That seems contradictory. Isn’t valve damage what defines an interfering engine?
Seems to me if the valves are not damaged when the belt breaks, there’s no interference.
The responses I read stated that even though the engine was designated an interference engine they didn’t sustain any damage to the valves. I have no experience with this myself. It’s only from comments that I read.
If you were in a state that did not require inspections then the gamble might be worth it. But living in California the odds are really stacked against you.
I would start thinking about trading in the minivan for SUV.
Which engine does this Xterra have?
I’m seeing a 4-cylinder and a V6 as options
Both use a distributor
the 4-cylinder has a timing chain, whereas the V6 uses a timing belt
If it’s got the 4-cylinder, I’d put the idea of bent valves on the back burner for now
Good point, thanks for mentioning that. The answer is V6. I did find a forum for Xterra which supported the idea of the V6 being an interference engine, as Cougar had mentioned. My original internet source was probably less well informed.
Anyway, after getting clarification on the DMV process related to selling without a smog test as generally required in CA, I’ve decided to pass on this “bargain”. The deal breaker is that, in order to legally load the car on a flatbed to tow anywhere, whether to repair shop or my driveway, requires a move permit. I could easily understand the move permit to actually drive a vehicle, but I never thought that would be required to transport on a flatbed tow truck.
I was already trending away from snapping up this car, and the extra paperwork involved tipped the scale for me.
But I do appreciate everyone’s responses, thank you.
–Roadtripper
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FYI: I wasn’t looking for a replacement for the minivan, but rather a second vehicle for a different function.
Our next VP, soon to be prez hails from the state of California. Don’t be so quick to judge. She might be ok.
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Easy . . .
I live in California . . . by choice. If you’ve been paying attention over the years, it should be pretty clear I wasn’t born in this country and was an immigrant. That’s right, I chose to live here.
I’m not a Communist, and I’m also not an idiot, in case that’s what you’re thinking.
So don’t get any ideas
Some of our other regulars also live in California and/or grew up here
I know what Communism is . . . and apparently you don’t
California isn’t anything like Communism
I’m not planning on leaving anytime soon. In any case, I’ve still got about 20 years to go before I can think of retirement, because at that point I’ll get my full pension
So you can go ahead and THINK I’m not wise . . . but you’d be incorrect
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You’ve made it clear that you hate California before. We get it, now let it go
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So what fascist state do you live in.
If California is a Communist Republic then maybe the rest of the states should consider going that route. They have the largest economy of all the states “BY FAR”. Their economy is the fifth in the WORLD. Larger then the UK or France.
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All right, already. @bcohen2010 we have seen how references to politics go in our discussions. It’s one thing to dislike the state’s politics; it’s another to invoke that particular regime. This was a perfectly helpful and informative thread to discuss @WesternRoadtripper1 ‘s problems . Please don’t do it again.
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