MAZDA MPV 96 - BROKEN Timing belt messes up my journey Interference engine or non ?

Question

I was relocating a long distance with 8 bags stuffed in a Mazda MPV 96.Here is the Vin # JM3LV523XT0808323. It all happened in a small town Tucamcari NM. My Car broke down last week. I paid some $150 to get it down 15miles of 40W to this town to one of the 'reliable' Ford Dealers.Turns out they told me that my Van is WORTH SCRAP as the timing belt is broken.Since its an interference motor the valves would have been damaged.So the only way you can make the rest of the journey is buy another car from our best friend next door and get SCRAP value of $250 for this MPV.I did that out of no resort since I had to make it with 4 wheels & my stuff in there.Then NEXT week, after reaching my destination,something blinked in me and I called up the local tech.They told me this is a NON INTERFERENCE engine.Mazda Dealership confirmed the same information - They gave you the wrong info.

Now NONE of the auto shops want to put in a timing belt, cos they all feel its an interference motor ( == the vans worth junk ) .Its a small town and I am big game .The closest big town from here is some 110miles. I dont know what I should be doing:

<>is that Vin# Mazda an interference or non interference engine

<>any brainstorming ideas about whats the best way out for me to get a decent value for my van or what I should be doing.

Thanks

Answer 1

http://www.gates.com/part_locator/index....

Go here to find out for sure.

Answer 2

a shade tree like me has a machine shop that i call they see the insides of these motors and what ever they say is the gospel to me they do the machine work for these 10000 dollar engines once you are sure about the motor you could say to the mechanic put the belt on and if the valves are bent i wont hold you responsible or if you find a mechanic that is cheap enough he can pull the head/heads have that machine shop check them and then put it back together a 500 dollar down payment might help too  

Answer 3

Early EJ18s and EJ22s were non-interference, the later EJ22s are interference... . I&#039;m not sure about the last year or so of the EJ18, I know some changes were made but I&#039;m not sure whether the motor became interference or not at that point.

For all practical intents and purposes modern EJ series motors are interference. There are very few people running around with EJ18s.