(85 740 GLE, non-Turbo) Timing Belt Break - Chances Of Engine Damage

To All,

I have a 1985 Volvo 740 GLE Sedan (non-turbo) with approximately
228,000 miles. My son was driving it last weekend, going around 35
mph, when all of a sudden he lost power and the engine stopped. He did
not notice any unusual or loud noise. He coasted into a parking lot.
Later we took a look. The car made a high whiney sound when attempting
to start it. There was no knocking or any sound of friction coming
from the engine.

So we had it towed to a mechanic who informed us the timing belt
broke. They will not be able to assess possible engine damage until
they replace the timing belt. Now my questions:

(1) In your experience with Volvo's, particularly my model, what are
the chances of significant engine damage resulting from a timing belt
breaking while driving the car?

(2) Did attempting to start the car afterwards possibly cause damage?

(3) What kind of damage might you expect based on the symptoms
described above?

Your help and responses will be greatly appreciated.

Best Regards,

DevoFan
Fargo, ND

 

It's a non interference engine, from the posts I have read it's basically
you get a new belt, make sure all the timing marks are lines up and
whatnot... whatever is involved (I've never done it, just read it many time)
then you are good to go again.

Now, if you had a 960 like my family does, you would be out thousands
because you would be needing valves, remachining jobs on many other parts,
possibly totally new parts... The 960 has an interference engine tho, and
the timing belt must be done religiously every so many KMs. For your car its
good to do it every so many years, or miles, but it isn't detrimental when
it snaps.

 

Hi Rob,

thank you for the information, especially the good news that it is a
"non-interference" engine.

Regards

DevoFan

 

Just have your mechanic install a new timing belt &
away you go ( Of course have him line up the timing
marks 1st)
Glenn

 

Everybody keeps telling me that B230 is non-interference but in my
experience that is not true. My 88 240GL with a B230F suffered so much
damage when the timing belt broke that the mechanic advised me to junk
it. It was running beautifully prior to that.

 

Maybe you had a weird cam in it? I've rotated the cam 360 degrees with the
crank at top dead center and none of the valves hit, that was an '87 though.

 

If the head had been machined too much, that could possibly allow it to hit
a piston... but other than that (and the weird cam option posted earlier) it
shouldn't hit.

Tony

 

Was it really a B230F?

At least before leaded gas was banned Australia got the B230ET, and so I
assume the B230E. Perhaps your mechanic didn't even bother to look at the
car, and just wrote it off. The E engines got higher compression pistons
and hotter cams, both of which could easily be non interference from the
factory.. but with carbon deposits or head milling could easily become
interference engines.

I know for a fact that the B21FT and B230FT engines are not interference
engines. I've rotated the cam on mine many times with the crank far out
of tune, etc.

- alex

'85 244 Turbo
'84 245 Turbo

 

It was definitely a B230F. No modification that I know of. As for the
mechanic I dont't really know. Wouldn't do his reputation any good if
I found though.