Most timing belts look perfectly fine right up until they destroy your engine.

The timing belt or chain sits at the center of an engine’s rhythm, quietly keeping pistons and valves in sync. When it fails, the damage can jump from a simple no-start to a destroyed engine in a ...

Justin Pritchard is a seasoned Sudbury, Ontario-based automotive journalist, producer, and technical writer. With a passion for cars and a talent for storytelling, he's established himself as a ...

An interference engine is one in which the valves and the pistons operate within the same space inside the cylinder. The timing belt or chain regulates the movement of these internal engine parts so ...

Q: If the timing belt breaks in an interference engine, it will self-destruct. What advantage is gained by this design that outweighs the risk of engine damage if or when the belt fails? — R. Fischer ...

Zak is new to the CarBuzz team, working as a freelance content writer. When Zak isn't writing How To articles for CarBuzz he's working as a high school automotive technology instructor. Before ...

DEAR CAR TALK: You recently wrote about a guy whose timing belt broke, and who tried to restart his car but whose valves survived only through sheer good luck. In 1957, I had a new Ford six-cylinder, ...

An engine depends on perfect timing the same way a symphony depends on a conductor. Every valve opens at the exact moment it should, every piston moves in perfect rhythm, and everything stays ...

From what I can gather, the engine in your Barina is an interference design. That is, if the timing belt breaks, the pistons and valves (in the cylinder head) will, indeed, meet head on at speed, ...

JOHNSTON — Everyone knows — or ought to know — that a broken timing belt is a serious no-no. “Every time (we have) a broken timing belt, nine times out of 10 it results in engine damage,” said Anthony ...

For years, small diesel engine manufacturers have been using overhead cam designs as a way to get the most out of a limited-displacement platform. Unfortunately, many small overhead cam mills utilize ...

Endurance Warranty, Omega Auto Care and American Dream Auto Protect We all need something to keep us running. For some people, that’s a cup of coffee in the morning. And for your car? It’s the timing ...