What happens when balancer belts rips and snaps?

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Tibur Waltson

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I am hoping to prevent a premature balancer belt snapping on one particular car to was called to inspect. After opening the top cover I can see an old but functional balancer belt, probably 40K mi. overdue.

What's the best way to know when a balancer timing belt is about to snap or is in the process of snapping? And, what is the chance of having a severe valve damage on an interference engine like the '92 Honda Accord if the balancer belt snaps?
Any guess?

Thanks.
 
I am hoping to prevent a premature balancer belt snapping on one particular car to was called to inspect. After opening the top cover I can see an old but functional balancer belt, probably 40K mi. overdue.

What's the best way to know when a balancer timing belt is about to snap or is in the process of snapping? And, what is the chance of having a severe valve damage on an interference engine like the '92 Honda Accord if the balancer belt snaps?
Any guess?
Click to expand...

Balancer belt???? Do you mean timing belt? On a Honda if the belt snaps chances are very good you will do damage to the valves.
 
Alex Rodriguez said:
Balancer belt???? Do you mean timing belt? On a Honda if the belt snaps chances are very good you will do damage to the valves.
Click to expand...

There is a balancer belt. It should be changed when you change the timing belt. Chances are if the balancer belt dies, it will get caught in the teeth of the timing belt and do the same damage as if the timing belt snapped.
 
What's the best way to know when a balancer timing belt is about to snap or is in the process of snapping? And, what is the chance of having a severe valve damage on an interference engine like the '92 Honda Accord if the balancer belt snaps?
Any guess?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

If it snaps, engine vibration picks up. The balancer belt is often separate from the timing belt, and breaking the one will not necessarily destroy the other. I have seen this happen, and the car ran for ages without any problem, BUT as Bruce mentioned, there is the chance that the remains of the ruined belt could foul something else up.
 
I am hoping to prevent a premature balancer belt snapping on one particular car to was called to inspect. After opening the top cover I can see an old but functional balancer belt, probably 40K mi. overdue.

What's the best way to know when a balancer timing belt is about to snap or is in the process of snapping? And, what is the chance of having a severe valve damage on an interference engine like the '92 Honda Accord if the balancer belt snaps?
Any guess?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The balancer belt does not have anything to do with the valves. It just spins a shaft that offsets the vibrations of the engine. Replace it at the same time you change the timing belt. I think it's 60k miles on a '92.

If the timing belt breaks, the valves stop moving and the pistons smash into the ones that were open when they stopped.
 
Tibur said:
I am hoping to prevent a premature balancer belt snapping on one particular car to was called to inspect. After opening the top cover I can see an old but functional balancer belt, probably 40K mi. overdue.

What's the best way to know when a balancer timing belt is about to snap or is in the process of snapping? And, what is the chance of having a severe valve damage on an interference engine like the '92 Honda Accord if the balancer belt snaps?
Any guess?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

+++++++++++++++++++++

Bruce Chang is correct.

The balancer belt is half way up the front of the engine... if it snaps and falls, it will hitch a ride thru the space normally traveled by the timing belt. Honda has not made provision for any extra stuff to travel in that carefully designed space, so the timing belt will break IMMEDIATELY, which will allow the pistons to forcibly expell the valves that get in their way. Under the right circumstances, parts of the engine will be scattered on the highway.

Carry an empty 'peach basket' in the back seat of the vehicle and some rags. Do a search for the terms 'peach basket honda' . . . Good explanation.

'Curly'
 
Tibur said:
I am hoping to prevent a premature balancer belt snapping on one particular car to was called to inspect. After opening the top cover I can see an old but functional balancer belt, probably 40K mi. overdue.

What's the best way to know when a balancer timing belt is about to snap or is in the process of snapping? And, what is the chance of having a severe valve damage on an interference engine like the '92 Honda Accord if the balancer belt snaps?
Any guess?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

++++++++++++ Here's the 'peach basket' link:

http://honda.lathi.net/faq.html#interference
 
I am hoping to prevent a premature balancer belt snapping the balance shaft belt has almost no load on it, if it's coming apart look for interference with something else, like front balance shaft gear on backwards, it can be done. if it breaks and doesn't get into the timing belt, the engine will just vibrate more.
Chip
 
E. Meyer said:
The balancer belt does not have anything to do with the valves. It just spins a shaft that offsets the vibrations of the engine. Replace it at the same time you change the timing belt. I think it's 60k miles on a '92.

If the timing belt breaks, the valves stop moving and the pistons smash into the ones that were open when they stopped.
Click to expand...

I do know however that at least on Porsche motors a snapped balance belt has been known to take the timing belt with it. This is Not Good. Not sure if teh same applies to Hondas or not.

nate
 
Tibur said:
I am hoping to prevent a premature balancer belt snapping on one particular car to was called to inspect. After opening the top cover I can see an old but functional balancer belt, probably 40K mi. overdue.

What's the best way to know when a balancer timing belt is about to snap or is in the process of snapping? And, what is the chance of having a severe valve damage on an interference engine like the '92 Honda Accord if the balancer belt snaps?
Any guess?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Just based on the reponses here, if I had posted the original question, I would plan on changing the balancer belt as soon as I could. If that were several weeks or several hundred miles away, I would make a judgment call on the conditon of the old belt. If I thought "it could go at any time" I'd remove it (if not easily removed, cut it and pull it out) as it sounds like there is a higher risk of engine damage letting it break than there is to run without it for awhile... just my opinion though.....and I don't earn a living working on cars...
 
Just based on the reponses here, if I had posted the original question, I would plan on changing the balancer belt as soon as I could. If that were several weeks or several hundred miles away, I would make a judgment call on the conditon of the old belt. If I thought "it could go at any time" I'd remove it (if not easily removed, cut it and pull it out) as it sounds like there is a higher risk of engine damage letting it break than there is to run without it for awhile... just my opinion though.....and I don't earn a living working on cars...
Click to expand...

The one on my daughters car failed and, of course, she didn't notice it for a long time. When we tore it down, she was lucky in that it just left what looked like dental floss. Didn't take the other belt, but easily could have.

The point I am trying to make is that she drove it without the balance shaft working for a long time without any harm. (Heck, she drove it for a year without checking the oil, of which there was nearly NONE when I spotted it.)
 
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