I've been doing a lot of research on DIY timing belt for my gsr. It shouldn't too be hard right?

Just make sure everything is on TDC on No.1, and the crank pulley bolt is line up, then loosen the belt, take old belt out, put new one in, triple check to make sure cams and pulley lines up again, put everything back together and done! correct? or am i missing something else too?

 

jack the car up
remove the drivers side tire
remove the drivers side motor mount
remove the crank pulley
remove the valve cover
remove the plastic timing covers
change the timing belt
(might as well change the water pump too, since its all apart.)

put it back together, making sure #1 is TDC.

its kinda a bitch, but i can do it in like 2-3 hours

 

This is a really good DIY project and a chance to learn. I did mine with ease after following this.

http://www.c-speedracing.com/howto/timingbelt/tbelt.php

 

Make sure you have a service manual. You can sometimes find a used one in the marketplace forums or on eBay; otherwise, you can buy a new one here.

 

I dont know but I was just trying to do this and removing the plastic covers is a bitch. Maybe Im just unlucky. Still haven't got them off. ANY TIPS?

 

i usually try to wiggle under the car with it in gear to break the crank bolt loose

 

i just bought the crank pully tool on amazon for like $25. it helps out alot.

when you have the new belt on and tight, give the engine 3-4 spins by hand to make sure the timing is spot on ( ie tdc is repetable on the crank pully and the cam gears).

 

So the biggest part is just making sure TDC all lines up after 4-6 spins manually, correct? It doesn't seem too bad, I guess I just don't understand why some people are having problem with their car after they put on a new timing belt.

 

its not hard at all BUT i work at a dealership and have air tools/ and can rack the entire car up , i would say on the ground its a pain in the ***, i was able to have the car in the air doing most of the under car work and not having to lay down etc.

 

yup^. its pretty damn cake in the air. i love not working on my back anymore lol

 

took me four hours in my carport. but there was something mad wrong with my timing.

 

x2

follow what it says exactly and this is an easy job.

also, always, always spin the motor a few times counterclockwise by hand after everything is done and make sure the marks stay lined up.

 

TDC is very important and 1st reason why ppl have problems after belt removal because they do not properly align it back. before u remove the belt look at cam gears and crank gear how the belt is positioned on TDC this way it will b easier to put it back in place.

other than TDC there are some other vital steps u need to do that are not mentioned in above DIY, so i would suggest to follow a service manual. as some1 mentioned u can get it from TI or hondahookup for free to view.

also i would recommend removing valve cover even if u have side cut out as the guy did it in the write up, this way u can secure cams in TDC position. gl

 

Removing the crank pulley bolt was the hardest part for me. I don't have any air tools, so I borrowed the crank pulley tool that has a long handle on it from a friend. The bolt was so hard to remove, I had to buy a very, very long pipe to break the bolt loose, which took 4 tries. I thought I broke something when I heard a very loud "pop" but it was the bolt breaking loose.

The service manual was very important for me when doing my timing belt. I recommend getting one. I've used that book so much now, its falling apart.

 

Don't forget all the other belts have to be removed first, as well as the crank pulley. That alone takes about an hour if its your first time, and reinstalling them takes about another hour. Expect it to take about 4-8 hours if its your first time, especially with hand tools, otherwise you will be extremely disappointed.

 

hour to take the belts off the pulley? lol that's if u do it in slow motion
the whole process should take about 2 and a half hrs, 4 if u really take ur time and 8 if u spend another 4 hrs on reading the manual

to take the bolt off, if the car on jack stands and u have a long handle ratchet; easy way to take the pulley off, is to jam the pulley steady (with a removal tool or pipe holder) then position the ratchet so the handle will point about vertically down then by laying on the ground rock it with ur foot. comes right off easy!

 

all i have to add, is that you should make sure the oil pump sprocket is on the TDC mark on the oil pump before removing the timing belt! Once it's lined up, check to make sure the cam gear lines are exactly even (use a ruler or something)....THEN remove the belt. Also, do not spin the crank with the timing belt off, you can bend valves super easy.

 

this has helped....i just swap a new engine into my car and the timing is off. i need to fix that and its gonna be the 1st time i try it. i hope my valves arent bent doe. cause the car started up but then started clicking and shut off. i think it skipped some teeth when i crank it

 

2.5 hours start to finish for a noob, really? Picture this noob trying to remove the alternator belt, then power steering, then the tensioner for a/c belt. I'm pretty sure that will take him close to an hour alone with hand tools. All you guys who have done this several times need to stop telling him it's a piece of cake and only takes 2.5 hours, otherwise he'll make some dumb mistake trying to finish in that time and then he'll be starting a thread about why his valves hit his pistons.

 

agreed for a noob just the regular steps like removing the timing covers is a pain, and they were for me and i work at a shop some of the screws needed to take off the timing cover were really cramped to get to and luckily i have a 10 other techs here at the dealership with various tools

i say it will take you the entire day.