On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 18:02:51 -0500, Peabody <waybackKILLSPAM44@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>Why, you may ask, is he changing the timing belt at 46,000 miles
>instead of the nominal 90,000? Well, because it's a '94 Accord,
>coming up on its 10th birthday in September. I've come to accept,
>reluctantly, that I should get the timing belt changed. Actually, I
>don't believer for a minute that the belt is anywhere near failing,
>but, you know, the penalty for being wrong about that is pretty
>severe, so....
>
>But it's not at all clear what else, if anything, I should do at the
>same time. I know the usual advice is to change the water pump, and
>the balancer belt, and maybe other things, so you can avoid paying
>the labor charge all over again if one of those things fails. But,
>you know, at 46,000 miles, I wonder if it might make sense not to do
>all those other things.
>
>To me, the question is whether, in the process of failing, those
>other things would cause a demonstration of the meaning of the word
>"interference", or whether they would just make me pay an extra $200
>to replace them. I don't want to risk the former, but would be
>willing to risk the latter.
>
>I don't know what all is involved, but if, for example, the water
>pump is actually driven by the timing belt, then the only way a
>failed water pump would cause an interference disaster is if it
>failed by freezing up, in turn causing the timing belt to break. If
>it just starts leaking, then that's expensive, but not a disaster.
>It seems highly unlikely that a waterpump is going to suddenly fail
>by freezing up.

A Honda water pump can start binding after ~20K miles of using a coolant
with silicates in it - been there, done that.

>And what about the balancer belt (whatever that is)? Is that the
>same situation? And are there tensioner pulleys or other things
>involved? At 46,000 miles, I'm really tempted to change just the
>timing belt, and leave the other stuff alone. I would appreciate
>you guys' insight as to which items that might make sense for.

The balancer belt has had the same temp cycling and flexing duty as the
timing belt - additional cost is so low, it's going to have to come off to
get at the timing belt anyway IIRC, so I can't see why you wouldn't replace
it too. If the balancer belt goes, it can tangle up in the timing belt and
err, break it. The tensioner pulleys should be examined - the adjustment
mechanism can get quite corroded depending on where you live and the
bearing can obviously wear out too... it's a judgement call on them. Same
with end seals on the camshaft, oil pump cover and balance shaft - not sure
if the '94 had the balance shaft seal retainer installed at the factory.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??