i have a 96 honda civic and i have about 160,000 miles on my car i dont think the timing belt and water pump has be ever changed. i was just wondering if there is a belt that holds up longer then the rest? and if your timing belt is going or bad will it cut some of the hp away from it?

 

If you have that kind of mileage on those original parts, I would suggest replacing the timing belt, drive belt, water pump, and thermostat.

I dont think a worn timing belt would sacrifice horsepower, but I am not sure.

 

it's my understanding that a timing belt usually either works or breaks though some have had teeth broken which could indicate imminent break. I have never tried to play chicken with it though. Usually pretty catastropic things happen when it breaks.

 

Yeah - that game of chicken can be expensive although for my Ford Ranger, there is so much valve clearance I can afford to play that game of chicken and not worry about damages.

 

right, some engines can handle a break (I think most American made cars and trucks) in the timing belt but Hondas and other similar designs are known to cause engine failures when it breaks. So it is not a game I'd like to play, personally.

Hondas use a specific type of engine, which I cannot remember off the top of my head but any car that uses that type of engine is prone to engine failure if the timing belt breaks. That's a $3000+ mistake.

 

interference engine