I just received a set of five original Kia Sportage service manuals for the 1995. This is the most detailed set of manuals I have ever seen. The mechanical is two complete manuals, the electrical is one, and there are two supplemental manuals.

In reading the manuals I discovered an answer to a question that has been asked many times, are the SHOC and DHOC
engines interferrence engines? According to the set of manuals I have for the US spec engines both engines are non-interferrence. There is a not for both engines that state that relief cuts have been milled in the piston crowns so that if the timing is set incorrectly or a timing belt breaks the valves will not contact the piston. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I also have a complete set of service manuals for 1998 - 2000 Sportage. It does not have the SOHC engine since it was discontinued in 1995. This later version of the FSM makes no mention of whether the DOHC engine is interference or not. However, you can INFER that it's non-interference just by looking at the timing belt change procedure. It states that you can turn the camshafts and pistons INDEPENDENT of each other to line up the timing marks with the timing belt removed. If the engine were an interference design you would not be able to do that. And we have lots of experience with folks who have busted a belt and no damage occurred. And I also asked an experienced Kia Tech and he stated it was non-interference.

But your info just further reinforces what we figured we knew. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

and what would a guy have to do to aquire one of those 5 books for the 95 sohc from you?!!??!

I feel blessed to have found these. I saw them on ebay last week for a buy it now of $25.00 from a Kia dealer in NC. I pounced on them and the dealer offered me all the suplemental manuals for an additional $5.00. The whole deal was less than $40.00. I have been looking for the 1995 manual for months.

I will be happy to share any of the information with you but both versions are in the same manual. The 2WD was SOHC and the 4x4 was DOHC.

This set of manuals has detailed information on the repair and overhaul of the entire Sportage. Things like transmissions, half shafts (including overhauling the CV joints). I believe the manuals are more detailed because the Sportage was a new product to the US market in 1995.

The DOHC engine is non-interference. No problems at all when the belt breaks, my timing belt broke right at 60,000 miles!

My timing belt broke once and it didn't damage my engine

I love that... It's worth the small sacrifice in performance, IMO, because you save SO MUCH money not having to do a head job!

Same thing happened to my sister's 94 Geo Prizm once, I was so scared she would have damaged valves, but nope, changed the timing belt and the car has over 200,000 miles on it and it runs better than most newer cars I know of! Yay for non-interference engines!