93 Volvo 940 turbo - broken timing belt Topic is solved

KenSarg · Post by **KenSarg** » 18 Jan 2006, 16:55

Hi,

I am getting conflicting information and hope that someone here might shed some light on the problem:

My stepdaughter has a 93 940 Turbo. She broke the timing belt traveling at a low rate of speed. The shop has told her (and us) that engine damage is virtually guaranteed. I called the local Volvo dealer and they said that all Volvo engines are interference engines and that the repair shop is correct. However, I called a dealer in another city and the service advisor told me that if the car had a "red block" engine, it would probably be okay. Obvously, if engine damage is a foregone conclusion, I wouldn't invest in a timing belt replacement (either get rid of the car or put the money towards a used engine).

So my basic questions are:

"red block" or not - what are the odds that she might get lucky and not have engine damage?

Is there anything to this "red block" engine identification?

Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.

Ken S.

spook · Post by **spook** » 18 Jan 2006, 18:01

Dear Ken S,

Good p.m. and may this find you well. A 93 940 engine will NOT be damaged, when its timing belt breaks. B230 engines definitely are NOT interference engines. (An interference engine, is one in which the valves hit the pistons, when the timing belt breaks. )

Do not let anyone near your car, if said person claims that a B230F/FT engine - the only engines used in the 1993 940s - is an interference engine. Such a person knows nothing about Volvos, and must not - under any circumstances - be allowed to do any work on them. I'd not trust such a person to do anything, even to wash the car.

Yours faithfully,

spook

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 18 Jan 2006, 18:21

i agree with spook. find a mechanic that knows what they are doing to replace your belt

KenSarg · Post by **KenSarg** » 18 Jan 2006, 19:35

Thank you for answering.

This is provisionally good news - provisionally because the car had a used engine put in it a few years ago. My stepdaughter overheated it and took her idiot boyfriend's advice to drive it just to the next exit.

At any rate, I'm going to have to verify the engine model. What would be the most reliable way to do this? Obviously, the VIN will be useless in this case.

Thanks again
Ken