Hi all,

Been a lurker for a while, finally joined to make this post because I really need help.

This car is a 1999 CIVIC DX with a D16y7 block and a D16y8 head. The owner before me trashed this car, judging by all sorts of things, but namely the blown head gasket I realized after the lemon law deadline expired. Love it. I turned to Craigslist for a replacement head, scored an assembled D16y8 with a z6 intake manifold and ____?_____ cam gear I'm not sure what car it came from. The guy had a CRX parked outside, so I assume he just swapped out the one he was selling me, for another one he had already dropped in the CRX. I already found that the new z6 IM won't accept the Y7 fuel rail without drilling holes, so I reverted back to the y7 IM (which I noticed had oil in it). I bought a y8 timing belt to go with the y8 head.

Here is my issue: I have taken the tensioner spring off to allow full slack in the timing belt, but the timing belt is just too tight to get around everything. I have had a friend try to slip one side on with a flathead screwdriver while I did the same on the other side, to no avail. I just took off the _____?____ cam gear and reverted back to the spoke-style Y8 cam gear that the car had before I started all this, retried, and got nowhere (I think they were the same size cam gears). I've tried 2 DAYCO 95224 belts thinking I had a defective one, plus one that came with my head gasket kit, all 3 are not stretching out enough to slip over everything. It is just shy of getting on, it's not even funny, but no amount of stretching will get it on. My old Audi was easy as cake in slipping the belt off/on, but this Honda has a problem it's not being forthcoming about.

I've been wrangling with this car for weeks now. I have just enough mechanical knowledge to get me in trouble, after having torn down my old Audi and learning more things than I ever wanted to. I've turned to Honda for their reliability and fuel efficiency, since I easily put on 100mi a day (this is my daily driver vehicle). I've thrown $xxx at rental cars while trying to fix these major issues, another $xxx at parts, tools, and the bay usage fees my awesome garage lets me use (only gotta pay them $6/hr, they let me use whatever tools they have). So, all this and I'm broke as a joke, still with a broken car. I'm at a loss, I'm frustrated, I have been more than optimistic, but guys, I am feeling defeated and really could use all of your help in figuring out what's wrong.

 

Also, forgot to mention: the Craigslist guy did not set the head to TDC before pulling it, so it's now bolted in my car not at TDC (idk if that matters yet since the belt's not on).

 

You sure you can't get it on? I did a timing belt on a y7 yesterday and it seemed extremely hard to get on but it did. And no it shouldn't matter, how far from tdc is it? And I'm taking it you mean the cam holder is already torqued?

 

OH IT'S OFF MARK haha. This guy just decided to pull it without regard to TDC.
Cam holder...

So to recap, I took the CL D16y8 head, took off the Z6 intake mani and reverted to the D16y8 mani (oil in it), took off this one http://www.jdmcenter.com/cdn/400/cam...ulley-gold.jpg put this one http://liam821.com/pix/car/misc/sohc...ture%20002.jpg on and still have no dice. I haven't gotten to the stage where I put the camshaft pulley on located on the lower valve cover (haven't covered anything up). Would putting it to TDC let it pay out more slack? Thanks for the prompt reply.

 

The lower one is the crank pulley. You should be lining up the gear to the oil pump on crank and line the cam up to tdc then put the belt on

 

Get a belt that is a little bit longer but it is a PITA getting the timing belt on from past experience

Also the Lemon law does not affect used vehicles, only new.

 

Okay, so do you have a recommendation for a longer belt? If I go too long, then I'm in another pickle.

Is there a way I can get it to TDC without the belt on? With that belt off, I thought you can't get it to move. That cam gear doesn't budge (I tried it while the head was off the car, then with it on). The spark plugs were removed at the suggestion of a mechanic friend of mine, he said it would let up on the pressure in the spark plug wells, allowing the cam gear to turn easier. I only talked with him briefly because he was in the middle of something, so I couldn't really tell him full details.

 

I have always gone to the part store to see what they had that would work in a situation like this and it was alway drive belts. I have only used OEM or Gates for timing belts. Maybe try a different brand?? I know some brands that you can buy at the part stores tend to be a tad bit larger or smaller.

What brand do you currently have?

You should be able to rotate the cams to be positioned in TDC unless the valves are hitting the piston for some reason...

 

I am currently using the http://www.amazon.com/Fel-Pro-Hs9915.../dp/B000C2CI4M as a head gasket kit. Note: others reported using the 9915PT, but I haven't seen anyone using the one I have, which is a PT2. AutoZone assured me it should work. Again, I did try two DAYCO 95224 belts in addition to the belt that came in the kit. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to help me.

 

Don't trust a word autozone tells you they are idiots!!!

 

haha, bad experience?

 

I just picked up Honda OEM belt 104RU24 and have the same issue. Does anyone have any suggestions? Like I said, I'm desperate: I've starting thinking of boiling the belt in water to have it expand. Can anyone offer anything more than using a different belt (now that I've used 3 separate vendors?) it feels like I'm getting nowhere.

 

I have had them argue with me trying to sell me the wrong parts when I told them exactly what I needed. Try telling them you need integra brakes or a b series axle for a civic and watch their bewilderment. They think they have car knowledge when they don't. I avoid the place unless they are having a sale or I can't get a part anywhere else.

How much more slack do you need to get it on? I would avoid boiling the belt, I would be afraid that would reduce the structural integrity.

You have the first cylinder at TDC? Were you ever able to get the cams to rotate to the proper position?

Got any pics? That might help to see if something is out of the norm.

Is there a difference in the y8 and y7 belt?

 

Ok, I just read up on the mini-me swap so the belts are the same for the y7 and y8.

Do you know for a fact you have a y8 head? What is the casting mark on the head?

 

P2J-2 is the head code. I see it's got the number 98 on the top-right corner of the head. This looks to be a 1996 EX D16Y8 Auto judging by here: https://honda-tech.com/forums/tech-misc-15/i-need-hondas-b-series-cylinder-head-codes-2628949/

 

The 1996 EX uses the same OEM belt: https://estore.honda.com/honda/parts...BELT%2C+TIMING

 

Ok I just want to rule out any variables.

How much more slack do you need to get the belt on?

 

Y7 and Y8 timing belts are identical, 104 teeth. They also use identical blocks, cranks and timing gears.

Did you take the tensioner off? If not, take it off, put the belt on and then put the tensioner back on.

As far as timing it goes, with the belt off, set the crank at TDC (use the pointer on the oil pump and the lower timing gear (keyway will point straight up at TDC) Turn the cam pulley to TDC, put the belt on.

 

ALCON,

Thanks so very much. My issues were as follows:

1) Crankshaft pulley and cam gear were not set to TDC, once at TDC the belt slipped on.

2) Needed the "Honda Harmonic Balancer Tool" (AutoZone ordered it as a Vendor Direct Part #27176 under their Loan-A-Tool program... free as long as you return the tool within 90 days) because the crankshaft pulley kept moving

3) Kept the tensioner in the fully released position, spring off, allowing me to lap it over the pulley without having to bolt-off, bolt-on.

My timing belt was finally barely able to be scooted onto the cam gear once I had everything properly aligned. No stretching at all. Glad you dissuaded me from boiling the belt in water (glad I listened to you!) and to all others that have this problem, please consider my actions as potential fixes.

Now onto the next problem: engine won't start! woe is me. I'll create a new thread if need be. Now back to lurking. Thanks all. Tot gauw (Dutch: see you soon).

 

Congrats and good luck on the next fix! I just ran into a problem with my motor today.