Look here http://www.volny.cz/veitel/prelude/vtec.mp3 at the noise my engine is making. It is Prelude 1995 VTEC with H22 engine with 80000km (60000miles).

The strange sound is going somewhere from the timing belt location, looks that it is not from any power steering, alternator etc. It makes the sound only at 1000rpm, I can go there from idle or droping from higher RPMs, it doesn't matter. It does not make it anywhere else in the RPM band. Basically when the engine stays idle, the sound is normal (listen beginning of the MP3). When I just touch the gas pedal, so the RPMs goes to cca 1000, the strange sound starts. When I go higher (1100rpm or so), the sound disappears. What can it be??

The sound is since I have my engine rebuild, autotensioner removed, checked and installed back. It was fully functional so I think it is not because of it. The exact same sound (at 1000rpm and also at 1800-2000rpm) made my previous F22 Prelude (year 1994), but there is no autotensioner, there is a manual one. The sound was really the same, I remember it. On the F22, the sound stoped after I rebuilt the engine. Here with the H22 I rebuilt the engine and the strange sound starts!!!

Someone please help me.

 

It definately is the timing belt, and probably caused by your tensioner. It shouldn't hurt anything, but what happens is that for some reason at that RPM the tensioner isn't keeping the belt really tight, so the small amount of slack in the belt is whirring as it vibrates.....
That's my guess. I would replace the autotensioner with a new one, as the pre-97 tensioners had problems anyways and Honda changed them for the 5th gens....
Brian

 

correction, they didn't change them for the 5th. Atleast the 97 had a TSB for the auto-tensioner wearing pre-maturely... mine was swapped for a corrected version by the dealer under warrenty.

 

Should I try to touch the Tbelt or try to tighten it when the engine is runnig or something like that?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by petrv &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Should I try to touch the Tbelt or try to tighten it when the engine is runnig or something like that?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Not unless you want to possibly lose a finger or grenade your engine...

 

that sound is your timing belt being to tight.. do this set your engine at TDC and loosen the tensioner nut and then turn your crank 1/4 and then tighten the tensioner nut this will set the right tension for the timing belt and balancer shaft belt.

 

But somebody here told me that the adjusting nut "holds" only the tension of the balancer belt, not the timing belt itself. So by loosening the adjusting bolt and turning I think only the balancer belt tension will adjust.

 

Yeah they did not fix the problem with the auto tensioners for most of the 5th gens as well. Everyone I know that has hit 60k ish with a 5th gen has had the same problem with the tensioner including myself.

Yes it is a problem and ignoring it could net you several possible outcomes including a broken belt. I was lucky enough that the belt only jumped one tooth and didn't bend any valves.

My friend recently had his belt break. I told him only 2 weeks prior to it happening when I heard the noise that he needed to change the tensioner. He got lucky as well though he was just coming to a stop when it broke and it stoped right at tdc and he too didnt bend any valves. We towed it to the shop put a new belt on and off he drove.

I dunno maybe you will get lucky too, but I would have it changed.

-Jeff-

 

So the noise came back after 2 miles driving . But when i was idling with the timing belt not so tensioned, the sound was not there. Maybe when I started to drive, the big tension came back. Anyway, I'm going to make the auto to manual tensioner conversion. Today I bought an aftermarket pulley for about $11, which is a good price I think . It has "KOYO JAPAN" stamped on itself and I think the same is on the original one.

 

OMG, I have made auto to manual tensioner conversion on my H22, but the sound is still there. When I tight the belt according to the Helms, the belt doesn't vibrate while running, but my engine makes that strange noise. When I make the tension little loose, the noise dissapears, but the timing belt vibrates on its "longest way" - between exhaust camshaft and crankshaft. The vibrations are about +-0.5cm (+-0.2inch) and the belt doesn't jump over a teeth. Is this OK? What sound is that?

 

HI same problem here stupid knocking sound. I thought they were coming from the pistons but NO! noisy ****. Have converted it to manual tensioner already and yet the sound is still there. Anyone please help us.. thanks! also I noticed the sound gets louder when i turn to the right and it goes away when i turn to the left. hehe wierd


Modified by speedworksengineering at 10:41 AM 10/16/2007

 

im buying a prelude for hella cheap and i think it has this problem.. somebody help??