genevievesalad

So, I was adjusting the valve lash on my 01 CRv I just picked up and noticed that on tdc, the tension was rather loose. If I turn it past that, it's tight with no slack. Is there a way of adjusting this without removing the crank pulley? I've heard of accessing the tensioner through the cover and adjusting the tension that way. Any truth to that?

The belt and components were changed out earlier this year.


Does this look loose to you?

[/QUOTE]

The Chazzer

I'm still learning about these engines
but
I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to be that loose.

genevievesalad

I came upon this link for adjusting the tension...

http://www.vadriven.com/forums/757-1...g-belt-275961/

I just want to make sure this is what I NEED to do. Maybe the belt is supposed to be this way, I don't know.

The belt is not oem. Maybe I should replace it with an oem one and check out the rest of the components as well as the tensioner. But I'd rather do this later as I'm battling with a clutc install at the moment.

Hawkze_2.3

If you can rotate the engine and the timing marks stay on target, and the car runs fine, I wouldn't worry about it.

When you start the engine, the crank turns before the cams, so this slack will immediately disappear. A lot of the Honda engines I have seen can have the timing belt look this way if the rotating assembly is in a certain place (mostly due to the valve springs trying to turn the cams forwards or backwards).

LDForget

:O It should NEVER be that loose. about a 1/4 inch play up/down and thats about all.



Thats a good image for a b18, i believe our b20's are the same. Get the engine to TDC (Both arrows pointing up and the side arrows should be pointing together. Then make sure the belt is tight, and losen the adjuster bolt on the adjuster. Take up all the slack, then tighten the bolt to spec.

genevievesalad

So resetting the tension like in the link I posted will fix this?

I've also heard of "helping" the tensioner spring with a coat hanger. Is this possible with the lower cover attached? Should I attempt this?

genevievesalad

I dont understand. Couldn't I just put it at top dead center like in the pic, then while holding the intake cam a little to the right to take up the slack, I loosen the tensioner bolt and then retighten it.

Can anyone confirm this?

LDForget

the crank has to be at TDC as well.

genevievesalad

Yes, it's at tdc. But I do like what was done in the link? Someone else instructed...


I can fix this this is common
U need to set static timing
Tdc everything first loosen tensioner( tensioner is referred to as an eccentric tensioner)
Make belt tight as possible without rotating any of the assembly by pushing tensioner towards 5 oclock area
Keep timing bolt loose
Rotate assembly at least 4-6 times
Check tension reapeat till solid then tighten tensioner

LDForget

im not 100% on how the tensioner works on the b series, but im sure its not by rotating it....what i usually do is set the crank and the left pully to TDC, set the right to slightly less than tdc, set up the belt, then grab a ratchet and turn the right pully to TDC. Not only does it put everything in the right place, but it takes up 95% of the slack at the pullys. from here the only slack should be between the right pully, and the crank, which is taken up when you release the tensioner. Its always a good idea to rotate a interferance engine by hand before starting it though, just to make sure its still at TDC and theres no binding.

genevievesalad

Well, I used the method in the link I posted for setting the tension and it work perfectly! I guess the belt was loose...probably frim the new belt stretching a little. It was such an easy fix and now I can sleep at night.

exb18c1

[/QUOTE]

from that picture I would say that the belt isn't even timed properly.May be it is a picture but the marks on cam pulleys are not even aligned.To remove the slack(like someone stated before)you will have to turn the engine counter clockwise and then (when you will see a zero slack) it will be even more obvious about misalignment of the belt.Another thing is when you are placing TDC marks you have to turn the engine against the clock only and if you have missed TDC do not bring the engine back but continue to turn until you are there again! I would do that first. it takes only a few seconds.There is also a trick (have two 5mm drill bits and when you placed at top dead center you will be able to go trough the openings in cams and head.

LDForget

Well post a pic! lol

exb18c1

I'm happy to hear that you have fix the problem but timing belts nowdays do not stretch.Especially the new ones.

genevievesalad

Hmm, I guess it wasnt tensioned right then. I'm glad I caught it though. And all the exhaust valves were at the tightest allowable in specification.

In the pic above I have the pullies off slightly. It was at the point of the greatest amount of slack. The marks are dead on though, and the engine runs smoothly without trouble.

exb18c1

cptbarkey

sorry to bump this old thread, but i am running into exactly the same condition.

166k on the ORIGINAL timing belt, rotating crank manually i can see the slack.

i just put on the new belt, tensioned it according to the instructions. The belt tightened OK, but upon rotating it again after tightening down the tensioner and i still have slack at TDC.

i suppose i will try to re-tension it one more time, but there are alot of people in this post count with less than 1000 posts, but the guy who says this condition is OK has 10k plus.

has anyone else recently ran into this?

shermanyang

iTrader: (1)

If it doesn't tighten correctly, it could also be a bad tensioner. You may need to replace that or if you have enough leverage you could stick a screw driver under the tensioner and apply a slight amount of force to it to tighten the timing belt just enough. That's what I've had to do on a few of my buddies' motors when they were too cheap to purchase a new tensioner.

94EG8

At some points there will be quite a bit of slack between the two cam pulleys. This is normal. The picture the OP posted is a bit excessive, but really not that far off. At other points through the rotation there will be no slack.

To tension the belt correctly:

-Turn the engine over counterclockwise until you reach TDC
-Loosen the tensioner adjusting bolt 180° (it's behind the little black rubber plug in the timing cover)
-Turn the engine over counterclockwise so 3 teeth come up on the intake cam pulley
-Tighten the adjusting bolt back up and reinstall the rubber plug

If you follow those steps the belt will be correctly tensioned.

cptbarkey

yep went through those steps, i made a video of it tonight, you can see it slacken at TDC at 18 seconds, and again later.


it does not seem as excessive as it was the first time. i took everything apart again and re-did it just for my own piece of mind. thanks for everyones help!

94EG8

That looks normal.

cptbarkey

thanks! got her back together and she is humming along like a good sewing machine!

sliverSE.V

^got a question for you or anyone who can help...read some of the post to see if it's same noise/issue I'm having but unsure

(I typed it all out and was going to post it but everything I wrote got erased )

Anyways I'm hearing like some "screeching" sort of noise coming from the front of my V when I start it and when it warms up it goes "away" but few occasion within warming and driving I slightly still hear the "screeching" around 2.5 rpm on and off...is it my belts or pully? that I need to change/tighten or ??? To me sounds like pully or belt but not too sure but because it's been soo cold out as well too so I'm thinking it could be just cuz of the temps too? IDK lmk if you or anyone can help otherwise I'll make a post

cptbarkey

does sound like one of your 3 accessory belts is loose and needs retensioned or replaced.

sliverSE.V

^I'll have to try to take a look at engine bay closer running the car when it's not too cold out or if it's slightly higher temps out and see what happens...but IDK I'm thinking it could be yeah belts or just need pulley or something to be tighten back up like you said...hopefully..

i mean I didn't have a problem with it first week of owning the V and driving it here and there and letting it sit, waiting for plates...but it was not as cold as it is now..which I have had it sitting in the cold (below 30s lately, today around 14s feeling like -2)and not driving it as of late...trying to start it up when I can...I mean I did start it up few times when it was slightly warmer at 40s and nothing, no "screeching" /sort of like a slight grinding noise like now...I hope it just needs to be tighten if that and not need any replacement at least now(too damn cold to work on it outside)....

:::BTW anyone know where I can download the PDF CRV service manual? I found one online but it's only view-able online, not offline (password encrypted)...any help is appreciated so I can try to service most issues myself when needed to my V which I'm new to learning but not on Honda which my old crx(s) I want to say was "easy" to work on and learn to known Thanks