RAY: There are a lot of differences between the 1991 Honda Civic I wrote about and your 1957 Ford, Lindle. One is that a 1991 Honda was extremely unlikely to die on you in 1991. But more importantly, your old Ford did not have an "interference engine."
Starting in the 1980s, Honda, and lots of other manufacturers, started making engines in which the open valves and the pistons shared the same space at times – or overlapped – inside each cylinder. The timing belt, as its name suggests, ensures that when the valves drop down from the top and open into the cylinder, the piston is not near the top at the top of its stroke. And when the piston comes up to the top, it ensures that the valves are closed and out of the way.
The advantage of this design is that it allows for an increase in compression ratio and lets the valves get wider, which means more power and better mileage from the same-size engine.
But if the timing belt breaks or jumps, the pistons can – and often do – crash into the valves and bend them. That’s why manufacturers – especially those that use interference engine designs – insist that customers change their timing belts at 90,000 miles (on average). And why we strongly reinforce that advice to our customers.
Your Ford did not have an interference engine. So the valves could be fully open and the piston could be at the top dead center, and the two would not touch. So among the many problems you probably had with that Ford, getting the valves crushed by the pistons was not one of them.
You also didn’t have a timing belt. You had a timing chain, or even timing gears, which were more common then. Interestingly, we’re seeing a lot more timing chains again these days, as manufacturers have figured out how to make them truly reliable (unlike the one in your 1957 Ford). And now they almost never fail.
So you were one of the lucky ones, Lindle. Lucky you were driving a ’57 Ford instead of a ’07 Ford.
How to keep your wife happy and still keep the car: paint it!
Dear Car Talk:
I have a red 2007 Toyota Tacoma with 133,000 miles. I bought it used eight years ago, and since then I've only had to do oil and tire changes, and replace a drive shaft bracket bolt. In other words, it's been perfect for my cheapskate style of car ownership. The problem is that the paint is peeling something terrible. And while I think it makes me look like a real Texas rancher, my wife is getting pretty embarrassed about it. After a near coronary when I priced a new truck, I've decided I have to keep this 'til at least 200,000 miles. What is your suggestion for the cheapest strategy for keeping a car while at the same time surviving the marital strife? – Jay
RAY: Well, my brother never figured that one out, Jay. Which explains at least several of his divorces.
But if the paint job is all that’s bothering your wife, then get it repainted. It may cost you a couple of thousand dollars, but if the truck is in good shape and you really plan to keep it for another 65,000 miles, it’s probably worth it.
This truck was made and painted during the time when the Environmental Protection Agency was forcing carmakers to use less-toxic paints. And, unfortunately, it took them a few years to get the new formulas right. So a bunch of cars from this era “de-laminated.” That means their paint came off in sheets.
On an 11-year-old truck, Toyota will tell you you’re on your own, so don’t expect any help from them. And, depending on the condition of the clear coat and the underlying color, a paint shop may have to strip it down to bare metal to repaint it.
But if that keeps your wife happy, and keeps you happy in your old truck, I’d say that’s a few thousand dollars well-invested.
In fact, be a sport, Jay … let her pick the color.
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