Honda Car Forum

Hi!

Could any Honda Civic late 80's owner help me with timing the belt,
please. In the cam gear there are three marks and "UP" text, and it's
easy to figure out, that one of the marks should be aligned with the
mark in the plastic cover (when the "UP" points up). In the crank pulley
there are two markings: one double line and one triple line (with red
paint in the middle line). I can't see any other marks (like white
paint, what is sometimes used as timing mark). Which of these two marks
should be aligned with the mark in the plastic cover?

- Jouko L.

The Chilton's manual says to use "the red timing mark" for all 89 Civics.

Not sure what you mean about the "UP" text. Do you have a vee notch and pointer
on your timing belt cover? A good description (with great photos) of the
procedure for a 1990 Civic CRX appears at
http://www.norcalcrx.org/ht.html#ignition . Not that it will necessarily help
you see the marks, but it couldn't hurt. See especially Fig. 6.

I checked my 1991 Civic LX's timing yesterday. On the crankshaft pulley I could
just barely see the white mark (top dead center?) and the three marks (red mark
in the middle) after it. I could just barely make out the white and red colors.
Being 100% sure the red mark was dead-on lined up with the pointer in the vee
seems difficult, given the limits of the human eye (or maybe the red mark being
covered with grease and grime).

"Jouko L." <joke@cc.hut.fix.the.addr.by.changing.fix.to.fi> wrote
> Could any Honda Civic late 80's owner help me with timing the belt,
> please. In the cam gear there are three marks and "UP" text, and it's
> easy to figure out, that one of the marks should be aligned with the
> mark in the plastic cover (when the "UP" points up). In the crank pulley
> there are two markings: one double line and one triple line (with red
> paint in the middle line). I can't see any other marks (like white
> paint, what is sometimes used as timing mark). Which of these two marks
> should be aligned with the mark in the plastic cover?

Caroline wrote:
>
> The Chilton's manual says to use "the red timing mark" for all 89 Civics.

The red mark indicates 18°BTDC while the two marks immediately surrounding
it indicate +/- 2°. One should not use this mark for setting up a timing
belt as valves will get bent. The TDC mark is white and should align with
the pointers on the lower cover. Incidentally, the marks on the cam pulley
should align with the top surface of the head when the word up is indeed up.

Eric

"Eric" <say.no@spam.now> wrote
> Caroline wrote:
> > The Chilton's manual says to use "the red timing mark" for all 89 Civics.
>
> The red mark indicates 18°BTDC while the two marks immediately surrounding
> it indicate +/- 2°. One should not use this mark for setting up a timing
> belt as valves will get bent. The TDC mark is white and should align with
> the pointers on the lower cover. Incidentally, the marks on the cam pulley
> should align with the top surface of the head when the word up is indeed up.

Thanks for the correction.

Caroline wrote:
> The Chilton's manual says to use "the red timing mark" for all 89 Civics.
>
> Not sure what you mean about the "UP" text.

There's an "UP" text stamped on the cam gear. When the cam gear is
aligned so that this text is pointing up, the two marks on the gear are
aligned with the top of the cyl. head and the third one is pointing to
the vee notch on the belt cover.

> Do you have a vee notch and pointer
> on your timing belt cover?

Yes.

> A good description (with great photos) of the
> procedure for a 1990 Civic CRX appears at
> http://www.norcalcrx.org/ht.html#ignition . Not that it will necessarily help
> you see the marks, but it couldn't hurt. See especially Fig. 6.
>
> I checked my 1991 Civic LX's timing yesterday. On the crankshaft pulley I could
> just barely see the white mark (top dead center?) and the three marks (red mark
> in the middle) after it. I could just barely make out the white and red colors.
> Being 100% sure the red mark was dead-on lined up with the pointer in the vee
> seems difficult, given the limits of the human eye (or maybe the red mark being
> covered with grease and grime).

Thank you very much for your advices!

- Jouko L.