There has been a number of times on this site where there has been arguments and questions over whether the T8D engine in the sephias and spectras are interference or non-interference. i was asked, in the last argument, to prove that i was right on this subject and if i couldn't prove it then i basically didn't know what i was talking about. today i was browsing around on our GDS at the dealership on some info on a sportage i'm working on and i ran across an article in the tech times section from 2005 that basically proved me right. feel free to look it up for yourself and read it on kiatechinfo.com if you still need proof that this is direct from KMA/Kia Motors Corp.
No. KT20050302142
Language English
Published 3/2/2005
Area N. America
Model All Model(all)
Gr./Sys./Comp Engine Mechanical System / Timing System / Timing Belt
Description
Tech Line tells us they get a fair amount of calls asking about valve/piston interference on our engines. The Sportage and Sephia/Spectra are the only "freewheeling engines." The valves do not interfere with the pistons if the timing belt fails. All other Kia engines are "interference engines.” The valves may interfere with the pistons if valve timing is off.
Keep in mind this article only applies to the 1995-2002 Sportage, 1994-2001 Sephia, and the 2000-2004 Spectra.
have seen a couple sportages (I believe a 2000 and a 2001 - can't remember for sure) that did do engine damage. Both bent valves. It is rare but it can happen. I have seen it. But just for the record I have probably seen 10 other sportages that broke belts and had no issue's (we very rarely ever saw sephia's and I have never seen a broken t-belt on a spectra - go figure)
1fastkia
I was actually trying to agree, I too have seen none interferance engines do valve damage (and piston damage). the two years though that I worked at KIA I only personally wrote up maybe 3 sephia's, they just did not come to the dealership for repairs. I totally agree with you and believe your story.
Best way to avoid having a issue it is change t-belt as recommended, period!!
What Ive been trying to say here is there are people here making others think as though it won't happen. Yet Ive seen it myself, personally. When it happened to my dad he had just sunk over 900 in work on other parts of his car and totally sucked that it had to happen then.
My point has always been, even though its a non interference, don't get your hopes up that you can just throw a new belt on and go. It would suck to go buy a 100 timing kit, just to have to find out theres internal damage.
why would i drive my kia like that? because i know it can take it because i take excellent care of my cars. plus i KNEW nothing was going to happen. you say that age, heat, and rpms have a lot to do with what it does...mine was fully warmed up, 6,000 rpms, and my car was 10 years old. i have never seen a sephia or spectra with a t8d engine break a timing belt and bend valves. i've even broke a timing belt on my first gen sportage and never bent a valve. i'm not really saying it can't happen but i've never seen it so i'm not convinced that it has happened. being a tech, i know how some shops work. i prove other shops wrong at lot of the time when customers come in to get a second opinion on how the previous shop diagnosed their car. other shops assume things and don't actually look int things before they come to a conclusion on what will fix the car. who's to say that when a sephia comes into a shop with a broken belt that the shop assumes the engine is interference and without tearing it down to look or simply just putting a belt on to see how it runs, they just get the customer a price on an engine and say "oh yeah you bent and broke your valves and it's cheaper for us to put an engine in it" because they can get more labor for an engine job than a timing belt job. when you look at how many people have said they have broken valves and how many people have not broken valves...this is why i'm not convinced that it happens.
So because it never happened to you, it can't/did not happen? Really? Search videos on google about broken t-belt on non interference motors that did damage. There are millions of results from ALL makes and models. It happens, every day.
Same goes for their makes, some it happens to, some not. Just like heart attacks, some people have them, others don't. That is life, everything don't happen to everyone.
I just blew my timing belt on my 2001 Spectra with 198K. 70 MPH on the Long Island Expressway. No stripped teeth. The thing just snapped at 3500 RPMs. I had fudge in my shorts when I thought about all I'd heard regarding interference engines. I found the post about 2000-2004 being non-interference engines. I confidently went to my garage and told my buddy to just replace it. 2 hours later, it was running good as new! NON-interference!
Wikipedia link, that is wrote by regular everyday people and everyday people can edit it. Not people that do it for a living. Just not a good information about the t8d.
bonsoir t le monde.
j'ai une sephia de 1999, et c'est derniers temps j'ai un problème de cliquetis des poussoir hydrauliques. s'il vous plait je demande votre aides.
If the above Google translation is somewhat correct, then best you start a new thread about your hydraulic lifter problem, because that's off-topic in this thread.
I just bought a 2000 Sephia 1.8L with only 44,000 miles.
Should I change the timing belt (yes, it's original) or wait till reaches 60K miles?
Or should I remove the timing belt cover and inspect the belt first?
can any of you give me the tightening sequence of bolts on the cam shaft installation for the 2001 sephia and the torque rating of those bolts? I am replacing one of the valves in that engine because when the belt broke, somehow number three piston experienced an intake valve contact with the piston and the valve is slightly bent. I can rotate the valve and watch the head of the valve wobble as it is turned. Additionally there is a small indent in the top of the piston where that valve struck the piston. I cannot explain how this happened in view of the posting that stipulates that these engines are free wheeling. Amazingly that is the only damage. and that is slight, but nevertheless that valve leaks when the area in the head above the valve is filled with coolant as a leak check mechanism.
Sooo... After all the arguing on this thread. Is the T8D an interference or non interference motor? I know the b series 1.8L in my 96 sephia was a non interference motor, but now with my 2000 sephia, I am wondering if it is or not. Have the 1.8 Dohc. 5 speed. I am consistently at 4k rpm when shifting, so this would be a good thing to know.
I have seen lots of arguing one way or another, but not any real conformation.
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