Currently, I'm considering doing a Auto to Manual tensioner conversion on my 99 Base model H22. I read somewhere that the timing belt is a pain to get on, because of the Tensioner pulley size differences. However, I think I've come up, at least in theory with a solution. So, here it goes, I'm going to try and use a H23 water pump instead of the H22 one. The reason for this is simply because the pulley on the H23 pump is a little smaller the the H22 pump pulley. Or in my case, I'll just use a puller to remove the pulleys and swap them around, only because I have both pumps sitting in my garage. So, I guess my question is, like the title says: Has anyone tried this before?

Thanks.

 

I think the water pump will have the wrong number of teeth on the pulley. good idea but i dont think its gonna work. your best option is the KStuned manual tensioner. i ditched the h23 version for the same reason, the belt is waaay too tight. with the kstuned, you can get the belt on easily and get the correct amount of tension without risking the belt breaking from being too tight.

 

From what I recall it is less an issue of pulley size or tooth count, but that the H23 belt actually has different spacing between the teeth, so none of the pulleys from the H23 will work on the H22 stuff.

 

The teeth look the same on both.

 

I've done several of these, and sometimes it's a PITA to put the belt on, but it'll go on. I've always ordered my t belt parts from www.importsrp.com cause they have great prices on all the parts needed. There's even a write up on prelude power dot com

 

You are right about the teeth spacing. However, I'm considering using the H23 pump pulley size, mill it to the H22 pump teeth spacing and mass produce it possibly.

 

But at what cost to the end user? You can already buy the kaizenspeed tensioner for cheaper than the h23 manual tensioner swap, let alone having to buy a new pulley and then either buy a puller and swap them or have someone do it. I'm glad you're thinking outside the box and trying new things, but in this case I don't think the market will support it.

 

Just taking a little off the pulley, or the amount you would need to take off to do what you are wanting to do would probably end up in too much slack that you'd never get the belt tight again. A little off that diameter would go a long ways. If the tooth spacing is different you'd have to take off quite a bit.

Agreed 100%, the KS tensioner solves this problem 100% and makes tensioning the belt waaay easier.

 

I'm putting a KS unit on my H22 as well as there balance shaft deletion kit.

As for making changing the T-belt.....how long do you plan on having the car for? The T-belt is not something you change very often. Half the people who have owned these cars have not done them because they have not owned the car long enough.

If its simply to make things easier to install then I would not bother, more work than its worth. If your building a motor then get the KS unit in there. Its around $100 and easy to do.