Is a 94 ford 2.3L engine an interference engine. will valves hit piston if the timing belt breaks

It can ,if it is a interference fix engine .
An interference engine is a type of 4-stroke internal combustion piston engine in which one or more valves in the fully open position extends into any area that the piston may travel into.
Timing Belts Interference Engines

Interference engines are those in which the pistons can make contact with the valves, and will do so if the timing belt (or chain) breaks, usually resulting in extensive damage. This is why such engines have belt replacement intervals which should never be exceeded. Non-interference engines may safely have the crankshaft rotated to any position while no timing belt is installed without pistons hitting valves. Why do we have interference engines you may ask? This is done to enhance performance by allowing longer cam opening times and higher cam lift.

Volvo recommends for Volvo S80, changing the timing belt every 105,000 miles. Needless to say, they are pretty religious about this now.
The B20, B21, B23, and B230 engines are non-interference engines, meaning that the camshaft can be rotated independently of the crankshaft and no damage will result to the engine. That is, if the timing belt breaks, the valves will not hit the pistons; the engine will simply stop.
On the other hand, the B234 16-valve engines and any of the other Volvo multi valve engines are interference engines. Loss of the timing belt in these engines will result in severe or fatal engine damage.
Your car might be fitted with:
2.8L (VIN 90, 6th & 7th digit, B6284T eng, turbo)
2.9L (VIN 94, 6th & 7th digit, B6294S eng)
To get more information you can download the Owners manual at:
http://new.volvocars.com/ownersdocs/2001/2001_s80/01s80_08b.htm

There are marks on the pulleys and engine to line everything up. I would check to see if the car has an interference engine, if the timing belt breaks, some of the valves will be left open and the pistons will come up and hit and bend the valves.

The water pump is driven by the cam belt and on some vehicles with an interference engine if the water pump failed and cause the cam belt to break then it could cause internal engine damage. Your 1997 Rav4 water pump is driven by the cam belt but is not an interference engine. So, not to worry as no damage has been done. Just replace the water pump and cam belt and all should be well.

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters Basically the timing belt connects the crankshaft with the two camshafts. This allows the valves to open allowing air into the engine at the right time. If the belt breaks then the crankshaft along with the piston and rod assembly will still move but the valves will be still. This can cause the piston to collide with the valves which can cause damage to the pistons, valves, and the entire head in some cases. There is a chance of nothing getting damage though. There are interference and free-wheeling engines. The difference is that free-wheeling engines has a space between the top of the piston and the bottom of the valve so if the belt did break then the valve would not hit the top of the piston

If the timing belt stripped out chances are a valve in the interference engine was bent. These engine are called interference engines because they are designed in such a way that if the belt breaks or strips out the valve gets in the way of the piston and get hit by the piston, the timing marks can be found in a haynes repair manual found at Auto Zone or Advanced Auto Zone.

It bends valve and hurts pistons,ITs not a good thing when this happens,Is this what the shop told you? and I hope this helps you?

depends on the Engine in the car.

1.9L SOHC (SEFI on Valve Cover)engine, no, they are non-interferance engines, put a new timing belt on it and go.

1.8 DOHC engine, yes, it will destroy the valves, head, pistons, and if really bad, the block too. These engines are interferance engines, where the valves just barely miss the piston as it comes up, and when the belt breaks it will hit the valves and destroy the engine.

The ZX2 Zetec is a non-interference engine. This means the valves are not capable of touching the pistons at any time. If your belt breaks, there will not be any valve damage. There are reliefs cut into the top of the pistons that allow clearance for the valves if the belt breaks. Most engines are interference and will cause several hundred or even thousands of dollars of damage when a timing belt breaks. Most shop manuals list the ZX2 as interference but it is not. Many people seek out this how-to because a mechanic has informed them that they have valve damage and quoted a repair price over $1000.