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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.
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North Carolina Kia
"One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys."
my wife's '02 spectra timing belt went out a month ago, and i was worried that they might be int. engines (according to the dorks at autozone). took the whole thing apart, and didn't see anything wrong with it. talk about being relieved
my wife's '02 spectra timing belt went out a month ago, and i was worried that they might be int. engines (according to the dorks at autozone). took the whole thing apart, and didn't see anything wrong with it. talk about being relieved
If you look on the internet parts sites etc a lot of them give the wrong info about these engines, but the info here is correct. When you look into it a bit though you can easily see why shops get it wrong because suppliers of parts timing belts etc give the wrong info, a lot of sites get it wrong.
__________________ TAKE YOUR TIME, THINK IT OUT, DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE!! original quote by me as far as I know. ALL MEMBERS PLEASE FILL IN USER PROFILES. DETAILS HELP OTHER MEMBERS HELP YOU .
Ok after it seems a lot of replies for kiaracer I started to lean towards that the t8d engines might not be interference. I really started to believe this.
My wifes friend at work and her boyfriend own an 01 spectra. Last week on my way to work I saw his car 4 ways on, broke down. Hes got one of those aluminum ricer wings on the back and a fart cannon. You can't miss it.
I tell my wife about it she asks them what is wrong with their car (I was going to offer my help to fix it for them)
BUT
he said the timing belt went and it bent valves. We asked if they took it apart yet, and said no. I said just throw a belt on it and you should be good to go.
BUT, the next day the shop said there was damage done to the pistons/valves. Im going to see if he still has his car and see if he can snap a few pics of the inside of it.
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08 Kia Sportage
07 Saturn Aura
87 Mazda RX-7
Working on a 07 RX-8
The Kia Spectra 1.8L DOHC is without a doubt an interference engine. I can assure this as, I just bought one that had jumped time and replaced the head. There were marks in the tops of all four pistons on the exhaust valve sides. I cant say whether or not the intake valves had kissed the pistons since there are reliefs on the intake side but I do know that the 1.8 in all Sephia's and Spectra's up to 2002 had both intake and exhaust reliefs as well.
You said "So, is it interference or not?"
So what do you "have" or not?
That's like saying "my car won't start...what's wrong with it?"
You have not updated your Model/year/general location...This leads us to search for that information that you could easily supply in your "cp"...
I can "see" you are in the Columbus, Ohio area (moderator info) and I searched your old posts to "see" you might have a 2002 Spectra (unless that changed).
We ask that you supply this info so we CAN help you....
I would NOT chance the belt breaking as the 1997~2003 Spectras with the 1.8L engine has posts of damage to valves and pistons when the belt broke or jumped timing...Some owners WERE lucky when the TB broke and got away with just replacing the belt..NO GUARANTIES...
Waiting until the TB breaks may leave you stranded at the side of the road in an OHIO snow storm...or in a bad area of town at night..
I change them every 60k miles and suggest that you replace them every 5yrs or 60k miles as per the book.
Dave
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Engine Valve Timing Interference - Confirmed NON-INTERFERENCE engine
thank god
TAKE YOUR TIME, THINK IT OUT, DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE!! original quote by me as far as I know. 
Linear Mode
