Upon pulling the valve cover on this 98 CR-V, I immediately noticed that the cam timing lock eyelets (the top holes you put a rod through to lock the cams for timing) are both broken and missing on this engine. I thoroughly inspected the head for any metallic debris as well as inspecting the surfaces where these eyelets broke off -- it would appear they have been broken off for some time as the porous broken surfaces are both stained with oil to indicate this was not a recent event). My guess is that the last individual that changed the timing belt broke these doing something incredibly stupid. Just a guess. Anyhow -- it sure would have been nice to have them in-tact for setting the timing on this engine. The cams would not line up (clearly one cam jumped a tooth and/or the belt was stretched and the belt tension not adequate (there was a inordinate amount of slack in the belt in that section between the two cams while at TDC). Am also looking for any tips when putting the belt back on and keeping the cams timed and also setting the tensioner properly. Thanks in advance.

 

B series doesn't have cam timing locks and doesn't need them.

Cam gears are keyed to the cams and are not adjustable. Use the timing marks on the cam gears to set the cam timing.