Honda Car Forum

1998 Integra, non-Vtec engine
Car has 120k miles, so it was past time - I replaced the timing belt.
I don't have an Acura manual (not for lack of trying - they apparently don't
exist on my part of the planet)
Timing belt replacement went fairly smoothly - it's not my first serious
engine work, or my first timing belt. I got the mechanicals set OK (all
teeth lined up proper, etc) and buttoned the motor back up. While I was at
it, I changed oil & filter and replaced spark plugs.

Now the motor starts, but won't run right. It acts like the ignition
timing's off by 30+ degrees (revs up high just fine, but has no power at low
speed, and nearly stalls when I put it in gear). Valve timing is right - as
I mentioned earlier, all the sprockets lined up right, and a compression
check shows 150 PSI. But SOMETHING is wrong with ignition timing.

I've checked over the engine three times looking for anything left
unplugged - no luck.

I tried to go to alldatadiy for the info - and they don't have it. Honda has
told them to pull all its info. So here I am - no shop manual and no way to
get one, and no online data either. Apparently Honda is declaring war on
do-it-yourselfers.

Does anyone have the procedure for setting ignition timing?
Or any other ideas?

On 7/17/04 5:24 PM, in article
IGhKc.2133$iK.837@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net , "Frankie"
<rowe_remove_south@earthlink.remove.net> wrote:

> 1998 Integra, non-Vtec engine
> Car has 120k miles, so it was past time - I replaced the timing belt.
> I don't have an Acura manual (not for lack of trying - they apparently don't
> exist on my part of the planet)
> Timing belt replacement went fairly smoothly - it's not my first serious
> engine work, or my first timing belt. I got the mechanicals set OK (all
> teeth lined up proper, etc) and buttoned the motor back up. While I was at
> it, I changed oil & filter and replaced spark plugs.
>
> Now the motor starts, but won't run right. It acts like the ignition
> timing's off by 30+ degrees (revs up high just fine, but has no power at low
> speed, and nearly stalls when I put it in gear). Valve timing is right - as
> I mentioned earlier, all the sprockets lined up right, and a compression
> check shows 150 PSI. But SOMETHING is wrong with ignition timing.
>
> I've checked over the engine three times looking for anything left
> unplugged - no luck.
>
> I tried to go to alldatadiy for the info - and they don't have it. Honda has
> told them to pull all its info. So here I am - no shop manual and no way to
> get one, and no online data either. Apparently Honda is declaring war on
> do-it-yourselfers.
>
> Does anyone have the procedure for setting ignition timing?
> Or any other ideas?
>
>
The belt is off by a tooth. Did you crank it around by hand to get the
slack out and recheck it before tightening the tensioner? They have a way of
moving off by a tooth or so when the belt tightens.

theirs no way the timing got off bye itself I would recheck your belt timing
and don't move your distributor as it was in time
"Frankie" <rowe_remove_south@earthlink.remove.net> wrote in message
news:IGhKc.2133$iK.837@newsread2.news.atl.earthlin k.net...
> 1998 Integra, non-Vtec engine
> Car has 120k miles, so it was past time - I replaced the timing belt.
> I don't have an Acura manual (not for lack of trying - they apparently
don't
> exist on my part of the planet)
> Timing belt replacement went fairly smoothly - it's not my first serious
> engine work, or my first timing belt. I got the mechanicals set OK (all
> teeth lined up proper, etc) and buttoned the motor back up. While I was at
> it, I changed oil & filter and replaced spark plugs.
>
> Now the motor starts, but won't run right. It acts like the ignition
> timing's off by 30+ degrees (revs up high just fine, but has no power at
low
> speed, and nearly stalls when I put it in gear). Valve timing is right -
as
> I mentioned earlier, all the sprockets lined up right, and a compression
> check shows 150 PSI. But SOMETHING is wrong with ignition timing.
>
> I've checked over the engine three times looking for anything left
> unplugged - no luck.
>
> I tried to go to alldatadiy for the info - and they don't have it. Honda
has
> told them to pull all its info. So here I am - no shop manual and no way
to
> get one, and no online data either. Apparently Honda is declaring war on
> do-it-yourselfers.
>
> Does anyone have the procedure for setting ignition timing?
> Or any other ideas?
>
>

OK, I'm stupid, for two reasons:
- Never thought to look under "H" for an Acura manual
- Never rechecked the timing before closing the engine. The damn thing was
off by one tooth.

It took me three tries to get both cams to stay in line, but I finally got
it - and followed all the directions in the book this time.

It now runs like new

Thanks for the help!

I also had a hell of a time finding my Acura manual for the same reason.
Looked around for a few weeks before I went to the Haynes website to see if
such a manual was ever even MADE. My Acura was covered by the same manual as
the `96-`00 Civic and the `97-`00 CRV. Who'da thunk...

ah, in fact, it's most likely the same manual you eventually found :-)

"Frankie" <rowe_remove_south@earthlink.remove.net> wrote in message
news:uK7Lc.6584$f4.3366@newsread3.news.atl.earthli nk.net...
> OK, I'm stupid, for two reasons:
> - Never thought to look under "H" for an Acura manual
> - Never rechecked the timing before closing the engine. The damn thing was
> off by one tooth.
>
> It took me three tries to get both cams to stay in line, but I finally got
> it - and followed all the directions in the book this time.
>
> It now runs like new
>
> Thanks for the help!
>
>