Do you have to remove the lower cover to relieve tension to get the belt off/on the cam gears? Is there any way around this? I've never done anything timing related. Btw, all this leads up to changing the valve seals.

 

If you have a 5Gen, DO NOT REUSE the autotensioner. You're 95% guaranteed to have an autotensioner failure. The two or three timing belt jobs I've had come back was because the owner insisted on reusing the tensioner. Now, I won't do a timing belt job without replacing the tensioner. I haven't had a single job come back since.

You need to remove the cover anyway so that you can reinstall the belt. Trying to get the cam timing right without having all the covers off and having full access to the belt is seriously asking for trouble.

Don't half *** a job like this.

 

x2, you need to remove the lower cover

maybe not with the manual tensioner, but definitely with the auto.

 

once you loosen the nut of the auto tensioner. Its still tight do u just force the belt off or is there an easier way ?

Also how does removal of a belt differ on a manual tensioner ?

 

you remove the belt. thats all there is to it.

with a manual tensioner it is "safe" to leave the lower cover on and just take the belt off the gears, as long as you know what you're going and can make SURE that the crank is at TDC when you put it back together. You still need to tension it again, and if you use the plate with the locking bolt in it (you should) you will need to remove the lower cover anyway.

 

You can lock a manual tensioner so that it's not apply much force on the timing belt (you do this when you R&R the belt). You cannot do this with the autotensioner. With the autotensioner, you must remove the autotensioner from the engine, compress the spring, the install a clip to hold it while it's compressed. Then once the belt is on, you remove the clip.

As for removal, it's the same, just pull the belt off the cam gears.

 

how loose will it be on the exhaust cam to the crank pulley. That looks like it would be the long stretch where it would have, lack for a better word slack.

Otherwise im doing this wrong because i have a tiny amount of slack right in that area and it seems like im doing this right.

Get belt on, cam gears line up, turn crank about 3-4 teeth and lock the nut on the tensioner, spin crank and make sure it all lines up and done. Thats correct right ?

 

slack would be the right word....

it won't be loose in any sense of the word....timing belts are a bitch to get on.

 

EDIT: When you're tensioning the belt, the leading edge should be fairly taut.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kornerk12 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">how loose will it be on the exhaust cam to the crank pulley. That looks like it would be the long stretch where it would have, lack for a better word slack.

Otherwise im doing this wrong because i have a tiny amount of slack right in that area and it seems like im doing this right.

Get belt on, cam gears line up, turn crank about 3-4 teeth and lock the nut on the tensioner, spin crank and make sure it all lines up and done. Thats correct right ? </TD></TR></TABLE>


Modified by 117 at 8:51 PM 9/13/2007

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mgags7 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">slack would be the right word....

it won't be loose in any sense of the word....timing belts are a bitch to get on.</TD></TR></TABLE>

well it was a pita to get on but seems to be a tad looser there.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 117 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yes, when you're tensioning the belt, there will be a tiny bit of slack on the leading side of the belt.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ok cool then i should be ok. Im just alittle nervous about it since its the first one ive done. Thanks alot

 

Thanks 117 and Matt.

 

Are you asking about the tension as you're tensioning the belt? If so, I take back what I said. There should be tension on that leading side of the belt because you're putting tension on the cam gears.

You put the engine at TDC on the #1 cylinder, then you turn the crank CCW 3 teeth on the cam gears. Basically you're turning it to the point where the crank gets difficult to turn due to the tension in the valve springs. You try to get as close to the peak of this force. Once you go past that point, the crank turns really easily because you've past peak leverage on the cams by the valve springs. Make sense?

 

BTW just so there is no confusion, you only tension the manual tensioner. The autotensioner does NOT have a tensioning procedure.

 

i saw in another thread that you should be able to turn the belt 90 degrees. And i cant get it that far so am i ok ? Also between the cam gears is tight as hell also.

 

What do you mean turn it 90 degrees? Also, there should be some tension between the cam gears when you're tensioning the timing belt.

 

i think hes saying on that leading edge, if you have the proper amount of tension on the belt you can twist it 90 degrees. shady at best.

 

There's no such spec in the Honda manual regarding tension. It just tells you how to tension the belt to spec. I wouldn't really trust such a rule of thumb on the timing belt tension.

 

from waht i gather, you are just trying to slide the belt off the cam gears so u can swap valve seals right?

if so i would just lock the auto tensioner with the service lock nut thing, i forget what its called, as i havent had an auto tensioner in like 5yrs, haha.

but once u lock the auto tensioner, u can slide the belt off the cam gears, service waht u need to service, and then slide the belt back on.

of course make sure u get everything at TDC before pulling tghe belt off,

 

Have you ever tried to install the timing belt like that? It would be next to friggin impossible.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 117 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Have you ever tried to install the timing belt like that? It would be next to friggin impossible.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yes actually i've done it several times. u either get those slider rings that ease the belt onto the gear.

or what i do is, get one edge onto a gear first, then slide the other edge onto the next gear, then work the belt on. if u try to push the entire belt onto one gear first theres no way to get the belt on the next gear.

 

I've done plenty of timing belt installs, but I've never done it this way. It's difficult enough when using the clip on the autotensioner, I couldn't imagine it by just locking the tensioner pulley.

FYI, yhe rings that Honda makes does not fit aftermarket cam gears.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 117 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I've done plenty of timing belt installs, but I've never done it this way. It's difficult enough when using the clip on the autotensioner, I couldn't imagine it by just locking the tensioner pulley.

FYI, yhe rings that Honda makes does not fit aftermarket cam gears.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah it seems next to impossible when you start, but once u figure out the trick, it's cake, my first time trying this i was struggling with the belt for a while, but it comes in handy to not have to remove the crank pullye and lower cover and all that jazz to do a simple cam swap or something

i know i am not even explaining it properly, i'd need a video to show you what i mean,

 

I know what you're talking about. That's the way I do it. Perhaps I just try to be too careful not to damage the belt.