breaking timing belt hurts engine?

i have a 2000 toyota tacoma with a 3.4L. i have 102,000 miles on it and ive heard that you have to replace your timing belt at 90,000. does anyone know if on this vehicle when the timing belt breaks if it hurts your engine?

 

if the timing belt breaks it is definitely not good for your engine, weird things happen, valves hitting pistons for one. Im not sure at what milage to replace them?

 

You gotta get that done NOW. That belt breaking means the top and bottom of the motor flying out of sync and motor parts colliding as said by sonjay! THAT is the one replacement not to be cheap about or gamble with.

 

Sorry for the mistake and thank you Chris for the correction-I assumed from my Honda days.

 

I bought my 1999 Tacoma 3 years ago, with 56,000 miles. Had some extra cash at the time and did the belt, water pump, cam seals. Turns out the Water Pump was showing signs of wear by leaking at the weap hole in the h2o pump. So a good find, also it's a good idea to change your coolant often, I do mine once a year, it helps keep galvanic corrosion to a minimum( Steel Block Aluminum Heads) the dissimilar metals in contact will actually cause corrosion in the aluminum heads...='s bad water passages in the head.

 

FYI to all, timing belt needs to be replaced at 90K miles, not 100K, RTFM.

 

On 1st or 2nd gens?
I had a 96 3.4L and the timing belt was recommended to be changed at 60K miles.

 

The later '98s-'04s say 90,000 miles. Interesting thing is I googled "3.4 timing belt breaks" and there's a few sites that claim "serious engine damage will occur"...WIKI answers even said the 3.4 is an "interference engine" which I know is totally wrong now. So I feel better knowing I aint the only one who foibled on this one

 

wow you learn something everyday, thanks chris for the info! I like that toyota went back to a chain on the 2nd gens too!!