I have an opportunity to pick up one of these cars for nothing, with one catch: The timing belt is blown. Does anybody know if this is an interference engine or not? I know the old CFI engines were non-interference. I think this is a 93.

 

my kid had the same thing happen to him 4-5 years ago on a 92 escort gt, not sure what the engine size was, but it didn't damage anything.
he got it fixed and drove that car for another 3 years

 

That's what I figured. Thanks for your help.

 

It should be non interference. My 88 EXP broke twice (190,000 miles). Just lined the marks back up, put the belt on er and it ran fine.

 

The 1.9 is a non interference motor, and the 1.8 is also. The 1.8 is a mazda motor, which is in the GT. The 1.9 is a ford motor. If you want any help with the car, I am very knowledgable on the escorts.

 

I've worked on a few of the TBI 1.9 escorts, this one seems to have the same head and timing cover, so I was expecting it to be the same internally. It just was good to know before I took it and tore it down.

 

Well, a new problem has shown up. I tore it all down, only to find the timing belt intact. I went ahead and did a compression test, and found around 10psi on one cylinder, and zero on the others. I checked my compression tester against my 69, and it works fine. Oil didn't help it, so it must be a problem in the head, but how common is it for the head gasket to completely blow at once? For a free car, this sure is going to cost a lot.

 

The timing belt may have been intact but is it lined up right?
Has it jumped?

 

Well, I found the problem. Somehow, some chunks of aluminum managed to come through the intake, primarily in the #4 cylinder. The car has a salvage title, and looks like it got hit in the left front, right where the airbox is. As far as I can tell, the old MAF was damaged in the accident, the debris got sucked into the intake, then progressed into the cylinders over time. A couple of the valves were hung open with small pieces, but the number four cylinder took the brunk of the damage. The valve seat is completely gone, and the head and piston are trashed. Luckily, the bore is ok, so I can just replace that piston and the head, and be good to go. Here's a pic of the damage.

I pulled the valve out to check it, all the valves are ok.

 

Do you need a MAF for the car?

 

no, it's all set bodywise. You can tell the left front fender and the hood aren't original. The paint on the hood is just about gone, with spots of white. It looks like it was just scuff sanded and painted over.
It's all internal problems now.

 

I meant does it need a Mass Air Flow Sensor? I just picked up some, and a throttle body if you need them.

 

The car was totalled, and repaired, and has been back on the road for a few years now. This problem just showed up a few weeks ago, and that is where I am assuming the loose pieces of aluminum in the intake and the cylinders came from. What I need is a head, and I already have a lead on one locally.