I'm coming up on 100k on my H22. It's starting to make rattling noises at idle. The rattling sounds like it's coming from the right side (standing in front of the car) of the block. So I think it's time to replace the timing belt, timing balancer belt, and water pump, distributor cap & rotor. Like the topic states, I'm a NEWBIE tuner. I would really like to perform the repairs myself but I lack the tools, knowlege, and experience. I should start my tuning journey somewhere, but are these repairs not a good starting point? Are they too hard? By the time I purchase a Helm manual, the tools, and the OEM parts for the repair would it just be worth it to take it to my local shop? Also, would anyone know an estimate to how much a shop would charge for this repair? Thanks in advance. -Shawn

 

Timing & balancer belt isn't what I'd pick for your first DIY job. Better would be to do oil changes & external drive belts, other routine maintenance. Valve adjustment would be a good one. Better idea is to find a friend who's done a timing belt & have a go at it together. When you have the Helm book, read thru the timing belt procedure before you start. Don't be reading it for the first time as you do it...

You're right, after you buy a Helm book & all the tools, you may as well have spent the same money at a shop. But when the job is done you'll still own the Helm book & the tools.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JimBlake &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Timing & balancer belt isn't what I'd pick for your first DIY job. Better would be to do oil changes & external drive belts, other routine maintenance. Valve adjustment would be a good one. Better idea is to find a friend who's done a timing belt & have a go at it together. When you have the Helm book, read thru the timing belt procedure before you start. Don't be reading it for the first time as you do it...

You're right, after you buy a Helm book & all the tools, you may as well have spent the same money at a shop. But when the job is done you'll still own the Helm book & the tools.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to purchase a Helm ...just because it's a good thing to have and take the car to a shop to get the work done. How much should I expect to pay for this work?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by VeeTech Lude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How much should I expect to pay for this work? </TD></TR></TABLE>Call around. I've heard (here) anywhere from $500 to $900 but I'm sure it depends a lot on where you live. Maybe some Philly people can speak up & help you pick a good shop.

Have the shop check the timing belt tensioner pulley carefully, it might be causing your rattling noise. (Or just replace it anyway.)

Think about replacing the water pump at the same time. Most likely it won't last another 100k. Then you'll have to remove the timing & balancer belts all over again just to get at the pump. It's very common to combine those jobs.

 

There are 3 shops I'm considering taking my car to right now, if anyone has any suggestions PLEASE help because like I said I'm a newbie. Here's my list:

1. Take it to the mechanic my parents go to. He works out of his shop behind his house, gets a lot of business becuase he is honest and does good work. I don't know how good he is with imports however, and I'm positive he isn't a performance specialist.

2. Take it to CCI Racing located in Bucks County, PA. I've heard little about this shop but I do know they are a performance shop. I saw an SRT-4, a Teg, a Civic SI and a few other performance vehicles there.

3. Take it to my friend's uncles performance shop. I'm pretty sure it's more of a domestic oriented performanc shop, however my friend claims that he knows imports well too. He also said he might be able to get me a discount which is very enticing.

4. Take it to a Honda dealer. This is very costly but they do excellent work (I'm assuming). I have a friend who did 90k maintenance on his 95 GSR VTEC (timing belt and water pump) and it cost him a thousand bucks. I'm really not looking to spend that much!

So, what do you think? Also, what do you think it could cost?

 

The timing belt isn't exactly a 'performance' job. I don't see where a racing shop is something you need to look for.

Take a look at the different shops & judge the attitude of the people, I'm not gonna be much help in picking a place.