backinblue92

iTrader: (1)

I also have an issue where my timing belt is walking 1/8" off the tensioner idler pulley but it doesn't walk any further than that. Consequently, the belt is walking same distance off on the water pump and cam gears.

Could my bearings in the pulley be bad? Or the tensioner pulley bolt got bent when I used a breaker bar to remove it? I'm about to order all 4 tensioner bracket mounting/adjustment bolts from Honda and a new pulley but I was hoping someone might have a suggestion or experience for what component I should look to first.

I already bought and have used the auto tensioner so the manual swap will have to wait a while.

Doing a timing belt job makes one feel like he could fix anything on the car, haha. Def a learning experience. Thanks in advance for any input. I read the boards all the time and finally decided to sign up and try to contribute. This prelude is the fourth 4th gen I've owned

holmesnmanny

Its normal for the belt to sit offset off of the cam gears a half inch or so. This is 100% normal.

minilogoguy18

The edge of the belt can be at the edge of the gears but as long as the belt isn't partially coming off of the pulleys then it's fine.

backinblue92

iTrader: (1)

I heard that Kaizenspeed makes a tensioner timing guide.

minilogoguy18

What I don't like about their tensioner is that its fully manual and you really have no idea if the belt is too tight, too loose or just right because the service manual doesn't list timing belt deflection because it doesn't need to as even the engines with a "manual" tensioner aren't really manual, they just need a procedure to tension them but the spring still sets the belt deflection.

The H23A1 tensioner is the best solution, they can say that the kaizenspeed solution is great to make themselves feel not so bad about wasting the money on it but realistically their timing belt tension is more than likely wrong.

backinblue92

iTrader: (1)

I thought the kaizen speed was an auto tensioner? At least it looks just like the auto tensioner.. So that part is manually set?

holmesnmanny

They have a vid showing them intalling it. Watch that to see what it is that it does. It's a manual tensioner that looks like an auto tensioner.

backinblue92

iTrader: (1)

Ahh I gotcha. I've read in places it was an auto tensioner. Damn. Shouldn't have wasted $$ on a new auto one.