Honda Car Forum

Hi all, I recently replaced timing belt/water pump on my wife's 98
civic. I also ajusted valves clearance as well. After taking the car
for its first ride, my wife complained about a pinging noise that I
immediatly validated. I checked back the belt job - everything was
fine. I also did the valves clearance ajustement another time to make
sure everything was done well. So it is.

What happened here? Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanx.

By any chance does the noise go away after the car is warmed
up? Is it more like a ticking noise?

If so, all is well. It just means the valve lash is adjusted
on the large side, rather than the small, which is
preferable. If the valve lash is too small, a valve may
overheat and burn.

"doozcoopey" <jfhuot@yahoo.com> wrote
> Hi all, I recently replaced timing belt/water pump on my
> wife's 98
> civic. I also ajusted valves clearance as well. After
> taking the car
> for its first ride, my wife complained about a pinging
> noise that I
> immediatly validated. I checked back the belt job -
> everything was
> fine. I also did the valves clearance ajustement another
> time to make
> sure everything was done well. So it is.
>
> What happened here? Any help will be greatly appreciated,
> thanx.
>

In article <1146592349.949304.304620@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups .com>,
"doozcoopey" <jfhuot@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi all, I recently replaced timing belt/water pump on my wife's 98
> civic. I also ajusted valves clearance as well. After taking the car
> for its first ride, my wife complained about a pinging noise that I
> immediatly validated. I checked back the belt job - everything was
> fine. I also did the valves clearance ajustement another time to make
> sure everything was done well. So it is.
>
> What happened here? Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanx.

Please check your repair manual and tell us whether or not your
car has a knock sensor.

You need to reset the timing.


Check these items:

It may be related to the spark plug wires or the spark plugs.

You may have a vacuum leak.

It may be related to the EGR valve.

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Unfortunatly, the noise does not go away when engine becomes warm. Not
sure about the ticking sound, it is not ''rpm syncro'' and it only
appears under load (when accelerating)

It does have a KS.
I dont think plugs or wires could be involved, since the problem
atrated immediatly after the belt/valves job

How do you reset timing? this is a new interresting element to me;

It may have a vacuum leak, ill check for it as soon as the car gets
back here

Thanx alot

In article <1146601781.368749.7830@y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.c om>,
"doozcoopey" <jfhuot@yahoo.com> wrote:

> It does have a KS.
> I dont think plugs or wires could be involved, since the problem
> atrated immediatly after the belt/valves job
>
> How do you reset timing? this is a new interresting element to me;
>
> It may have a vacuum leak, ill check for it as soon as the car gets
> back here
>
> Thanx alot

You need a timing light. Hopefully, the instructions should come with
the timing light. If you have a repair manual, there may be instuctions
in the manual on how to adjust the timing. Perhaps someone could post
the URL of a website that provides instuctions on how to set the timing.
Perhaps you could ask one of your friends to show you how to do it.
It's really easy.
Jason

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"Jason" <jason@nospam.com> wrote
> "doozcoopey" <jfhuot@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> It does have a KS.
>> I dont think plugs or wires could be involved, since the
>> problem
>> atrated immediatly after the belt/valves job
>>
>> How do you reset timing? this is a new interresting
>> element to me;
>>
>> It may have a vacuum leak, ill check for it as soon as
>> the car gets
>> back here
>>
>> Thanx alot
>
> You need a timing light. Hopefully, the instructions
> should come with
> the timing light. If you have a repair manual, there may
> be instuctions
> in the manual on how to adjust the timing. Perhaps someone
> could post
> the URL of a website that provides instuctions on how to
> set the timing.

The Chilton's manuals for Honda autos have the instructions
for setting the timing.

Jason is correct that after a timing belt job, one is
supposed to check and adjust as necessary the timing.

Here's a nice overview, with photos, for setting the timing
on an older Honda. Much or all of the steps should be the
same for a 98 Civic.

http://www.norcalcrx.org/ht.html#ignition

Also, the 97 Civic manual at
http://www.honda.co.uk/car/owner/workshop.html may replicate
the steps for a 98, but no guarantees. It's at least worth
reviewing.

I bought my timing light on Ebay for about $15. Nothing
fancy is needed.

Not sure this is behind the pinging. I'd be a little
concerned it was coming from the water pump, whose bearings
make a high pitched cheap-cheap noise, for one, if they are
near failure.

doozcoopey wrote:
>
> Hi all, I recently replaced timing belt/water pump on my wife's 98
> civic. I also ajusted valves clearance as well. After taking the car
> for its first ride, my wife complained about a pinging noise that I
> immediatly validated. I checked back the belt job - everything was
> fine. I also did the valves clearance ajustement another time to make
> sure everything was done well. So it is.
>
> What happened here? Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanx.


--------------------------------

Sounds like your timing is incorrect. Computer will do that if your
coolant is not absolutely full, or the timing was reset without putting
the service jumper on. Fill reservoir to MAX, per the owner's manual and
see if it gets better next day (then refill reservoir to MAX again). No
tap water.

'Curly'

In article <57Q5g.2866$Vn.2412@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.n et>, "Elle"
<honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote:

> "Jason" <jason@nospam.com> wrote
> > "doozcoopey" <jfhuot@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> >> It does have a KS.
> >> I dont think plugs or wires could be involved, since the
> >> problem
> >> atrated immediatly after the belt/valves job
> >>
> >> How do you reset timing? this is a new interresting
> >> element to me;
> >>
> >> It may have a vacuum leak, ill check for it as soon as
> >> the car gets
> >> back here
> >>
> >> Thanx alot
> >
> > You need a timing light. Hopefully, the instructions
> > should come with
> > the timing light. If you have a repair manual, there may
> > be instuctions
> > in the manual on how to adjust the timing. Perhaps someone
> > could post
> > the URL of a website that provides instuctions on how to
> > set the timing.
>
> The Chilton's manuals for Honda autos have the instructions
> for setting the timing.
>
> Jason is correct that after a timing belt job, one is
> supposed to check and adjust as necessary the timing.
>
> Here's a nice overview, with photos, for setting the timing
> on an older Honda. Much or all of the steps should be the
> same for a 98 Civic.
>
> http://www.norcalcrx.org/ht.html#ignition
>
> Also, the 97 Civic manual at
> http://www.honda.co.uk/car/owner/workshop.html may replicate
> the steps for a 98, but no guarantees. It's at least worth
> reviewing.
>
> I bought my timing light on Ebay for about $15. Nothing
> fancy is needed.
>
> Not sure this is behind the pinging. I'd be a little
> concerned it was coming from the water pump, whose bearings
> make a high pitched cheap-cheap noise, for one, if they are
> near failure.

Elle,
Thanks for your excellent post. You always seem to provide
really great advice. Keep up the great work. We appreciate
it. I have learned a lot from your posts and the posts of the
other mechanics.
Jason

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We respect those subscribers that ask for advice or provide advice.
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"Jason" <jason@nospam.com> wrote
"Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote:
snip
>> I bought my timing light on Ebay for about $15. Nothing
>> fancy is needed.

Oops. I shopped Ebay, where timing lights move very fast,
but not being fast enough, I ended up happily buying an old
Craftsman timing light at a pawn shop for $15. The pawn shop
owner let me check it out in the parking lot, first.

>> Not sure this is behind the pinging. I'd be a little
>> concerned it was coming from the water pump, whose
>> bearings
>> make a high pitched cheap-cheap noise, for one, if they
>> are
>> near failure.
>
> Elle,
> Thanks for your excellent post. You always seem to provide
> really great advice. Keep up the great work. We appreciate
> it. I have learned a lot from your posts and the posts of
> the
> other mechanics.

Likewise, Jason. I'd forgot that, of course the ignition
timing (the one adjusted by twisting the distributor
housing) can be affected with the installation of a new
timing belt.