1991 Corolla Timing Belt Breaks (worth Getting Fixed Or Not)

[kilowat3]

I was traveling home from work at 55 mph when I lost all power. I coasted to a stop and was towed back to my house. My Corolla is a 1991 front wheel drive wagon. Is the motor shot or can I simply replace the timing belt and continue driving. I get mixed answers when I Google this topic. Does anybody have any experience with a broken timing belt on a 1991 corolla?

[oldcodger]

Not 100% sure, but it depends if your motor is an "interference or non interference" model, meaning that when a belt or chain breaks can the pistons hit the open valves or not ?

For Toyotas I belive most belt models are Non interference like the 4A-FE and 7A-FE engines, though if you search the web you may eventually find some lists showing which models are interference or not,

Also see this post for a '91 model -

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/91673-snapped-timing-belt-on-a-1991-toyota-corolla/

[kilowat3]

Thank you for your response. The purpose of my original post is to determine if anybody knows for sure if a 1991 corolla wagon has an interference or non interference engine.

[oldcodger]

Is yours a UK model ? think you would be better stating what the engine model is, eg 4A-FE

That other thread you posted on is 6 years old, so those guys may no longer be active on the forum.

[kilowat3]

As a follow-up to my original post, I replaced the timing belt and crankshaft seal on my 1991 Corolla Wagon and she runs like she did prior to the belt breaking. I don't know if this is conclusive evidence of a non-interference engine, but I am happy for these results.

[oldcodger]

Good to hear it all worked out ok for you