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1994 Ford Escort

Question: Longevity after blown timing belt, water pump

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yep, 1.9L 4 Cylinder, Madison, WI, October 07, 2010, 09:35
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 Rookie

A couple of months ago the timing belt blew (or the water pump took it out). We had both items replaced, as well as the serpentine belt and tensioners. What is the longevity after a blown timing belt? Did any damage happen to the engine? At the repair shop as the mechanic was checking everything following the belt, etc., repair, the cooling fan would not engage. The mechanic worked around this by flushing the radiator, which was apparently full of gray sludge. Now the check coolant light stays on, despite having enough fluids, and there appears to be something wrong with the exhaust system, but the muffler seems okay. However, the car is extremely loud. Could this have something to do with the catalytic converter and could this have been a result of the blown timing belt? Should we keep throwing good money after bad? The Escort wagon has 120-130K miles and we just bought it for $950 and have put about $800 into it, which puts us at book value. Should we repair?

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  • Answer #1

    Forrest S (see my shops), October 07, 2010, 10:10
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    Damage from a stripped timing belt is immediate and obvious. If the engine did not skip or miss after the belt was replaced, there was no damage. The water pump is a different story. If it went out and leaked coolant it's possible the engine ran overheated and did damage. Overheating damage is not so easy to detect. Symptoms can be steam from the tailpipe, skipping or missing when first cranked in the AM, or a continued overheating. If you have any of the above symptoms, it's not worth repair.

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