Help please! How do you tell if your timing belt broke?
 

Sat night I was driving along and between shifts the engine stalled. After getting the car off the road I tried to start it again and it did start but was running really rough. Almost sounded like 3cyls where friring. So when the tow truck got there the driver tried to start it and said it was the timing belt. The timing belt was suposedly changed about 60k miles ago?!?! So when I got the car home it was late but I took off the dist cap and turned the engine over. The distributor turned as it should. I am thinking that this should not spin if the timing belt has broken right? I have not had time to look at the car more. But I wanted to know what the car does when the timing belt breaks? Also what are the chances that my valves would be okay? The engine stalled when I had the clutch in so the RPM's where really low. There was no noise or anything. Also if you have any other idea's what it could be I would love to hear.

Re: Help please! How do you tell if your timing belt broke? (Sephro)
 

The timing belt is completely visable on a Prelude. If it broke, you would see it immediately. It's the big rubber belt that goes around your crank pulley at the bottom of the motor and up to and around your cam gears at the top of the motor.

When the timing belt breaks, the cam gears stop turning, which means the cams are not turning, which means the valves are not moving, which means the pistons collide with the valves and normally bend or break them. The car will not run if the timing belt is broken and cranking the motor in this state will further damage the valves and head.

Andrew

Re: Help please! How do you tell if your timing belt broke? (aklucsarits)
 

its covered with plastic shrouding the cam gears dont show either unless you take off the top portion of the shroud or modify your valve cover. Alot of people take off the shroud to make it easy adjusting aftermarket cam gears... so if it is stock then you should not see it but it doesnt sound to me as though your timing belt is the problem

Re: Help please! How do you tell if your timing belt broke? (ViZ)
 

better hope not. yea there is a plaistic cover like this guy said. it shouldnt even sound like its trying to start.

Re: Help please! How do you tell if your timing belt broke? (BoostedH23a1)
 

That is what I thought. I hope it is something like the distributer is bad or something like that. I am going to go over it tonight. When I looked at the manual it looked like I have to take off the entire valve cover to see the belt. But I will check to see if the plastic part is like you guys said. I want my car back!
Thanks for the advice sofar. Does anyone know if the distrib would be spinning if the timing belt was broken? I wouldn't think it would. I don't have much experience working on Jap engines. But So far I love them.

Re: Help please! How do you tell if your timing belt broke? (Sephro)
 

no just the plastic cover. actually your supposed to take the valve cover off as well, but u can get it out without pullin it off.

Re: Help please! How do you tell if your timing belt broke? (Sephro)
 

Just take off the oil cap and look in there with a flashlight while someone cranks the engine. If the rocker arms aren't moving the belt is probably broken.

Re: Help please! How do you tell if your timing belt broke? (Chiovnidca)
 

If the timing belt broke the engine will just make a whirring sound when you crank it, no sound of compression/exhaust it sound very different. Although your belt may have jumped a few teeth

Re: Help please! How do you tell if your timing belt broke? (Zottyzot)
 

Well tonight I took it apart and the timing belt is fine. The timing marks line up so I don't think it jumped any teeth or anthing like that. Now I am thinking after much trouble it is the ECU
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=294259
That's the new thread.... I should have added it to this one, sorry too late.