H23_del_soul

Ok, I bought a set of AEM cam gears a few days ago for my H23 and wanted to know how big of a job this is to swap out. I am going to do it later on this month myself or if it is not recommended I will have the shop in dallas do it when they tune it. I don't want anything but TDC, I'm not trying to do anything stupid or reckless, just change the belt and gears. Is there anything else I should swap out at the same time to save on labor? Thanks in advance everyone! If there's already a write-up on this could you post a link, I searched and didn't see one. I just don't want to start and have to have it towed 3 hours to dallas to have it finished, I REALLY cannot afford that. I also cannot afford fXing something up and bending my valves.

H23_del_soul

TTT, anyone?!?

H23_del_soul

Is it the same for all DOHC honda motors?

H23_del_soul

I assume this will work fine for me? http://www.c-speedracing.com/howto/timingbelt/tbelt.php B series and H series are done pretty much the same?

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

IDK about H-series (don't know why it would be different), but on B-series you don't really need to take the whole timing belt off to swap cams or change the cam gears. You just loosen the tensioner and you can slide off the cam gears and put them back on without pulling off the crank pulley. Just make sure it's all lined up correctly when you reinstall.

H23_del_soul

Well I do want to change out the belt though, no reason not to, I'm sure it needs to be done, lol. PO was a POS.

Top Ramen

Its not hard at all if you have moderate mechanical skills. Set the engine to TDC, loosen the tensioner, slide the belt off, swap the gears, put the belt back on, check to make sure you are still on TDC and you're done. Occasionally, the bolts holding the cam gears on can be a bit of a pain to remove. And, be careful not to lose either keyway.

Best of luck on your project.

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

Sorry, I didn't see that you already said that. Timing belt change is totally do-able. A couple other tips -- make sure you have a crank pulley removal tool before you start, this DIY can take a few days so it's best if you have another car you can use, and loosen the cam pulley bolts before you remove the timing belt -- otherwise it's hard to keep the cam pulleys still while you work the bolt.

H23_del_soul

Awesome. Think I might go ahead and give it a shot then. Is it easy to set the cam gears to TDC? Thats all I really want to accomplish other than the belt change. What is the best belt to go with? I was thinking a gates, any other good options? What are the best places to buy them from? I am NOT buying one from effin ebay!!!

H23_del_soul

Gears came in today, still need some help on belt selection...

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

I got OEM for my Integra. It lasts 90k and that's all you can really ask for from a timing belt.

H23_del_soul

I was thinking OEM, but the RB world ALWAYS has an opinion and almost NEVER goes OEM, thats why I am always at a loss here...

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

For Hondas OEM is almost always best for wear parts, and the timing belt isn't really a performance part except maybe for really high torque engines. There definitely are options but the expert opinion on most non-performance related things is to stick to OE.

H23_del_soul

Stealership the best place to go?

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

Majestic Honda is probably cheaper even after you factor in shipping. Google 'Majestic Honda' -- I can't remember the URL off the top of my head because I mostly order Acura parts.

ruffrhyder

iTrader: (1)

www.hondapartsunlimited.com is really cheap, but what is wrong with buying a Gates belt off ebay? There are many reputable shops that sell Gates belts on ebay.

H23_del_soul

Hows this? http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...&parentId=42-0
Or this? http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/de...QQGATT186.html
Should I change out the tensioners at the same time also?

well nevermind on all of those, there all different effin sizes! are all H23 motors the same size belt? nothing goes on there but the crank and the cam gears and the water pump right?

H23_del_soul

Ok, checked the belt and it is a new belt and it is already a gates, so I am going to swap the gears and leave the belt. What do I need to watch out for when doing it to keep from messing anything up?

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

Make sure you keep the engine timing correct during the install. It's easy to lose track of how the cams and crank are oriented while you're messing with stuff and hand-cranking the engine over. Even hand-cranking can bend valves. It's best to try to always keep the cams and crank at TDC. After you're finished you need to triple-check the engine timing before and after you tension the timing belt. It can slip during tensioning and you'd never know it. Being off a couple teeth won't cause harm, but it will cause poor performance.

Causing damage is unlikely, but it's good to just keep it in the back of your mind that the cams and crank always need to be in the correct position relative to one another so you can avoid making an error. If you do bend a valve during hand-cranking, you'd have to pull the head and replace the bent valves -- time intensive but not terribly expensive if you're DIYing it.

H23_del_soul

Damnit....looks like I better wait till there is a Dallas get together and see if I can get some help then, lol

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

How were you planning on swapping the gears -- were you going to leave the belt on and slip them off the cams, or were you going to remove the belt?

I don't want to scare you. You just have to be attentive. There's no finesse involved -- you just make sure you never crank the cams or the crankshaft when the timing belt is off, and you make sure everything is at or close to TDC before you tighten down the cam holders and stuff.

H23_del_soul

I was going to do it without taking off the belt. I think I will wait just to make sure though.

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

There may be less risk involved if the belt stays on the crank. It's not likely you'll move the crank accidentally, and you just need to make sure the cams are close to TDC when you tighten down the holders. Of course, they'd have to be anyways if you want to install them correctly.

H23_del_soul

Ok, so break loose the gear bolt, then take the pressure off the tensioner, then remove the gear, put the other gear on, and let the tension back on and make sure there is no slack and everything is where it was when I started? Then do the same for the other side? Does it matter which gear I do first?

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

Yup, just break them both loose first. You'll need to remove the valve cover and upper timing belt cover, too, of course, and probably also the upper drivers side motor mount. After the bolts are loose, swapping the gears one-at-a-time would be a good way of keeping everything timed correctly.