timing belt - I4 Interference Engines or not?

[SolaraHop]

Reading about timing belts found that there are two type of engines.
So is the 4 cyl. engine in 04' Solara Interference Engines or not?

Interference Engines and the Non-interference Engines. The difference between these two types of engine depends on the pistons and valves. If the timing belt on an Interference Engine skids for even one notch, the piston can possibly crash into an open valve and this can lead to serious engine damage. Non-interference engines, on the other hand, will not self-destruct but in case the belt is damaged

[kingkakyle]

it is NOT
if i remember correctly
but im sure other people will chime in

[Aotoyota]

my service guy at toy says that we use the timing chain...rather all the vvt-i motors are chain~??

[krawzyazn]

yup my 2az is a chain that they said I will never have to replace!

[gnegroni]

So, is it an interference engine or not?
I guess the chances of the chain breaking are minimal and loosening takes place after lots of years on some cars...

[Jon11582]

Summary of Solara Engines:

5SFE (4cyl 99-01) - Belt, non-interference
2AZFE (4cyl 02-now) - Chain, non-interference
1MZFE (V6 99-03) - Belt, non-interference
3MZFE (V6 04-now) - Belt, interference.

3MZs the only one you need to watch out for...3MZ guys, get your belts changed on time.

[SolaraHop]

should the chain last the life of the car? Or it has to be changed too?

[gnegroni]

I had a 94 Taurus, the reason why I got the Solara... transmission went for second time in 2 years. When my engine overheated, I had the mechanic do a thorough inspection of the engine. I asked about the chain and he told me the chain's free play was withing acceptable limits, that for a 12 year old car...

In other words, chains are almost never replaced in comparison to timing belts which are recommended for 60k changes.

[DaTwUnKrAziEpInOy]

IMO I think timing chains should be changed a little later than timing belts. Chains still do stretch over time but will not last the lifetime of the vehicle.

[Jon11582]

Suggested timing belt change interval by Toyota for our engines is 90k.

For timing chains, there is no change interval suggested, but if you dont find any related issues, I would suggest every 200K.

[gnegroni]

Suggested timing belt change interval by Toyota for our engines is 90k.

For timing chains, there is no change interval suggested, but if you dont find any related issues, I would suggest every 200K.

Wow, I guess if Toyota calls for changing belts @90k it has to reflect on their product favorably... when others call for @60k.

200k seems ok for chain drives since my Taurus had about 140k miles.

[Jakecallun20]

200k seems ok for chain drives since my Taurus had about 140k miles.

GAWD! A ford with that many miles!! HFC get ready to drop some cash in it.

[Jon11582]

Suggested timing belt change interval by Toyota for our engines is 90k.

For timing chains, there is no change interval suggested, but if you dont find any related issues, I would suggest every 200K.

Wow, I guess if Toyota calls for changing belts @90k it has to reflect on their product favorably... when others call for @60k.

200k seems ok for chain drives since my Taurus had about 140k miles.

60k used to be the maintenance schedule for most of toyotas engines. They extended the maintenance schedule for most engines in 98, but not sure why.

There are manufacturers that extend to 105k for regular belt maintenance (Honda is one I'm aware of.)

[gnegroni]

GAWD! A ford with that many miles!! HFC get ready to drop some cash in it.

It wasn't that bad at all... I had the 3.0L (stronger than 3.8L) but auto transmission is way freaking bad from design... they never fixed flaws (mainly lubrication), so it went on my twice...
...first time ---> mechanic + alcohol - knowledge on elect. = crappy repair
...second time I sold the car as is; used money for downpayment

As for repairs, the engine overheated because the radiator cap broke once, but easy repair since block and heads are iron... Engine was in tip top shape mainly due to Mobil1 syn. Money put in was for strut tower top assembly, ball joints, suspension components, usual... the only thing that bothered me (other than the lack of power in a bad slipping transmission) was around 100k when the speedometer started to skip a bit. All in all, a solid car... Can't say the same about the Lumina in our household!

Still, I have to say... I LOVE MY SOLARA! Small nuisances and problems aside, I wouldn't change it for anything (maybe a 3MZ + 5-speed Solara)

[Jakecallun20]

GAWD! A ford with that many miles!! HFC get ready to drop some cash in it.

It wasn't that bad at all... I had the 3.0L (stronger than 3.8L) but auto transmission is way freaking bad from design... they never fixed flaws (mainly lubrication), so it went on my twice...
...first time ---> mechanic + alcohol - knowledge on elect. = crappy repair
...second time I sold the car as is; used money for downpayment

As for repairs, the engine overheated because the radiator cap broke once, but easy repair since block and heads are iron... Engine was in tip top shape mainly due to Mobil1 syn. Money put in was for strut tower top assembly, ball joints, suspension components, usual... the only thing that bothered me (other than the lack of power in a bad slipping transmission) was around 100k when the speedometer started to skip a bit. All in all, a solid car... Can't say the same about the Lumina in our household!

Still, I have to say... I LOVE MY SOLARA! Small nuisances and problems aside, I wouldn't change it for anything (maybe a 3MZ + 5-speed Solara)

Ehh, typical ford to have issues like that. I still wouldn't buy one. I love the new ford commercials that state that "Ford has the same quality as Toyotas!" Seriously, the only American made vehicle I'll ever own is a GM product.