Thread: Interference or Non-interference??

I just found this forum, and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!! I've always wished for a "Mechanically Minded Friend", and now it seems I've hit the jack-pot!!

So my question: I have a Subara Loyale, 1992, and the timing belt broke. How do I find out if it's interference or non-interference? (I just found out that I really want it to be interference.... right? So it can be fixed?) I have two friends that have "looked on-line" but they both have had different answers. How do I find out for sure?

I know a regular 91 is a non. Also if u have a dead bank after. turn the pulley 180

Gates Part Locator & Interchange

gates timing belt application guide lists 92 subaru loyale with 1.8L i4 as a non-interference engine.

you'd prefer non-interference. A: if the belt broke, thats all that broke, B: if you accidentally put a new belt on wrong, it wont run right, but it wont destroy things.

an interference motor, shares space between pistons and valves, so if timing gets off (ie: belt breaks), pistons smash into valves and cause costly damage. a non-interference engine has enough room in the cylinder/head so the piston and valves cannot make contact, even if crank and cam are not in time.
Good car engineers put timing chains on interference motors, to make it less likely for the engine to crush itself. but there still are quite a few interference timing belts out there, most hondas, mitsubishi and isuzu trucks...