference engine if there's enough carbon and schmutz on the valves and piston faces. Sometimes you break a timing belt, put a new one on and all is well. Sometimes you break one and wind up having to change valves and pistons.

As far as I'm concerned, head gaskets are inexpensive enough that it won't hurt you to pull the head and inspect the valves and pistons if you're changing a broken timing belt. Not only will you KNOW the engine will start when you put it back together, it'll make setting the crank to TDC much easier.

AnswerI just had the timing belt replaced on my '89 Honda Accord it broke while I was going down the expressway. My mechanic told me I was one lucky guy as it is an interference engine and he expected at least one bent value but non were bent. My advice is to replace it before it breaks. Its a $350 job but if you break it while driving you can add another $100 for the tow plus another hundred or so to determine if there are bent valves. If there are bent valves the price goes way over $1000. I had less than 80,000 miles on this belt.

Just a PS. this is NOT an interference engine. You will not have bent valves, damaged pistons or any other such problem. Camshaft and Crankshaft can be rotated individually without a problem. I have replaced many Honda belts, both before and after breakage.

the "interferance" , i don't know where you guys get that but that has no bearing on bent or non bent valves on this model. Interferance meaning the type of belt system, like the F series is interferance, because there is a balance shaft belt that turns 2 balance shafts ofn that particular engine , same as the H series. Now talking about being square , under square and over square , now that's more of a preferance of bending valves or not as Honda has always been larger bore or almost equal bore and hort strokes, making for engine capable of high rev,s these are under square engine. The possibility of bending a valve is high. But on these A20 engines as in these models with 3 valves , it was designed that if the belt broke the cam would and always usually turned to a "neutral" position to where most the valves were closed or near a closed position as not to bend valves.

Kongkit Raggan-Supatanampon

AnswerKongkit, "interference engine" has nothing to do with the belt system. If you've got an interference engine--Hondas do--the valves are close enough to the tops of the pistons that they'll hit if the timing belt breaks. A noninterference engine, like you'll find in a Toyota or a VW, has enough clearance that it won't hit.

Given that, in reality the Honda engine isn't a "true" interference engine. They gave just enough clearance between the valves and the pistons that, assuming there's not a lot of buildup on the valves, you won't hit if the timing belt breaks. That's a really big assumption, and Honda is afraid of lawsuits: if someone was running an ill-maintained, crudded-up engine that Honda claimed was noninterference, broke the timing belt and bent four or five valves, their first stop would be a lawyer: "But they SAID it was a noninterference engine!" They cover their asses by claiming the engine is interference. This way you can be happy if you break a timing belt and not bend any valves, and you won't sue if you do bend a few.

If it was my car, I would pull the head and look. If you managed to bend a valve or hole a piston, it'll be very obvious. If you didn't bend one? You needed a new head gasket anyway.

to be safe you should change the belt every 50,000 to 90,000 miles

Answer:

Not if the previous owner just did it 10,000 miles ago! When was it last changed? If you know anything about your car, who you got it from, or better yet, where it was maintained, possibly they can tell you when the last one was done. Honda dealers keep good computer records, and you can go visit or call the service department there, take your VIN, and they can tell you whether they've seen your car before and what has been done to it and when.