Car has 177k and the previous owner is not sure when the timing belt was changed, probable has been changed but you know how that goes...

I'm going to get the OEM kit and replace the drive pulleys etc.

How long does this job typically take? Last car i did it on was a non-interference engine so it was cake. After looking at the FAQ DIY version it looks like a major headache.

title i mean change... doy...

 

about 3 hours to do? i just paid for mine to get done 250 from a local shop at 80$ an hr.

 

It's not looking pretty to do, i guess if i'm careful i should be able to get it done properly though.

 

Dedicate a weekend or so to figuring out how you are going to free the crankshaft pulley bolt. For those new to Hondas, this is one of the biggest problems when changing the timing belt. This site and others have many suggestions.

Update:
I took two days and a morning to change the timing belt, water pump, cam and crank seals, and valve cover seals on my 2003 Civic this past week. I already had and knew how to use the pulley holder tool. I went at a leisurely pace. That I had changed the timing belt on my 91 and 93 Civics about five times helped a lot. I think this job was easier on my 2003 Civic, because there is about an inch more space between the engine block and the car chassis where the pulleys are, so one can get one's hands and ratchets in there more easily. The civicforums.com site in the FAQ is helpful, but mostly I used pages from a Helm manual and a little bit of the autozone.com site. After 15 miles of test driving, all seems to be running well on my Civic. Thanks to all the chatter in this forum, I was well-prepared for any problems. I was super careful about synchronizing the camshaft and crankshaft and putting the new timing belt on so as not to lose synchronization (timing). After tensioning the belt per the manual, and with the spark plugs out, I rotated the engine through two complete revolutions using one of the wheels (other wheel on the ground) to make sure the belt was not slipping. The newer Civic's tensioning procedure seems easier than that of the older Civics.

Hiccups during the job:
I could not get enough slack in the alternator/a.c. belt to remove the alt/a.c. belt. This means that at first, I also could not get the alternator out. I found it best to remove the crankshaft pulley first, because otherwise the alt/a.c. belt would not go over the crankshaft pulley's lip. This worked great both during removal and installation.

The spark plug tube seals took some serious prying to get out. I marred the inside of the valve cover a bit where the seals fit. These seals do not have the same design as the 89-2000 Civic seals. This was not a big deal, but it was not expected, either. On the older Civics, it is a three minute job any newbie can do. Not so with the newer Civics.Technique is everything.

 

I found someone who would do the timing belt and water pump for 125 labor and 20 extra for the crank and camshaft seals. A garage mechanic i found on craigslist, but he seems to know what he's doing and has references i can call.

Now I'm not sure if i want to save 145 or just have someone else do it lol. I wouldn't have to deal with the dreaded bolt. Or trying to slip the belt on without moving the timing.

Thanks for the info though guys, i appreciate this community. It's strange going from a toyota to a honda there are a lot of differences you wouldn't commonly think of.

 

Does the guy on cl give some type of warranty?

 

I don't even know shops around here that offer a warranty. Unless you go to the dealership, which I'd rather just replace the whole engine.

 

They're called tweakers.


Is this a legitimate business, or is he actually working out of his garage? Is he ASE certified? The problem with that is if he screws up, it's not like his work is guaranteed or that you can bring your car back to him and get it fixed at no cost. A "real" garage at least leaves those options open.

It should only take you a day to do it yourself, but if you're not comfortable doing your own work .. ..

 

lol

How do no shops around you offer warranty though, it seems odd.

 

ASE certified, he's working out of his own garage. But to be honest, i think i'm more liable to get ripped of at a large garage then someone in his garage lol.

I also have a friend that said he would do it for 75 dollars.

ASE certification does not really mean much. I've seen ASE certified mechanics screw up a lot more then jo-smo.

I understand the concern, but i have also seen large garage's at work.

I might still do it myself, kind of debating on which route to take. I think if i took my time i would be fine. But it still would be nice to get out of spending my day covered in oil.

 

sohc timing belt! easy.

see if you can find the factory service manual online, or a comparable manual like haynes and peep the process. or a write-up online. it's not hard to do. first time will be a little timing consuming, that's all.

but it sounds like you're leaning heavily toward a private person doing it.

not really. for this, you know what you need done. they aren't troubleshooting. so, you want a TB and associated maintenance done on a car that is working a-ok. a garage in business has insurance that covers you when their work is subpar and a previously working car now has issues. dude in his own garage from CL doesn't have this.

 

At least if he messes up, you know where he lives LOL

 

Yeah i can kick him in the *** lol. Sad part is i can get an engine for 300 dollars, timing belt kit is around 220... crank cam seals etc. it's kind of sad when you can get a whole engine for the price for a timing belt.

Does anyone know a good place to get a OEM timing belt kit the tensioner drive belts timing belt etc.?

 

Check the bottom of the second post here: https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-civic-2001-2005-78/faqs-guidelines-read-before-posting-2101211/

 

Check out rockauto.com for the timing belt. It will come with a new tensioner as well.

Also they sell crank pulley holders on amazon. Makes life a lot easier unless you have a impact that will do 1001 ft/lbs in reverse...

You need to move the ps pump and alternator out of the way. Then pull the crank pulley off and then support the motor with a jackstand with a piece of wood between it and the jack and unbolt the engine mount on the drivers side so that you can remove the belt. Then reinstall in reverse and to time the car make sure the cam gear where it says "up" is up and the key way on the crank is straight up them run the timing belt around everything then remove the key on the tensioner and you're in time. You will want to spin the motor a few cycles and make sure you hear nothing hitting together.

 

if i spin it and it hits something I'll be screwed anyways won't i? lol well i guess not if i don't crank it hard and notice the interference. Thanks for all the advice though guys, great community here.

 

it's pretty hard to not know it everything is lined up properly before you turn it over by hand. as long as the crank pulley notch is lined up and the cam sprocket up mark is at 12 o'clock, you'll be ok. but, for some reason, it isn't lined up properly, you'll notice while turning it by hand without actually damaging anything.

 

Thank you for the information, i really do appreciate it.