Kylie wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> My Honda Civic 1984 (Auto) timing belt is just broken.
> Mechanic said that it can replace it with for about $280.0, but he said
> there is a chance that the valves and pistons are damaged as well as a
> result and repairing those could cost up to $1600.
> If valves and pistons are damaged, I don't want to go a head with repair
> and prefer the car to be recycled instead.
> Does anyone had this problem before or know how much chances are that
> valve and pistons are damaged as well?

First off, the damage typically sustained by the pistons is usually
minimal. When the pistons hit the valves, there's usually just some small
dents in the top and they can be reused without any problems. The most
damage is to the valves. These get bent and will not seal flat against the
valve seat. Since the valves are not seated, as Curly noted, the clearances
on any bent valves will be excessive. You don't even need to use a feeler
gauge to find them. It takes just 15-20 minutes or so to pull the valve
cover and check all the valves. If you're going to junk the car rather than
pull the head and replace the bent valves, then this might be the best
option. Keep in mind that older cars are a lot like onions. Once you start
peeling back the layers to fix one problem, you find a lot more problems.
There's usually no getting around it unless the car has had excellent
maintenance (but it wouldn't likely be in its current status if that were
the case). It sounds like you've evaluated the condition of the car and
judged it not worthwhile to repair the valve train damage. Since this is
the case, just get the clearances checked and then decide.

Eric