# Timing belt broke.....? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** damage, belts, valves, timing-belts\ **Created:** [January 23, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401 "2009-01-23T19:30:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thehousedad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@thehousedad](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thehousedad)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401/1 "2009-01-23T19:30:59Z")
my son has an 88 toyota corolla, the timing belt broke and we are wondering what the chances of valve damage are? what i have found out so far seems to indicate it is not one of the cars that always trash the valves. the car cost $200, so while we are willing to pay for a timing belt, a valve job might be more than the car is worth. any input? ---
**Author:** ![Roadrunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@Roadrunner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Roadrunner)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401/2 "2009-01-23T19:57:49Z")
Your engine is a non-interference engine according to [gates.com/partslocator](http://gates.com/partslocator) ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401/3 "2009-01-23T20:01:03Z")
The engine in your son’s Corolla is not an interference engine, so a new timing belt should be all it needs. If you purchase a service manual like Haynes this job could be done at home. The new belt itself is not very expensive. Labor is what makes a timing belt replacement cost money. I’ve replaced the timing belt on a Corolla, and it’s not terribly difficult. You do need a manual to follow, however. ---
**Author:** ![thehousedad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@thehousedad](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thehousedad)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401/4 "2009-01-23T20:03:23Z")
cool, so if i understand that correctly the likely hood is that the valves did not get damaged when the belt broke. right? ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 1:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401/5 "2009-01-24T01:36:37Z")
It’s been a long time, but I thought an 88 would still have been a chain. I certainly could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401/6 "2009-01-24T02:30:20Z")
As mentioned you would be fine with a new timing belt, maybe add new waterpump and belts. ---
**Author:** ![thehousedad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@thehousedad](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thehousedad)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401/7 "2009-01-24T15:48:46Z")
thanks. if it weren’t jan. i would probably try to fix it myself so he could learn as well. being that it is jan., and i don’t have a garage to fix it in i think i will just let him learn the lesson of keeping a little money in the bank (which he does better than i do by the way) with which to pay for it’s repair. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401/8 "2009-01-24T16:09:53Z")
A new belt tensioner is appropriate here too. Perhaps even a new front crank seal if the old one is leaking. ---
**Author:** ![rocketman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@rocketman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rocketman)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401/9 "2009-01-24T16:46:16Z")
How many miles on it? How’s the rest of the car? A $200 car is a great find . . . but suggests a car with a lot of miles/bad body/rough interior/ whatever . . . I hope for your sake that it was just a great find with decent body and reasonable miles. Good luck! Rocketman ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401/10 "2009-01-24T17:42:06Z")
I checked [gates.com](http://gates.com). From 1983 to 1997, the Toyota Corolla had the 1.6L engine with cam timing belt. After 1997, the 1.8L engine was used and has a timing chain. We can only assume the reasons for the discontinuance of the 1.6L engine (at least in the Corolla). ---
**Author:** ![hd72mm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9fc29f/32.png) [@hd72mm](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hd72mm)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401/11 "2009-01-24T18:03:35Z")
Make sure you do water pump, tensioner, and seals while you have it apart. ---
**Author:** ![thehousedad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@thehousedad](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thehousedad)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-broke/25401/12 "2009-01-24T19:47:01Z")
it is a combination of a good find and a perfect beater/around town car for a teenagers first car. body is okay, NO RADIO (which is also perfect for a teenager as he has fewer distractions) interior is good, high miles but drives fine, needs shocks… all around good first car since I told him he had to buy and maintain his own car.