timing belt broke at 55 mph

Hey everyone great site. Where is the timing mark located on the engine? Is it located on the timing cover or what? Found the mark for TDC on the crankshaft pully but where is the stationary mark? THe book says it located on the lower cover but I cant find it. My story is as the title says: broken belt at 55mph. Just trying to put new belt on and see if it any good.

The marks are under the timing covers.

The mark is on the back timing cover, probably around the 1 o'clock mark, you have to remove the outer cover to see it. The cam requires you to line up the 2 horizontal marks with the head....unless you have a z6 which uses a 3rd mark that lines up with the inside timing cover mark.

I thought that the mark was on the outside cover. Didnt really know there was an inner and outer cover on this engine just upper and lower. Question: If I take off the pully to take off the timing cover how will the pully go back on without losing its setting? Sorry but I'm not getting it. Only done this once on an old 54 F100

There is a mark on the crank gear under the cover and on the block. There is a line or little triangle on the pulley and a mark on the engine block. The cam usually says "up" and there will be 2 lines that will line up with the top of the cylinder hear. Yes there are inner & outer timing covers.

http://www.dodo-upgrades.nl/cityme_bestanden/image006.jpg

http://i456.photobucket.com/albums/qq283/anagy03/HPIM0592.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/CivicSpoon/distributoralignment.gif

Thanks for the Pics BullShifter, That about says it all right there!
Question: Before I take off the Crank Pully what position does it need to be in? Does it matter. Sorry
1. I'm gonna take off the crank pully
2. Take off the lower plastic cover

Just remove the bolt and pulley, get covers off, install bolt to line up marks.

thanks...I'll do it and see what I got

When you remove the pulley, make sure you don't loose the little keyway, that is how it stays in place.

Thanks I won't lose the key.
Question: My books says when installing the new belt to
1. first put belt in place
2. lightly tighten the tentioner to where the belt is snug,
3. Turn crank or cam gear counter-clockwise three teeth
4. tighten tentioner fully
Is this the way or are they refering to another engine?

Thats the way to do it.

Thanks for the info
Question: The book says to take the Crank Pully off its counter-clockwise on the bolt. To brace the engine from turning you can stick something like a big flat head screwdriver into the FlyWheel to jam the engine from moving. Where is the slot to do this or do I need to take off a cover to expose the flywheel? I tried with a small screw driver through a hole in the crankpully and it bent the screw driver. Should I try that again with an inpact gun and a steonger thicker screw driver? It appears to be really tight (17mm) or find the flywheel spot but where is it located? Do they sell a special crank pully puller tool?

I've never had any luck holding the flywheel, I usually got 2 bolts to stick through 2 of the holes on the crank pulley, then got a long bar, not thick enough to block the crank bolt, and wedge between the 2 bolts and the vehicles frame. Then use a big breaker bar with sudden pressure on it, constant pressure usually doesn't work too well, sudden pressure is how impacts work.

If you have a big enough impact, that will work to and much easier.

Yes there is a special tool for holding Honda crank pulleys but not yours!.
http://www.hondacivicrepairs.com/views/honda-civic-crankshaft-pulley-holder.JPG

That doesn't work on the older pulleys, only on the 92+ I believe. The old style with the holes in it don't have a place for that tool to work.

Edit: Upon closer inspection on the package in your picture, I'm correct on the years.

It's been so long since I messed with my '91 I forgot and there aren't too many customer's bringing them in any more. Good catch!

That sounds like a great idea. I have the impact gun. I'll try your idea. Didn't really want to mess with the flywheel anyway.

I've never been able to get a good enough bite on the flywheel to break a crank pulley bolt loose. Try the impact first, then go to the other method. The newer pulleys are nice if you have the tool, but does suck you have to buy a special tool for it, because if you don't have an impact that can do it, you have no way of holding the pulley w/o the tool.

I always try an impact first and it seems like I need to use the holder with a breaker bar and a pipe. We have strong guns too.

Yea, it takes a very stout impact to be able to break them loose most of the time.

That it does. Our 3/4" gun can't break them loose some times. Some strong robots......

Engine rotation doesn't help.

you can tell the is a D series conversation b/c if it were a B series we'd be talking about what engine to buy

Why? A B series isn't an interference engine, atleast the LS isn't. The clearance is close enough that if you have it spinning fast enough, it can stretch enough to hit a valve, but under normal circumstances, its perfectly fine...hell mine snapped at 80mph atleast and was perfectly fine.

Why? A B series isn't an interference engine, atleast the LS isn't. The clearance is close enough that if you have it spinning fast enough, it can stretch enough to hit a valve, but under normal circumstances, its perfectly fine...hell mine snapped at 80mph atleast and was perfectly fine.


I think he meant a real b series, not a granny one:screwy:



With re getting the crank pulley off, has any tried putting the car in gear and having some one stand on the brakes?

Call it what you wish, but I can replace mine twice for the price of the new ones, or make a D with a good build for the price of some of the newer B series...not of fan of hype.

I couldn't get the crank pully off today. I used an air impact of 260LBs at 90 psi and it never budged or moved. I used the rod, nut and bolt tech. to brace the pully against the ground like yall said to try and the gun couldn't get it loose. Used liquid wrench pen. spray too. Used a breaker bar 1/2 inch braker bar and nothing. The Nut on the cank is starting to wear. If I strip that 17mm nut then I fooked. Do yall think that a stronger Impact gun would just get it off? Like a 300+ . I had the gun on a 100ft airline. Think maybe it's not 260LB? Its a Huskey From Home Depot. $50

Breaker bar and a good 17mm six point socket is the cheapest option. Our 3/4" gun that claims to have 850 ft. lb. can't break them loose some times. Shocking with a breaker bar is the way I get them loose. Penetrating isn't going to do squat! It's not the psi that matters as much as the volume. The bigger the air hose the better!

Yeah starting to understand. I good breaker bar and a quality 17mm socket. My breaker bar is a 1/2 drive. Should I go 3/4?
I used a 2.5 foot piece of all-thread to brace the pully against the ground. a Think I should try a smaller piece and brace it somewhere against the car itself, like the wheel well or? Just sucks. I want the fooker off!

Its a mix bullshifter, psi doesn't need to be cranked up as high as you possibly can get it, but its not always a bigger hose you need either. Impacts have a sweet spot with psi, most will spin faster with a lower psi than with it maxed.

Anyways, the breaker bar is the best option. Get a cheater pipe if you need, but don't put constant pressure on it, shock it. Putting constant pressure is what will usually cause the bolt to round off like what your saying.

Yeah shocking it.
Is a 1/2 drive 17mm the best to use?

Yea, 1/2 17mm is the best to use

get a 1/2 drive breaker about 6'', yeah same as a ratchet with a 6pt socket
and a heavy mini sludge.smack it a couple times, as long as you have'nt
started to round off the bolt it will give.just make sure its not a left handed thread

Call it what you wish, but I can replace mine twice for the price of the new ones, or make a D with a good build for the price of some of the newer B series...not of fan of hype.


Remember the B16a is now over 20 years old, the first ones came out in late 1989. They weren't made in massive numbers either, and most have now been thrashed and scrapped. The B18c is similar, and both are truly fantastic motors. 100hp/L 20 years ago is some serious bit of kit.
It only follows that as they become harder to source the price will go up.
I can buy an EF9 or EG6 here for the cost of the engine. The rest of the car, which is just as impressive a bit of engineering is virtually worthless.

It's a bit like the old Ford Kent Cross flow, they are now very rare and stupidly hard to source, making them very expensive. Yet in the 80s every one was doing a conversion to on thier Escort, or modifying them.




Yeah shocking it.
Is a 1/2 drive 17mm the best to use?


Make sure it's a really good quality socket in really good condition.
If your not sure it will be worth spending a bit and buying a new one.

You call 6" a breaker bar? I use a 2ft 1/2 breaker bar, pop the end of it a couple times and it usually breaks loose.

Moppie: I'm not saying the b16 and b18c aren't good engines, just myself I don't ever see me spending that much on them. The first b18a1 I got was out of a 90 Integra that I picked up for $600(whole car) and the one I have in now was $400. I abuse them, so I try to stick with the cheaper engines to get what I need done, and the LS is perfect for it.

When my mom bought her 1990 Civic new with I believe the 15 series engine, with an automatic was surprising fast compared to other cars.