Do you know what an “interference engine” is? While I know a great many of our regular readers do, there’s no shame if you’re not exactly sure. It’s a term that gets thrown around a lot ...

A regular non-interference engine, also known as a "free-running" or "freewheeling" engine, is designed so that the valves and the pistons will never occupy the same space within the cylinders.

Now, if you know anything about GM engines, you might know that the L61 is an interference engine. That means that when the engine is running, the valves and the pistons occupy the same space.

With an interference engine, the pistons will hit and usually bend some of the valves if the timing belt or chain breaks, causing major internal engine damage that can be expensive to repair; ...

If you’ve ever seen photos of an interference engine that has been over-revved, you probably think you know what catastrophic engine damage looks like. This 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon’s engine ...

DEAR CAR TALK: You recently wrote about a guy whose timing belt broke, and who tried to restart his car but whose valves survived only through sheer good luck. In 1957, I had a new Ford six ...

QUESTION: I want to find out how I can identify if a car’s engine is interference or noninterference from a layman’s point of view; that is, some signs or writings ...

I’d say in 95 percent of cases, when a timing belt breaks on a car with an interference engine (where the valves and pistons can collide if things go wrong), at least one of the valves gets ...

Q: If the timing belt breaks in an interference engine, it will self-destruct. What advantage is gained by this design that outweighs the risk of engine damage if or when the belt fails? — R ...

A regular non-interference engine, also known as a "free-running" or "freewheeling" engine, is designed so that the valves ...