sorry for beating this issue witha a dead horse but...a few days ago i found a small puddle of coolant under my car near the driver side tire towards the front. i put it on a lift and felt moisture underneath the water pump. no coolant was LEAKING from it but there was some on the outside of it stuck to it. sorry if thats not clear...i cant think of how else to describe it. the random temp fluctuations have ceased for the most part...and it hasnt leaked anything in a few days. what is going on!!!??!?!

edit: i took it to honda (90 bucks for a diagnose) hopefully its deemed accident related so insurance covers it

 

did you remove the crank pulley and side covers to get to the water pump or did you just feel under the plastic side covers without removing anything?

 

to be honest i really know nothing about cars...while it was on the lift i just started looking under the car and found wetness on a certain part. the mechanic tasted the liquid...said it was coolant....and said that was the water pump.

 

it sounds like the pump, and how do you have acesses to a lift, yet know nothing about cars? how many miles do you have? it may just be best to do the tbelt kit, and the water pump. the timming belt kit comes with you timming, and balance shaft belt, the tensioners, and seals.

 

i took it to my friends shop and he put it on his lift (and also said it was the water pump) the car has 105k so i would do the timing belt kit if it is infact the pump. ill found out from honda today after the "preasure test" exactly where the leak is. it just sucks because its gonna make me broke again (ive invested almost 2grand into this car already after 3 months) and now i dont know if i even want it anymore...the repairs never end.

 

if the timing belt has never been replaced, it should get done regardless of where the leak is.

When you replace the timing belt replace the balancer shaft belt, water pump, tensioners, crank shaft seal, cam shaft seal, ect. Just do a search for "timing belt" in the recent and archives threads of the Accord forum and you'll find a bunch of threads about the subject. In those threads you'll see what should be replaced while your in there.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TouringAccord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">did you remove the crank pulley and side covers to get to the water pump or did you just feel under the plastic side covers without removing anything?</TD></TR></TABLE>
weep hole of the water pump can be seen from the rear of the engine when on a lift.
There stands a good chance that a pressure test won't show the pump leak because the pump shaft isn't turning.
Better test would be to have a fully warmed engine and watch the weep hole with an inspection mirror extended down from the top side, the rev the engine a few times.

 

since car is due for timing belt (90K or 105K depending upon year with normal driving conditions) get that work done. Most dealers include the water pump in the price of the t-belt job. If the belt breaks you will have much bigger problems than spending $300-650 for t-belt with water pump job.......(you do it - dealer price)

Use honda oem parts only.......

 

well..honda said its the water pump and its due for replacement even if it wasn't. so im not going to pay honda 600 to do it or some other mechanic 400. i am going to do it myself as well as the timing belt. is there anything else while i am down there....someone told me tensioners arnt necessary and even the seals unless there is visible damage. i am currently looking for a good thread with detailed pictures because i dont have much mechanical experience. the only reason im doing it is because im cheap and im a quick learner..

 

I believe that the new HONDA OEM kits have everything you need. you will also want to make sure that any wearable parts that you take off like accessory drive belts get replaced.......

 

whats wrong with advance auto parts stuff....water pump has lifetime warranty and half as cheap as hondas...

 

if you want to get an aftermarket pump, get it. I use aftermarket parts all the time at the shop. the thing is that OEM parts are normaly alot better, and you do pay for what you get. it just sucks though if you think your saveing money by getting the cheeper one, then after you get it all done, it doesn't work, or still is dripping out the weep hole. I have only had that happen once. I have gotten so many crappy parts from autozone. but they are open later then most, but there prices are starting to rise, almost to napas leavel.

 

if you use OEM honda parts and your t-belt breaks after 20K miles, honda is more likely to help you fix the car versus you putting in the gator belt (you would not get any assistance)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hondadude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">weep hole of the water pump can be seen from the rear of the engine when on a lift.</TD></TR></TABLE>

ah, ok. Thanks

 

Why not replace parts, that might go bad, while your down there. The seals are that much extra. For the piece of mind knowing they won't go bad is worth it.

I would buy OEM. Even if the others are half the price, it's not worth having to go in there and do the job again half as soon because the parts wore out faster. Thats just my opinion though, do what you feel is best for you.

For your first time, I would allow a whole day just to be safe. You don't want to rush the job and mess something up. For the most part, a basic set of hand tools is enough but to get the crank pulley bolt off you either needs air tools or a special tool to hold the crank in position while you loosen the bolt. I use this tool...

(Click image to take you to website)

You also what a couple 1/2" drive tools, a 1/2" drive 19mm socket and a good size 1/2" extension. I use a 20" long 1/2" drive extension to get the breaker bar outside of the wheelwell. Here's a picture of how I do it...


While looking for a good thread on how to change the timing belt just make sure you search the archives of the Accord forum as well, not just the recent topics.

Also, you may want to invest in a Helm manual. It's a bit pricey but it'll pay for itself in the money you'll save in just doing the timing belt yourself. It's worth the price.

 

thanks everyone for the help....one last question...i was told that if i have someone put the car in 4th gear and put the e-brake on than i can use a breaker bar to get out the crank pulley bolt....is this true(im trying to save as much money as i can on tools).


also im a little confused about how to aquire a TDC (something with piston #1 being at the highest position) its not clear in my manual.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lax1089 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> also im a little confused about how to aquire a TDC (something with piston #1 being at the highest position) its not clear in my manual.</TD></TR></TABLE>TDC is "top-dead center", referring to the position of the engine.

Take the spark plugs out, take the valve cover off.
Use the front crankshaft pulley to rotate the engine (only forwards) until the timing marks line up. What year is the car? Lately (since maybe '93) there's notches on the edge of the crank pulley. Earlier Accords have markings on the flywheel.
Now there's an arrow on the camshaft sprocket. If it's facing down you have to turn the crankshaft one full revolution; that's 1/2 revolution of the camshaft.

If you're going to replace the waterpump, that means removing the timing belt. Before you take the belt off, make sure you find AND UNDERSTAND the markings on those sprockets. You should get a repair manual for a proper explanation. The best books are from http://www.helminc.com but they're not real cheap.

 

so there has been absolutely no leakage all week....im wondering if i really need to replace this or not. however...the coolant level went from under the max line to almost full. So, is my problem a bad thermostat or what?

 

you're past the time to change your timing belt/water pump anyway, you should be changing it REGARDLESS of your water pump going bad, if you wait too long your timing belt will break down or lose teeth and once your timing gets too far off, or timing dosn't move at all because it snaped, you're going to blow a valve and have to replace the head, head gasket, timing belt and water pump.

Whoever said putting it in 4th gear and using the E-brake didn't think about the conection of their E-brake. The E-Brake goes directly from the handle to the REAR brakes, the front brakes do not function off of the E-brake.

If you're going to use the drivetrain to stop the crankshaft from spinning I would suggest putting it in the highest gear and having someone apply the regular brakes, this will keep the crankshaft from spinning.

 

thanks for the clarification...however what about the engine. haynes says put a jackstand with a "wooden block" underneath it and unscrew the drivers side mount. seems shady to me

 

Look at the picture I posted above, I used a jack with a piece of wood between the jack and the oil pan.

 

i'd be scared to do my own timing belt if i've never done anything mechinacal before.. are you sure you're going to be able to do it?

 

nope. but i am determined to do it. does it matter how i put the belt on? after skimming the manual i am pretty sure there are markings on the pulleys and engine that i just match up and then slip on the belt.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sony224422 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">... are you sure you're going to be able to do it?</TD></TR></TABLE>
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lax1089 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">nope. but i am determined to do it...</TD></TR></TABLE>Best thing would be find a friend who's done it so he can help. All of us had a first time...

Read thru the procedure & make sure you understand each step before you start. Ask us about anything you're confused about. That's easier than trying to get answers in 5 minutes while it's already apart.

 

well like i said...the only things i am concerned about is how to put the new timing belt on right because everyone i talk to says if you do it wrong you will blow your engine. and, even though some people have answered it...i am still unclear about how to get piston 1 at TDC. sorry for not understanding but i really want to make sure i get it right as i have poured every dime i have into this car and dont want to screw it up.