1.6 Golf timing belt - When to change?

[Mountainman]

VW are being cautious and you can understand if you have experienced one break. Our '77 Golf LS was the first car we owned that had a timing belt and VW never gave any replacement interval that I can remember and we traded it at 165,000km with the original belt. A friend also had the same model Golf that finally boke its belt at just under 200,000km but with no damage. So VW certainly knew how to make long lasting belts then.

[Manaz]

Because VW engines are what's known as an interference engine (the lowest point at which the valves come down is lower than the highest point the top of the pistons rise up to), you don't want a failed timing belt...

[Mountainman]

Because VW engines are what's known as an interference engine (the lowest point at which the valves come down is lower than the highest point the top of the pistons rise up to), you don't want a failed timing belt...

Most engines are now I think. Were those original 1600 engines non-interference? If I remember correctly they had a bucket and shim set-up for the valves.

[Manaz]

Most engines are now I think.

There's still some engines around that aren't - the Mazda MX-5 engines are non-interference IIRC.

[Mountainman]

There's still some engines around that aren't - the Mazda MX-5 engines are non-interference IIRC.

The twin cam Toyota engines from the 90's in the Corollas and their V6 Camry/Aurion engines too I think.

[Transporter]

Lets make a list of
Non Interference engines:

Subaru EJ20 (not all of them, up to 1998 I thing)
Toyota Corona 2S-C 2.0L
2.0L Camira engine
To the above 3 I fitted multiple times a new T.Belt after the old T/B broke off.


I will recall more from memory.
Others can add up.

Sorry for going of topic.
We should start a new thread in General or some other section.