I am in the middle of a timing belt job.
I already had put the crankshaft pulley back on, only to find I could not get a socket in the hole in the lower timing cover to loosen the tensioner and adjust the tension.

The bolt of the tensioner is sticking even/slightly past the hole in the lower timing belt cover. I can't even get a socket (14mm) on it from above the pulley. Let alone putting the rubber plug back into the hole once I am done with the tensioner.

I went through the hassle of taking the pulley off again, removing the lower timing cover again to check, but I can't see anything wrong.

What is going on here?? Might I not have installed the tensioner correctly? I looked at the old tensioner and don't see anything obvious, also, the belt appears to be riding nice in the middle of the new tensioner so I don't think think there is a problem there. Also, the timing was correct when I had the pulley back on and the belt seated properly after having turn the crankshaft 6 times.

What is the deal here? How am I supposed to tension the belt if I can't get a socket onto the bolt of the tensioner?

Please HELP! Roger
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the hole for the tensioner. ..use a razor and cut some of it out.
also if you pull on the belt..it moves the tensioner up

 

tension the belt before putting the cover and crank on??

 

Also are you sure you have the outside timing belt cover seated properly?

I am not sure how it could miss position but if it is off 1 cm one way or another, I could see the tensioner hole being off the bolt enough to prevent a socket from seating onto the bolt head.

 

I had the same exact issue. Did you use a larger head bolt? I used a soldering iron (as it was long enough to reach) to nicely melt around the edges of the bolt head where the cover interferes. Just be sure to not damage the timing marks either way u choose to trim

 

The 10mm bolts for the covers are design to align the cover properly. So unless the cover morphed or the wrong bolts were used.

 

I ended up taking the pulley off again and the cover as well, then tightening the belt and putting everything back on.

This is the second timing belt change. The first one was done at the dealer and the tensioner had not been changed the first time. It had the original bolt on it stills with some blue stuff. Also the cover bolts are all original and indeed you can not shift the cover.

Looks like more people have the problem, so it is probably a bad design by Honda.

Roger

 

More people don't have this problem. You're suppose to replace the tensioner when replacing the timing belt, as well as the water pump. You're also suppose to tension the belt, confirm it and than slap everything back together. This is all written in guides in the FAQ and in the helms manual.

 

Well, the problem is I went by Honda shop manual for my car and followed it to the T. This is what is says:

I note that I followed the shop manual exactly. It tells you to make the following steps:

3. install timing belt
4. loosen and retighten the to tension the timing belt
5. Install the lower and upper cover
6. Install the crankshaft pulley, then tighten the pulley bolt
7. Rotate the crankshaft pulley 5-6 turns counter clockwise so that the timing belt positions on the pulleys.
8. Adjust the timing belt tension
8.a set no.1 piston at TDC
8.b loosen the adjusting bolt (and this is where the problem is as you can't get a socket over the bolt since the lower timing cover is already back on the car.
8.c rotate crankshaft counter clockwise three teeth on the camshaft pulley
8.d tighten the adjusting bolt (33 ft-lbs)
8.e inspect timing marks and retorque the crankshaft pulley bolt.

So the problem is with the service manual. Your Helms manual might have a more appropriate better sequence.

I admit I am a newbee when it comes to a timing belt change, but I am capable of following instructions in the shop manual to the T.

Some other people also told me they couldn't get a socket over the tensioner bolt when the lower cover is on. They suggested to cut the cover with a knife or soldering iron to make enough room for a socket to fit.

Hope that outlining my mistake here will help someone else from making the same mistake I made (following the shop manual to the T).

And btw I did replace the tensioner and waterpump as well.

Roger

 

To be fair, my factory trained honda tech with 25 years+ experience told me he rarely has to replace the tensioner as they are rarely bad.

Which would also explain why it wasn't replaced by the dealer the last belt change.

Just so you are aware, the "helms" manual is the Honda shop manual. Helms Inc is contracted out to produce most of the car manufacturers shop manuals and so are the official manuals used by both the public and the factory trained techs.

 

Thanks for chiming in TomCat.

I checked the old tensioner as well and didn't see anything wrong with it, but considering I have 221k miles on the car and it hadn't been replaced yet, I thought I'd replace it this time together with the spring. I will probably keep it on the car the next timing belt change.

I also looked at the old water pump which also still looked like new; it came out very clean, no corrosion anywhere, even the rubber seal was still soft. Also it appears to turn fine as well without any unevenness or end-play or grinding. But I got a new one anyway. Wouldn't want it to seize on me while on the road.

The water pump was replaced at 95k miles last time with the timing belt at the dealer. I do note that my car was very well maintained by my wife (my wife bought the car new before I got to know her) and after I took over driving (at around 36k miles), I have been putting in valvoline full synthetic oil and filters and only use Honda Genuine transmission fluid and coolant (coolant only gets changed/added when the timing belt is changed; I don't do any separate flushes/refills).

I change synthetic oil every 15k miles, transmission fluid once a year. I forgot about my last set of plugs which went in at 140k miles, but they still lasted 70k miles (changed them at 210k miles). They looked as they should and even the gap was still within spec.

The oil pan gasket has been changed twice. It leaked at around 95k miles and the dealer replaced it. It looks like these gaskets don't last very long. Around 180k miles it leaked again. This time I replaced it with a Felpro PermaDry gasket. Hope this gasket will last longer than 100k miles.

I make about 20k-25k miles per year and typically cruise at about 2700rpm on the freeway (automatic transmission). Once in a while the car's rpms go up to 4000-4500 if the car downshifts when it is on cruise control going up a hill, but normally it doesn't go above 3000-3500rpm. It has never been reve'd above 4500rpms.

I have put a Gates Blue Racing timing belt on now at 221k miles and also replaced the serpentine belts (these also had been on since the previous timing belt change at 95k miles). They did show quite a bit of cracking now though after 125k miles). I replaced them with Gates Blue Racing serpentine belts (P/S, A/C and the alternator).

I also noticed a broken driver side lower engine mount which I replaced, and I replaced all the coolant hoses this time since the coolant was drained anyway. The hoses also were still the original ones (so 221k miles on them as well).

I have to do the upper ball joint boots next time as well as they are ripped. I also still have the original distributor cap/rotor and ignition wires on the car. Wondering if I should replace those as preventative measure or maybe it is better no to touch it.

Anyway, thought I'd share a bit of history about my Honda. Am very happy with this 2000 Honda Civic EX. It's my daily driver. It still drives like a new car. Hope to put many more miles on it.

Glad to be done with the timing belt and hose job now though. I had a week vacation and been busy working on it for the last 6 days. I hadn't expected it to take this much time, but I hit quite a few obstacles along the way (see my other thread on the hose replacement).

I hope you enjoyed my story

Roger

 

So did you ever get your timing belt installed and working correctly? I am curious because I am about to do mine. I have the Honda Manual but I am thinking of getting the Helms manual after reading your thread!

 

Don't be intimidated by this thread. It is very simple and straight forward. The op issue was individualized not the usual

 

Thanks ek9 beast!

 

I finished the timing belt job, but had to take the pulley and lower cover off a second time. Just make sure to set the belt tension without the lower cover on (temporarily install the pulley without the lower cover and tighten the crankshaft bolt enough so you can turn the crankshaft pulley such that the camshaft gear moves three teeth counterclockwise from TDC. Then tighten the tensioner bolt to 33lbs-ft, take the pulley off again, install the lower cover (make sure the rubber plug is in the timing bolt hole so you don't have to try and get that in afterwards), install the pulley again and torque to spec.

It was my first timing belt change, so now I know what to do next time.

Roger

 

You don't need the crank on to check the timing marks. the crank gear has a mark on there that can be used, and there usually is a mark on the oil pump to align the gear.

 

Thanks!

 

Also, the "Honda Manual" and "Helms Manual" are the same thing.

If your "Honda" manual is a Haynes manual then yes, definitely get the Helm's "Honda" manual.

Here, if your manual looks like this:



Then you definitely need to get the Helm's manual.

If your manual looks like the one in the top left corner:



That's the helms manual and will be your bible for the car.

 

The only thing you'll ever need....

 

Well, than I guess I don't need anything else. I already have the one thing!