Honda Car Forum

I forgot I had another question about this item... could I replace a
timing belt myself, or does it require a mechanic to do so?
I have very little experience working on car mechanics, but I'm
competent when it comes to repairing stuff, so if its a simple job that
doesn't require special tools or pulling out an engine block...

<deleteme@posyrorer.mailshell.com> wrote in message
news:1114003984.556962.151530@l41g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...

Can you know that the timing belt needs replacement by looking at it
for signs of wear, or do you just replace it every so many miles even
if it looks in perfect condition? I was told by a mechanic to replace
the timing belt immediately after any car purchase, so that I could
have a receipt that showed the date and mileage when it was replaced,
so I could know when to replace it the next time. But it seems to me a
grand waste of money to replace it if it is still in perfect working
condition.

Sometimes the belt shows signs of wear before it fails, but not often enough
to bet your engine on. Following the stated replacement intervals is the
only reasonably safe way to go - and even that has a finite risk. The
specified interval is probably the best balance of costs.

The big problem is that the belt doesn't usually break, but more often the
teeth break off. The layer that fails just isn't visible (even with the belt
off) so going by belt appearance is no more reliable than going by
appearance of the accelerator pedal.

I changed the belt on my (non-interference) Volvo engine way later than it
should have been. There were some tiny cracks in the outside surface, but it
looked good otherwise. However, I could pick the teeth off with my
thumbnail!

Mike

<deleteme@posyrorer.mailshell.com> wrote in message
news:1114004192.954046.148650@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com...
>I forgot I had another question about this item... could I replace a
> timing belt myself, or does it require a mechanic to do so?
> I have very little experience working on car mechanics, but I'm
> competent when it comes to repairing stuff, so if its a simple job that
> doesn't require special tools or pulling out an engine block...
>
It is a beast. Actually, the one step that makes strong men cry is getting
the crank bolt loose. Special tools are only part of the problem - the bolt
is so tight that it usually takes a serious impact wrench to get it loose. I
bought a 500 ft-lb air impact wrench and still had to buy a special tool to
hold the crank pulley when we did the belt on my son's Acura. Of course, a
torque wrench with 200 ft-lb capacity is required for reassembly

Important note: you can't use the shadetree trick of bracing a socket handle
and bumping the starter to break the crank bolt loose... the engine turns
the wrong way.

But if you can get a shop to break the %^$#!! thing loose and retighten it
enough to get you home, it isn't awful. Attention to detail - especially
getting the belt on the same way it came off, not one tooth off on one
sprocket even though the cam wants to turn - is important. If you get it
wrong, or don't get the belt tensioned properly, you can do really serious
damage (or at least have to start over).

All told, you should give it a lot of thought if you want to DIY. I put it
in the category of replacing a clutch - one with a *really* tight bolt
holding something!.

Mike

Michael Pardee wrote:
> <deleteme@posyrorer.mailshell.com> wrote in message
> news:1114004192.954046.148650@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com...
>
>>I forgot I had another question about this item... could I replace a
>>timing belt myself, or does it require a mechanic to do so?
>>I have very little experience working on car mechanics, but I'm
>>competent when it comes to repairing stuff, so if its a simple job that
>>doesn't require special tools or pulling out an engine block...
>>
>
> It is a beast. Actually, the one step that makes strong men cry is getting
> the crank bolt loose. Special tools are only part of the problem - the bolt
> is so tight that it usually takes a serious impact wrench to get it loose. I
> bought a 500 ft-lb air impact wrench and still had to buy a special tool to
> hold the crank pulley when we did the belt on my son's Acura. Of course, a
> torque wrench with 200 ft-lb capacity is required for reassembly

in addition to the holding tool, i highly recommend a 3/4" breaker bar
with [most importantly] the 3/4" extension. like you, i recently tried
replacing my timing belt without air tools, and with a normal 1/2"
drive, i thought i was for sure going to break something. with the 3/4"
tools however, that bolt came loose immediately & without undue effort.
[it was disapointing in a way because i'd even gone to the trouble of
buying a 5' "torque amplifier" just in case!] anyway, i wondered if i'd
perhaps loosened it with my 1/2" drive efforts earlier, but i did my
other civic a couple of weeks later & again, the bolt came loose
immediately with the 3/4" drive. very worthwhile investment. the 3/4"
extension bar is nearly 1" diameter solid tool steel. no torque-robbing
wind-up in that puppy!

>
> Important note: you can't use the shadetree trick of bracing a socket handle
> and bumping the starter to break the crank bolt loose... the engine turns
> the wrong way.
>
> But if you can get a shop to break the %^$#!! thing loose and retighten it
> enough to get you home, it isn't awful. Attention to detail - especially
> getting the belt on the same way it came off, not one tooth off on one
> sprocket even though the cam wants to turn - is important. If you get it
> wrong, or don't get the belt tensioned properly, you can do really serious
> damage (or at least have to start over).
>
> All told, you should give it a lot of thought if you want to DIY. I put it
> in the category of replacing a clutch - one with a *really* tight bolt
> holding something!.
>
> Mike
>
>

deleteme@posyrorer.mailshell.com wrote in
news:1114004192.954046.148650@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com:

> I forgot I had another question about this item... could I replace a
> timing belt myself, or does it require a mechanic to do so?
> I have very little experience working on car mechanics, but I'm
> competent when it comes to repairing stuff, so if its a simple job that
> doesn't require special tools or pulling out an engine block...
>


Not that hard. You just have to be very detail-oriented and do lots of
reading first. You can start here:
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#crankbolt
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#beltmark

and for a pictorial howto,
http://timingbelt.soben.com/

Also an excellent idea is to buy the Helm manual and study the procedures
given there. Helm really is the very best.
www.helminc.com

Personally, I used a 250lb electric impact wrench rented for $10/day from
an industrial supply place. 30 seconds of back-and-forth and the bolt
buzzed right off. I was surprised it was so easy; not all of them are.

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"jim beam" <nospam@example.net> wrote
snip
> in addition to the holding tool, i highly recommend a 3/4" breaker bar
> with [most importantly] the 3/4" extension. like you, i recently tried
> replacing my timing belt without air tools, and with a normal 1/2"
> drive, i thought i was for sure going to break something. with the 3/4"
> tools however, that bolt came loose immediately & without undue effort.

Can you clarify? Do you mean you used a 3/4" drive socket, too? Or did you
use an adapter to go from the 3/4" drive extension to 1/2" socket?

Elle wrote:
> "jim beam" <nospam@example.net> wrote
> snip
>
>>in addition to the holding tool, i highly recommend a 3/4" breaker bar
>>with [most importantly] the 3/4" extension. like you, i recently tried
>>replacing my timing belt without air tools, and with a normal 1/2"
>>drive, i thought i was for sure going to break something. with the 3/4"
>>tools however, that bolt came loose immediately & without undue effort.
>
>
> Can you clarify? Do you mean you used a 3/4" drive socket, too? Or did you
> use an adapter to go from the 3/4" drive extension to 1/2" socket?
>
3/4" > 1/2" adapter. also worth mention is that the 17mm-1/2" socket i
have snugly fits the hole in the holding tool - helps keep everything in
place.

"jim beam" <nospam@example.net> wrote
E wrote
Re loosening the crankshaft pulley bolt on Hooooooondas --
> > Can you clarify? Do you mean you used a 3/4" drive socket, too? Or did
you
> > use an adapter to go from the 3/4" drive extension to 1/2" socket?
> >
> 3/4" > 1/2" adapter. also worth mention is that the 17mm-1/2" socket i
> have snugly fits the hole in the holding tool - helps keep everything in
> place.

Then excellent tip.

Anyone want to buy a 1/2" drive breaker bar and two ten-inch long, 1/2"
drive extenders?

Shucks, I likely will only do one more timing belt change on my beloved 1991
Civic anyway. I'll just buy better health insurance for the period that will
include when I do the job.

Elle wrote:
> "jim beam" <nospam@example.net> wrote
> E wrote
> Re loosening the crankshaft pulley bolt on Hooooooondas --
>
>>>Can you clarify? Do you mean you used a 3/4" drive socket, too? Or did
>
> you
>
>>>use an adapter to go from the 3/4" drive extension to 1/2" socket?
>>>
>>
>>3/4" > 1/2" adapter. also worth mention is that the 17mm-1/2" socket i
>>have snugly fits the hole in the holding tool - helps keep everything in
>>place.
>
>
> Then excellent tip.
>
> Anyone want to buy a 1/2" drive breaker bar and two ten-inch long, 1/2"
> drive extenders?
>
> Shucks, I likely will only do one more timing belt change on my beloved 1991
> Civic anyway. I'll just buy better health insurance for the period that will
> include when I do the job.
>

but elle, you'll end up buying another honda, maybe even the new crx
when it comes out, so you may as well buy the tool you /know/ you
crave... cheaper than the health insurance too!

I guess the benefit of the electric is that the
force is always 250ft-lbs, versus air impact
which may reduce in strength as the compressor
attempts to keep up with the demand for more
air! Thats the prob I had, even though I had a
650ft-lb air wrench, the compressor couldn't
even keep up for 10 seconds.

t