Trying to fix jumped timing on 08 accord 3.5 v6. Crankshaft lined up, front camshaft lined up but rear is off 2 cogs. Can I pull the old belt off and rotate the rear independently counterclockwise to bring it into alignment

 

If you have the problem you described than you can remove the timing belt, re-time the engine by rotating the cam by hand a few degrees in either direction, and then replace the belt. When you remove timing belts you often find the the cams are under some pressure from the valve springs and 'snap' to a different location. If that happens don't worry but you can prevent this. To prevent this many Honda cams have a spot built in for a wrench to hold them, so have someone hold it in place with a wrench and that will easily allow you to position it correctly while putting the belt back on.

Sounds like you know how to get the engine in Top Dead Center so that is good.

It is important to find the cause of why a cam would slip timing. Typically this is caused from a worn belt and/or a faulty tensioner. If it were me I would replace both. Neither are very expensive and the both require regular maintenance so just get to the bottom of the problem and replace them.

If your cam only moved 2 cogs it is unlikely that you had a valve hit a cylinder so I would not look for a belt valve unless the engine is not running well after being re-timed.

Let us know how it went.

 

Got it, took 4 trys with the timing belt to align everything correctly. Rear camshaft sprung when I moved it independently. After that I was meticulous about rotating it. Eventually got everything lined up. After running everything to temp there is a knocking noise which is not that worrisome but I would like to adjust. From everything I've read it seems like I need to do a rocker shaft bridge and valve adjustment. Never done any of this before but I am learning along the way.

 

It sounds like re-torquing the rocker shaft bridge can fix a knocking sound. Hopefully that is the one you are experiencing. That is easily done, just make sure you follow the proper procedures. Adjusting the valve clearances alone will be unlikely to fix a knocking sound because any valve that is connecting with a cylinder will likely already be bent or stuck. That said, if you are adjusting the rocker shaft bridge then you should make sure that your valves are still in spec so that your engine runs properly and prevent bent valves. If one of your valves is way out of spec, or after you get done adjusting the rocker shaft bridge and valve clearances and your still getting a knocking sound then you need to check for a bent valve. This can be done with a simple compression tester, and you would look for a cylinder that has lower pressure than the rest.

Let us know what your find

 

Any update on the problem jazmj23?