I have a 2001 ford focus with a 2.0l Zetec engine.
It’s done 100k miles and ready for the timing belt replacing.
I’ve googled this and it say’s the Zetec engine is non interference, and so will not damage valves if it breaks.
My mechanic says computer say’s no! 😆 it ain’t non interference.
It does need replacing but at this moment in time I can’t afford so am hoping that googles right!!! 😀
Anyone know? Cheers.

Gates belts websites says all focus 2001 2.0 engines are interferance

Tbh if a belt went at 6 or 7k rpm i dont think id want to be driving it at the time ……….

Most cases engine will cut out asap anyway residual motion and twonks trying to restart their engine is what does the damage , remember youl loose power steering and brake servo assistance when it goes

Doesnt sound too clever to me – at 100k i hope your on belt on 2

Question
Hi. Can you please tell me if my forcus 2.0l ghia 2000 w reg is a non-interference engine. with thanks.

Answer
Yes your vehicle is an interference engine, therefore if the timing belt breaks then engine damage will result.

http://www.jennings-ford.co.uk/service/carcareview.aspx?sb=79

There are many completely difference engines labelled as Zetec btw, so be careful when looking on the webbage.

Might be worth posting on ffoc.co.uk for a definitive answer

“It should be noted that all Zetec engines (2.0 DOHC) are NOT interference engines. They are listed as interference in most tech manuals but this is wrong. All Data recently corrected this mistake. There are deep reliefs cut into the top of the piston to clear the valves when they are fully extended. There will be no valve damage if the timing belt breaks on a Zetec engine.”

Thanks guys for the replies, this is just one of many bits of information stating that the Zetec is not a interference, it’s not just a one off, so I’m starting to think maybe they are non interference. Unless I’m being too gullible to google! 🙄

Can’t comment on a Zetec, but from my car tinkering days on old Pinto engines the 2.0 was ok if a belt went (unless being thrashed), but the 1.6 would mark the pistons. I think the same was true of the old 1.3 & 1.6 CVH engines.

Wouldn’t it depend on the stroke ?

i reiterate my first statement ….

your cambelt goes you have no brake servo nor power steering

think about that for a moment – ok it could happen as an accident but knowingly going out with a belt with 100k/10years on it and mounting the pavement/smashing into a tree when your power steering and brakes fail you ?

at 100k i hope your on belt on 2

Ford state 100k for the belts.

Zetec engine is non interference

Is it a zetec? It might say zetec on the boot but I thought ford had moved onto the duratech by then? Zetec is now a trim level and confusingly some of the engines get labled as two or three different things, eg the 1.6 gets refered toas zetec-s, zetec-se, sigma and duratech!

As for non-interferance, I can’t imagine it would be, cutting big chunks out of the piston gor the sake of it costs money and power, unless they were intending to fit a really agressive cam that was still open at near TDC it’d just mess with the combustion.

your power steering and brakes fail you ?

Brakes and steering still work, the servo assist just multiplies whatever you press on the pedal using inlet manifold vacum, so if you take your foot off the throttle it’ll stop just as quickly as normal. So unless the engine acutaly siezes (in which case your wheels will lock anyway) the brakes will be just as powerfull. Steeting just gets a it heavy (my PS went a few weeks back, car was still driveable).

– you tried to stop a modern car once the engines gone ? power steering isnt such an issue but still a shock when it goes

is that a ford specific thing then tha the brake servo will still work without the engine running tinas ? the brakes on my mrs golf as as good as useless if the engine cuts out (big diesel engine driver hops in small petrol engine doing a hill start stall engine shocker )

ive been in a car when the engine siezes – not my engine/nor was i driving but i wasnt happy with the owner as he knew the radiator was leaking before we went on the journey – its not pleasent ! – was doing 70 on the motorway just beside kinross

fair enough on the belt being 100k now – my old zetec – 95 was 60k interval or 6 years

-edit of course im being dumb – its not the same – im stationary thus engines not turning but if your rolling along with an unseized engine youll still have pistons going up and down and thus servo will still work

trail_rat – Member
i reiterate my first statement ….
your cambelt goes you have no brake servo nor power steering
think about that for a moment – ok it could happen as an accident but knowingly going out with a belt with 100k/10years on it and mounting the pavement/smashing into a tree when your power steering and brakes fail you ?
POSTED 21 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Thanks for the advise, but your making me sound careless!
The belts on the 2.0l engine don’t need changing until every 100k or 10 year, whichever comes first.
So yes it’s due for changing but only just!

TINAS – cheers and yeh I think they were Zetecs up until 2002 when they changed to duratech. But that’s just what I googled though, so don’t count me on that! 😀

yeah dont worry i havnt had a ford in a while i hadnt realised the rating had gone up from 60k-100k …. in that case i wouldnt be worried if i got it changed in the next 10k or so !

is that a ford specific thing then tha the brake servo will still work without the engine running tinas ? the brakes on my mrs golf as as good as useless if the engine cuts out (big diesel engine driver hops in small petrol engine doing a hill start stall engine shocker )

No, thats how brake servos work, if you pay attention you can feel the pedal resistance change as you change gear and the engine revs rise/fall which influences the manifold vacum and thus brake power.

The engine has to be ‘running’ in the sense that it has to turn to generate the vacumn, but it doesn’t need to be on. If it does fail completely the standard multiplier inmost servos is 1.9, you you just have to press 1.9 times harder! Same way as if you park on a hill you can still roll down it and use the brakes, they’re just a bit harder to push the pedal.

Diesels are be different as they have no manifold vacumn. I think some actualy have a pump which produces the vacum.

I’ve been in a car when the engine siezes – not my engine/nor was i driving but i wasnt happy with the owner as he knew the radiator was leaking before we went on the journey – its not pleasent ! – was doing 70 on the motorway just beside kinross

I’m not saying the OP should deliberately go out to siexe his engine, but if say the cars 10 years old, and rusty, and not going to pass another MOT, then a £800 cambelt service might be pointless if it just has to limp on for another few months.

If he intends to keep it he may as well do it now as it’ll have to be done at some point and it’ll be cheeper now than when it’s wrecked his engine.

aye i realised that after i wrote it and edited TINAS

it might be 1.9 but they are still next to useless – id hate to have them at speed – they go very wooden as well !

Zetec is now a trim level

Thanks for posting that, I thought that’d happened at some point but was never sure … I only knew Zetec as Ford’s VVTi or VTEC equivalent

I only knew Zetec as Ford’s VVTi or VTEC equivalent

No, thats VCT, but they don’t seem to shout about it like other companies, probbaly because they were very late to the party.

Ford use the kent engine for ages, but that started life in the 50’s in the anglia and somewhow managed to make it tot he 90’s with soem minor changes! There was also the Pinto (and its later variations, CVH, DOHC) for larger engines.

The Zetec was the newer engine, but was usualy an upgrade. Hence it’s current use to specify a trim level (usualy one up from the basic car, so alloy wheels, CD player, heated windscreen, AC and electric windows).

Then there was the Sigma engine designed with Yamaha, that’s what went in the Puma, the biggest being the 1.7 in the raceing puma thats actualy no more powerfull than the 1.6.

The Duratech is the bigger engine (so replaceing the pinto).

However the sigmas are now branded as duratech like all ford engines, including the 5cyl ones bought from Volvo and the V6. So 4 different engines, all called duratech, with no common parts! Depsite this it’s possible to build soem pretty cool engines as the parts might not be interchangeable, but they are the same size, so diesel bottom ends can make a good acompliment for a highly tuned petrol engines cylinders and head!

VCT cylinder heads arrived arround 2005 I think.

They are non-interference engines. Though I have known people with the 1.8 lumps to have bent valves when the timing belt / tensioners gave way.
Mind you, the 2.0 has a lower compression ratio, so the valves sit further away.
Ford rate the belts as good for 100K miles, but not the actual belt tensioners, which are more likely to give up the ghost before the belt.