Is it true that if the car is not turning over it could be the timing chain or belt. this guy told me that if you take off the cap where the oil goes and look at the valve while you try to start up the car and the valves dont move, then its the timing belt or chain is this true? and also how can you tell if the belt or chain is broke or bad without knowing how many miles is on it?

 

It's alot easier to take off the distributor cap and watch that as you crank it over. This ain't no honda engine, if you brake the timing chain then you're in for MAJOR work.

 

It's a chain, first of all, and usually if the chain is broken there will be other damage too. Like the pistons hitting the valves. He's right about the valves not moving, but beyond that, I dont know how to tell if it's bad without running the engine. If you feel like it, you can pull the timing cover and have a look.

 

If the engine still runs, you can see some wear with a timing light.
Start your engine and hit your mark with the light. Is it rock solid or does it move around/ fluctuate?
Set the timing with the light. Shut off the engine. Restart the engine and check with the light. Do this a few times. Does it appear that your mark has "moved" from the place you set it?
These are things that have plagued me before and the result was a timing chain both times.

 

Honda engines DO need MAJOR work, when the timing
belt breaks! They are interferance motors. Unlike our
motors, be it a V6 or V8, only timing chain will break,
nothing else, usually! Most of the time, nothing else
should break.

 

You mean, you wont bend a valve or anything?

 

Every time I've seen the aftermath of a timing chain failure, its been catastrophic to say the least. Bent valves and pushrods always and sometimes even a busted timing cover.

 

On our engines if the timing chane breaks and a valve is open the pistion will hit it.
The valve stick below the surface of the head all most 1/4'', I know the piston isn't far enough down the hole and dosent have valve relief for that much clearance.

 

Yep, it can hurt the motor. Though it still may run, just will not be as good as before. A buddy had a twin cam Toyota and he broke a timing belt. Didn't know it and kept trying to start it.

After he figured it out and got it fixed. It had lost allot of power. Still runs OK, just not as much power. And probably from a tweaked valve / valves that do not seat flat anymore.

Its one of them things that just sucks. As you have no idea your destroying your motor as you can't figure out why it wont start.

 

I sure am glad I have a chain. Not to mention that I maintain my car.

 

eh I'm glad I don't have to worry about a timing chain


though I did see a place onetime that sold timing chains though I still don't know where I would use one

 

My friend in ca says apex seals don't come cheap either and they're more of a bear to change than a timing set or piston rings, but at least when they blow it doesn't ruin everything.

 

LOL! Yeah, yeah, rub it in...

I changed my timing chain out at 167,000 miles; it had a little slack and still looked okay- but I didn't want to take any chances. I put in the Cloyes true dual roller chain, $90 from Summit. So far I'm at 247,000 miles and that chain is still good to go!

 

My 90 3.1 bird went 248,000 and I sold the engine to a guy with an 86 s-10. He didn't touch anything except re-used dist and intake/carb from his blown 2.8. On the other hand, I have had sbc trouble with chains around the 100k mark, but they were mid 70s 400s and I don't think they were maintained well ( oil changes ) by previous owners.

 

If you snap a chain on a 60* motor, you're looking at a busted cover, that's about it unless your at very high rpm, then you may bed exhaust valves. On most OHC motors, they are interfereance, they bend valves.

 

No kidding- I never thought about the cover getting busted, makes sense tho! Any idea of what happens to it? Does that aluminum crack wide open?

 

The little chain that goes to the oil pump maybe? lol

 

Did you ever think that the guy who installed the belt was
off a tooth??????? That's all it takes to make it run like ****!

Toyota motors with timing belts are NOT infereance motors
either! I have seen an original belt go over 100K before,
guy replaced it, and wouldn't you know, it still runs like
before! :lala:

I work for Toyota. I NEVER seen a motor bend valves
after a broken belt! Doesn't matter what Toyota it is!
We get A LOT of people who don't even change the oil,
never mind the belt! So you know where I am going
with this.....people's cars coming off the tow truck due
to a crank no start. Take the cover off, and the belt
broke. After changing the belt ( sometimes a water
pump, if needed) everyone ran the same as before.
As long as you know what your doing, the car should
run the same as before.

I highly doubt the lack of power is from a bent valve,
it's possible from wear, but not from a broken belt
and then cranking it over. Again, Honda motors will
bent valves when the belt goes, Toyota's do not!

 

 

It was put back together by the book. But I have no idea why. it was just down on power. I remember one day we were at a traffic light. He stomped on it and we ened up facing the wrong way. Sucker had power.

 

I would say it has other issues, and not the belt. At least
you know that a Toyota with a timing belt, when it break's
nothing else does. Peace of mind when people who don't
maintain them, or don't have a clue about them, get stranded
and not have to fork out there money for a motor.

I am sure it's possible to have a valve bend or something,
but it's like VERY uncommon.

 

Yes, I am an ! I read that whole statement wrong!


I just got confused because you said timing chain, when
Hondas are belt driven. At least most of them are????

 

Mine moved. It was not the timing chain. We replaced it. Still having issues. Rebuilt the dist too. It was the darn distributor endplay. We had to shim it. Let timing walk!