Tried penetrating oil. No luck. The 14 mm bolt head stripped. Went and got the irwin bolt extractor kit. It pretty much shaved the inside of the bolt extractor. Am going to try vice grips when I get home. But by the looks of things the tensioner over laps majority of the bolt head so the vice grips will only grab the end.

Is there any possible way to slip the timing belt off and back on without touching the tensioner?

 

If there is no possible way of threading out that bolt, I suggest drilling off the head of the bolt, sliding the tensioner off and then using vice grips or other means to grab the remaining bolt exposed and thread it out.

Of course you'll have to get a new tensioner (or maybe just a new bolt) but you already knew that.

 

Is there anyway to unbolt the cam gear and take the sprocket off ot slide off the crank gear without moving things out of place

 

Yep, you'll obviously need to replace the bolt, so feel free to take a Dremel and shave the head off if you can't get it off with vice grips. A replacement bolt is pretty cheap from the dealership. Since you'll have to pull the tensioner, you might as well replace it.

Pulling the cam gear because the tensioner belt is stripped is complete overkill. Removing a cam gear isn't as simple as unbolting it, then bolting it back on.

 

Removing a cam gear is overkill. But....it really is a matter of just unbolting it and removing it. Even with the belt on, you can just tap it forward and it'll come off.

It doesn't matter which way you remove the belt without undoing the tensioner. Unless the belt is mega stretched, it will be a HUGE task putting it back together.

Put a jack under the pan with some wood or a phonebook. Remove the top motor mount and lower torque mount. Lower the jack down a bit and the tensioner bolt will become exposed. Get creative with one of those claw sockets or something. Or tack weld a crappy 14mm socket onto the bolt. You'll likely need a new tensioner if you do the weld method.

Next time drop the motor a bit as I described and use a 6pt socket instead of a wooden spoon and a fork and some pliers or whatever you were using before.

 

Removing a cam gear really isn't "remove that one bolt". You need to lock the cam. You can't do that at the crank, because you'll destroy the belt, so that leaves you with locking it at the cam. Shoving something in the cam gear to stop it from rotating risks severely damaging the gear. Some heads have a set pin hole, but that's just for setting TDC - you should never use it to install or remove a cam gear. It risks damaging the cam cap, as well as the cam.

The ideal "home mechanic" way is to remove the gear-side cam cap, put a business card between the cap and the cam, and hand tighten it. You'll lock the cam that way, you can remove the gear, and the paper of a business card is too soft to mar the cam, or the cam cap. You'll need to re-lubricate the cam and cap after you do that, though. Basically, it's a hell of a process just to remove a timing belt, and complete overkill. You'd be better off notching the bolt, or using a stripped bolt socket on it.

 

With the T belt on: Lock the crank. Loosen the bolt. Cam gear comes off. Instead of applying even pressure, just slap the ratchet down with your mighty fist. My fist is pretty mighty, BTW....not sure I ever mentioned that. JUSTICE.

To be fair, I do this while changing the belt...so I don't care if the belt stretches a bit (it wont) while I do this.

I think there may be holding locations on some honda cams as well. Like a 27mm or something.

 

what motor is this on?

 

Stop avoiding this. The bolt and tensioner should be replaced, this is not something to half-***. Are you seriously considering leaving that stripped bolt on there?

 

**** ALL THAT NOISE!


100% Serious:

Cut the old belt, then get a 3" grinder and cut the head off the fucked bolt and slide tensioner off like NAR said, THEN you'll be able to heat the bolt, grab the bolt solidly with vise grips, and extract it. The LAST thing you want is that bolt FUCKED and broken off INSIDE the head somewhere. Both the bolt and the tensioner need replaced anyway so you're better off destroying the tensioner that's getting replaced than destroying your block by having the bolt break off 4 threads deep into the block.

 

No I am not. Just trying to think of a way to replace my hg... if I could slide the crank gear off and be able to put it back on with the belt I would be down for it.... id say f*** the tensioner. Tensioner is good dont want to risk messing it up. Money is a concern at this point as well

 

If you're doing the head gasket, you might as well cut the belt off, and replace the belt, water pump, and tensioner.

 

Hell no. Did a timing job a month ago. All new parts

 

What motor? If you can't buy a new tensioner and bolt due to lack of funds, then just wait, or sell something.... they're not that expensive. HG replacement? Might as well buy new water pump, timing belt, tensioner, HG, Headbolts, etc...

 

Who ever did the timing belt job must've fucked up somehow.

 

Can't answer a simple question? Good luck bro......

 

OP...you don't want to try and bring the motor down a bit to make the tensioner bolt more accesible? Might be easy to remove once you can put a 6 point socket on it and engage some of the flats that may not be stripped.

BTW...I think you can get a decent tensioner on rockauto for cheap.

 

He stated that he did the timing job. Must have over tightened the fastener. Along with trying to loosen it with the socket not all the way on the bolt....

 

I have to say that is the COOLEST trick I've ever heard. I've had good luck putting a 5mm bolt in the cap pinhole of my LS motor and not having it break. Actually, you can break a screw hand cranking the engine. In the future, though, that seems a better option.

In the end, clindberg, you can save the new components if you're smart with a dremel tool. Ever try one of those sockets made just for stripped heads?

If you use any other technique to get the belt off outside of removing the tensioner, you'll never get it back on.

 

D16y8 engine

 

there has been too much discussion already about this simple fix. it could be back up and running by now...

Recap: you did a timing belt job recently and damaged or failed to replace the damaged tensioner bolt. Now you want to replace the head gasket (I assume it's leaking) but you don't know how to get the belt free without messing with the damaged tensioner bolt.

Solution: remove the distributor and rocker arm assembly. after marking the alignment of the cam gear and belt, lift the camshaft from the passenger side first which will tilt the cam gear downward, releasing the belt tension.

alternately, use a binder clip or two to hold the belt to the cam gear to keep timing. remove the cam bolt then follow the above to remove tension.

install is reverse of removal. take care to position the cam seal at reassembly since it's new and you're reusing it.

 

This is the same exact procedure I was going to advise. Couldn't get an answer, So I gave up trying.

 

applying heat and working the vice may be a good first attempt, hopefully corrosion wont play a role in removing the bolt. you may then have a another task to deal with.

 

applying heat to a tensioner is not a good idea. i once walmart parking lot swapped a head gasket. since i was in a pinch, i used a piece of wood and tapped the belt off the gear. i was able to slip it back onto the gear, but it was not easy. this was a $300 POS and is in no way shape or form the correct way to remedy your problem, but it did work.

 

LOL remove the cam just because the tensioner bolt is rounded? Are you crazy? That doesn't even remotely solve the given problem.