Evening all,

Gf's ba snapped it's cam belt today, shite weather to be doing it, but has to be done.

So is the engine lunch or is the 1.5 DOHC also a non interference engine?

I've done a search on it but keep hitting 1.8's and 1.6's

Many thanks in advance

Justin.

It would have bent the valves unless you're very lucky

the 1.5 BA is a non interference engine

It is indeed NON interference. If you're doing it yourself and can brave the cold, its worth replacing the belt. You may have bent the valves but I wouldn't have thought so on a non interferance engine

Hang on guys, the definition of a non interference engine is that, in the event of a cam belt failure, the pistons won't come into contact (interfere) with the valves.

yet one person has said valve damage is likely, and one has said it is both a non interference engine and valve damage is possible.

Sorry to sound a bit harsh, as i do appreciate your replies, but does anyone know 100%, either because they have done a failed 1.5, or read the workshop manual, or have a haynes manual to hand.

thank again, sorry to be a tad harsh to people trying to be helpful.
J

I am pretty sure the 1.5 is non interference mate - I know the 1.8 GT is, and yet the book says it is interference

I don't think Haynes will help you - even autodata lists my engine as interference, and I know 100% that it isn't. This is often the case I'm afraid, different publications and websites giving conflicting information...which in turn is given as advice on forums
You could try giving your local Mazda garage a call, but they are unlikely to give you a 100% answer, they will usually only advise, based on the book. My mechanic has replaced a failed cambelt on a 2.0 FS engine, and the engine was fine, but he will only say "it should be ok" - just to cover himself

What position are you in as far as tools available etc? If you're able to fit the cambelt yourself you have nothing to lose anyway

This is my first post when I joined here...



I read about the two engines on the internet but was told this...



Hope this helps.

thanks for the replies again,

As far as position and tools, it's my girlfriends car and she would not be willing to pay the price of a belt and tensioners on the possibility of it being ok, as she was considering buying a new car.

I have done a few cam belts on 16v Peugeots with manual eccentric tensioners. So practically speaking i am confident i can do the work.

Have access to a decent range of tools (unless there is something particularly specialist that i need to either tension the belt or position the sprockets before fitting the belt)

The car is in a shared car park which is not ideal for light and heat, but it's still do able, just need the snow to clear before attempting.

back to the interference question, thanks again for the replies, may have a look for a workshop manual, just to be doubly sure.

Cheers

J

Right lets put it this way, my dad is a director at Bourne Road garage for Mazda, he said that you most likely will have hit the valves. He is also a qualified mechanic and has been since he was in his teens, he is now mid 50s. I myself have managed to hit the valves and bed them in a 1.5. To be honest unless you take the head off and take a look you won't know but our guess is they have been hit

Shit, so all this time i have been told that the 1.5 BA is a non-interference engine. Cam belt goes and interferance or non interferance you have to get everyhing replace the valves and timing belt? So is there any difference then?

what the f***?

I am kinda due a cam belt change pretty much now then? Is it not 106000 miles, i am at 97000 at the moment.

Well kyepan, in that case, it seems it's up to you to prove or disprove the interference mystery!


I KNOW that the 1.6 BG is non-interference.

i cant see in the workshop manuals any info on whether the Z5 is a non interference or interference engine

Steven, did you suffer a cam belt failure?

http://www.mazda-auto.ru/docs/Z5_DOHC_e ... manual.pdf link to Z5 engine manual, doesn't really help matters

Just phoned Mazda they said confirmed that the 1.5 Z5 engine it is a NON interference engine and to put a new belt on it, time it up and off you go.

j

I thought that, nice one kyepan!

sorry i was addressing paul, instead of steven..

did your cam belt fail?

cheers

J

Nope it didnt fail, i am just not changing it till it goes though.

Made a point of checking with a second Mazda dealer as the first sounded a bit too confident, the second checked the auto-data parts cd for the z5 engine, and this said the engine was an interference engine.. so even the mazda dealers are giving conflicting information.

We have a belt on order and are going to change in a few days when it warms up a bit... will let you chaps know if stalling at 4 miles an hour on snow causes head damage.

Steven, i would change yours at the correct interval for two reasons, firstly because breaking down is never convenient, even if you have breakdown cover, it could come at the worst possible time and the car would be off the road. You can choose when and where the car is off the road, get a good price for the part etc.

2.. it could be an interference engine,

J

The experience Ive had within the dealers workshop ( Im not a tech) Their all non-interfeiance engines. Ive see various model mazda's with cam belt and mostly tensioner failure and the techs have just replaced the belt / tensioners and they where fine

thanks errnee, i'll give it a whirl!

although we just have a belt, are the tensioners eccentric or springloaded?

That's really interesting. Mate, hope you'll just need to replace the cam belt and you'll be fine. Let us know what has happened later. Good luck!

Autodata is wrong with nearly all Mazda engines.

As far as I know it's non interference, as are the FS and K series engines.