Got a friend who just bought a 02 SOHC neon and her timming belt broke. I know on the DOHC its a death warrant But does hers have a chance. I know both are interference engines but hear the Single has a chance. Thoughts?

I have seen the SOHC survive if the belt let go at a low rpm... but either way, I'm thinking the head should come off.

Posted by bandi I have seen the SOHC survive if the belt let go at a low rpm... but either way, I'm thinking the head should come off.

SOHC Neon 2.0's are interference engines.
even at idle, you can bend every valve in the head.

my friend Tiffany lost the belt on her 98 Neon SOHC sitting at a red light. Bent every valve.

Im surprised the 2 guys who responded havent recommended you spin the motor by hand (crank pulley) to make sure nothing is making contact, and do a compression check to see if the valves are holding compression. I wouldnt do a cylinder head on a Neon because the whole car isnt worth the amount of $ in parts.

I'm surprised no one has suggested dousing it in gasoline, setting it on fire, and pushing it off a cliff.

Pretty sure her Neon is dead.

around here in summer a car like that gets parked in the seaway, when they do find the car its a convertible (1 foot clearance between ship and channel floor)

If there is damage, probably easier/cheaper just to drop in another 2.0 from a wrecker. I would imagine those engines aren't hard to come by. Just do the timing belt before dropping it in

the wrecking yards here in montreal have that motor between 300 and 600 bucks! with a warranty

Posted by big dave Im surprised the 2 guys who responded havent recommended you spin the motor by hand (crank pulley) to make sure nothing is making contact, and do a compression check to see if the valves are holding compression. I wouldnt do a cylinder head on a Neon because the whole car isnt worth the amount of $ in parts.

what good will that do, you cant spin an interference engine through a full revolution without hitting a valve. if you want to do a compression check you first have to replace the belt, and why would you do that if it's already smacked a valve? by the time youre done farting around with that engine pulling the head and what-not youre already committed to spending more time and money getting it back together than you would have spent pulling the whole engine and replacing it with a junkyard special.

car-part.com complete SOHC neon engine $3-600, with warranty, as already mentioned. tons of hits on that engine. oh yeah REPLACE THE TIMING BELT before installation...

Thanks guys. I already told her best bet is just get a new engine. Don't know if its worth the effort.

Posted by steponmebbbboom what good will that do, you cant spin an interference engine through a full revolution without hitting a valve. if you want to do a compression check you first have to replace the belt, and why would you do that if it's already smacked a valve?

No, really? The point of taking the engine through a full revolution is to see if theres any contact. Big deal, put a new belt on there and check compression. What kind of idiot goes through all the trouble of changing the head and replacing all the gaskets and shit and messing with the manifolds, when they might be able to get away with a new belt and no engine damage. I mean, you can save all the automotive lecturing, because i know everything there is to know. $40 for a new belt and making sure the valves are screwed, vs a couple hundred $ to replace the head and all the stuff that goes with head replacement. Geeeee guy, i think ill just buy a belt as a tool to make sure.

Posted by big dave No, really? The point of taking the engine through a full revolution is to see if theres any contact.

If you rotate the crankshaft on an interference engine a full revolution without also rotating the camshaft (as tends to happen when the timing belt breaks) guess what; you will make contact with a valve.

i know everything there is to know.

well now you know even more. Stick that in your toolbox.

Posted by steponmebbbboom If you rotate the crankshaft on an interference engine a full revolution without also rotating the camshaft (as tends to happen when the timing belt breaks) guess what; you will make contact with a valve.

Not always. My VW engine timing got all messed up during a timing belt install, and I was able to rotate the crank a million times without a belt, and without hitting a valve. "Guess what"? I just drove the thing 1,600 miles.

Put a belt on it and see if rotates without interference. If it does, do a compression check.

Something for genius here who keeps correcting me by saying the exact same thing im saying.

i've only lost one timing belt and that was on a Ford 2.3L OHC... non interference.
with Tiff's Neon, you just knew it had snapped and lunch. I mean, you could hear metal bouncing around inside the cylinders when you bumped the key. (the car was a $100 beater) The car was just dust.
Honestly, in an interference engine, when the timing belt snaps, I always go worst case scenario because 9 times out of 10 it IS the worst case scenario and you're dialing junkyards.