I just inherited a 1989 Honda Civic Si with 180,000 miles on it. The original owner told me at around 100k, the timing belt snapped - fortunetly not causing as much damage as it could have. The shop that fixed the problem stressed that on this model, it should be done every 100k miles. The owner said its an expensive project, because the entire engine needs to come out.

Can anyone shed some light on this? How will I know when this needs replacing?

 

The engine does NOT need to be removed to change the timing belt. Its a fairly simple do-it-yourself job. You just need to be mindful of the cam gear, and crank position's at time of belt removal.

Im not sure the price of a new belt, but im assuming its about 50-80 bucks, depending on what you get. Id recommend OEM Honda belts, but im sure there are some aftermarket brands that are just as good.

As for knowing when to change it, remove the upper timing cover next to the valve cover, check the belt for tension, and twist the belt to look under it, the side that has the teeth. Check for dry-rot and stress marks. Look also at the top side of the belt for stretching or nicks from anything. Check for oil from your crank and cam seals, as that can rot a belt also.

Good luck.

75000 to 100000 miles are good times to change, even if you dont see problems.