Ford Repair: Valve Piston Interference Question, ford econoline, valve piston

Question
Steve,

Recently, my 1993 Ford Econoline 300IL 6, stalled.  Upon initial diagnosis, I learned that there is no spark.  Upon further diagnosis, I learned that the distributor rotor is not moving.  I replaced the distributor hoping for a miracle but no success.  I have a question and a request for your opinion. Question: is this engine an interference style engine? Opinion: this motor has 200,000 miles, is it realistic to think that this engine can provide more miles?

Answer
Mario-

  Yes, the 300 I6 engine is an interference style engine as far as I know.  I'd assume either your timing chain broke (which would be a little unusual since they usually show signs of wear/stretch long before simply breaking) or the teeth have been stripped off of the distributor drive gear on the cam.  How long the engine lasts depends on a lot of things.  Most important is how well it's been maintained.  There's also a bit of luck involved.  The 300 I6 motors have a pretty good reputation so it's not out of the question for it to keep running for quite some time.  Hope this helps.

Steve