clindberg86

1998 Honda civic ex, coupe, 5speed, 1.6l D16y8 engine..

When i set top dead center on cylinder one, can you put the car in 1st or Reverse to stop the crankshaft spining counter clock wise? There by locking it TDC

Also I plan on replacing my tensioner should I tighten to loose and put my hand on the top cam gear and turn the bottom crank to apply tension. Then once the timing cover is on tighten up the 14mm bolt to the tensioner through the hole with the rubber gasket?
SAW THIS OFF ERICTHECARGUY TIMING BELT VIDEO. 8:54 long i believe on youtube.

A little confused on applying tension, and something about moving the crank 3 teeth off? If so how is that method completed.

I have been doing about 4 days of research on this job before I perform it. Trying not to ask stupid questions.

Thank you!

B_Swapped93

just replace the belt pump tensioner and all that while you're there.
this thing will become your best friend....

clindberg86

ok that is to take the harmonic balancer off. I am talking about putting tension on it. and by putting the car in gear will it lock it TDC

anyone

and what about the backing off 3 teeth?

B_Swapped93

that will lock it also used to help remove it. but I have used it many times before for other things.

clindberg86

Ok i went and got that tool, now can someone please answer my 2 questions?

DumpdEJ6

First, ALWAYS replace the tensioner pulley. I've seen numerous pulleys seize up only 10k miles later, because my friends or I thought they were ok. Learned that the hard way.

Secondly, there is really no need to "lock" the crank at TDC. When you're putting the belt on, just be careful to put equal tension on both sides of the belt, and check that all the marks are lined up after you put it on. I think there is probably enough "play" in the system from the crank to the wheels that even if you did put it in gear to lock it, it would still spin at least a tooth or two before it caught.

Thirdly, in order to set tension, you want to put the crank bolt back into the hole where it goes (without the crank pulley on) then put the belt on, (with the tensioner pulley loose) check your marks, and then put a ratchet on the crank bolt and slowly rotate it COUNTER-CLOCKWISE approximately 3 teeth. If you're watching the loose end of the timing belt (to the left, not the side that goes to the water pump) you'll see it tighten up. At that point, you should wiggle your tensioner a little bit to make sure its not bound up and that the spring is taking the tension out of the belt as it should. Then tighten the tensioner pulley to 30 ft/lbs if memory serves me correctly. That is the tensioning process.

If anyone else knows something I don't, please chime in. I've done quite a few honda timing belt jobs with good results, but I don't know everything.

sde780

^ splendid post, I would also turn the motor over a few times to make sure the belt doesn't jump and is still lined up at TDC.

btw, to put the bottom end at TDC you lined up the 1lone mark on the crank pulley with the V on the lower timing cover

DumpdEJ6

One thing I've never understood is that every manual will tell you to put it at TDC first, before you do anything. But with the spark plugs out, its easy to just take everything off and rotate it to TDC later using the mark on the oil pump and the mark on the timing belt crank pulley. I usually forget to put it at TDC before I start taking stuff off, I just do it later and have never had a problem.