Timing Belt Done!

Just replaced the TB on my 92 Accord (185000 mile, first time replacing). It's really a big job.

Here is what I did/replaced:

1. Timing Belt
Bought a crankshaft pulley holder on Amazon for about $14. It's a must! Without it, I don't think it's possible to take off the pulley. I hold the pulley with the special tool, then it took a braker bar with a 4 feet long steel pipe, and 2 men full-power push together to break it loose.
2. Timing Balancer Belt
Easy one, but when installing, I don't know why the 100mm #6 bolt that goes into the service hole for the alignment of the rear balancer can go in for every 270 degree of rotation of the shaft. How it works?
3. Alternator Belt
Piece of cake.
4. Power Steering Belt
Picec of cake.
5. Camshaft Seal
Need to replace it casue the oil leak seriously. This is the most difficult task since I have to take off the rocker arm assy. It's kind of like a nightmare right after I took it off the head. It got loose and won't go back together easily. Suggestion : keep the 2 exhaust end bolts in place, don't take them off the assy when you remove the assy from the cylinder head. That's all you need to keep everything together.
6. Valve Clearance
Not too difficult.
7. Spark plug Tube Seals (4 under valve cover, 4 under rocker arm assy)
Nothing to say about this.
8. Distributor O Ring
Don't think I should mention this.
9. No, I didn't replace the water pump. Since the timing belt can last 180000 miles and still like new (manual suggest to replace at 90000 mile), I believe the pump will last much longer.

Anyway, after 7 hours work, when I put everything back together and start the engine, it's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. The engine came back alive with no problem at all.

Things still need to do:

1. Adjust timing -- Need timing gun.
2. Adjust belt tension -- just tighten it a little bit after couple days.

Air tools make crank bolt removal a piece of cake.
Going 185K is just dumb and not changing the water pump is also dumb. Do you really want to do all that work over again?

Amazing that you got 185K on the timing belt. I guess they figure that the belt will always last at least 90 K and then stastically figure the failures from 90K up. If the water pump goes in the next 30-40K, you can tear down the whole thing again just to replace a $30 part. Spark plug seals have been discussed many times on this site. The ones under the cover are easy to replace. Tell us how to replace the ones under the rocker arms? Do you have to remove the camshaft or just the upper beariing caps?

Good Job! You are brave, man! This is something that not everyone dare to DIY, sometimes even dealer techs mess up. Did you do it all by yourself? Did you take any photos that you can share with us? I have a same car and I would like to see what it takes to do it.

Water pump, you know, I had a old old 82 Accord Hatchback (my dad's), it was about 275000 mile when I donated it last year, believe or not, the water pump and belts are still the original. It's amazing and I believe the parts manufactured 20 years ago have higher saftty factor. My dad said he never replaced them. His philophy is "why fix it if it's not bad". Although the belts were very very old and you could see a lot of cracks on the ribs 5 years ago when I took it over, my dad said it's still OK. And it's true, they just kept going. And since if the water pump goes bad, it shouldn't cause any further damage to the engine, you don't have worry too much about it, right? But you will have to take everything apart again. Maybe it's no big deal to you.

And since if the water pump goes bad, it shouldn't cause any further damage to the engine, you don't have worry too much about it, right?
I guess you have never had a water pump freeze up and rip all the teeth of a timing belt...Say bye bye valves!
Pro man,
You should have done the pump when you did the belt...

Never have seen one freeze up but they do leak.
Maybe they leak before they freeze up.

When they leak it's all that labor all over again and a NEW timinng if your smart.

If you want to see how a timing belt or any other repair is done, buy a repair manual - www.helminc.com

When water pumps go bad they can cause serious engine damage, mainly severe overheat or a broken timing belt which can cause all sorts of damage.

I used to love at Honda when customers declined water pump replacements with timing belts and they came back a few months later receiving an even higher bill because they were too cheap the first time. :disappoin

You shouldn't wait til a timing belt "looks" bad you should replace it at the recommend interval. Keep in mind it's the heart of an engine keeping in synch.

Amazing that you got 185K on the timing belt. I guess they figure that the belt will always last at least 90 K and then stastically figure the failures from 90K up. If the water pump goes in the next 30-40K, you can tear down the whole thing again just to replace a $30 part. Spark plug seals have been discussed many times on this site. The ones under the cover are easy to replace. Tell us how to replace the ones under the rocker arms? Do you have to remove the camshaft or just the upper beariing caps?

I am a mechanical engineer myself, so I know most of the design must have safety factor, normally 2-5. So I feel double the life is very conservative.

To replace the seal under the rockerarm assy, yes, you have to remove the assy. The assy is separate from the camshaft, very good design and very easy to assemble. Just be careful when you take it off, don't let it get loose, or it's a bixxh to put back together.

Good Job! You are brave, man! This is something that not everyone dare to DIY, sometimes even dealer techs mess up. Did you do it all by yourself? Did you take any photos that you can share with us? I have a same car and I would like to see what it takes to do it.

Water pump, you know, I had a old old 82 Accord Hatchback (my dad's), it was about 275000 mile when I donated it last year, believe or not, the water pump and belts are still the original. It's amazing and I believe the parts manufactured 20 years ago have higher saftty factor. My dad said he never replaced them. His philophy is "why fix it if it's not bad". Although the belts were very very old and you could see a lot of cracks on the ribs 5 years ago when I took it over, my dad said it's still OK. And it's true, they just kept going. And since if the water pump goes bad, it shouldn't cause any further damage to the engine, you don't have worry too much about it, right? But you will have to take everything apart again. Maybe it's no big deal to you.

Good point for "why fix it if it's not bad"!! But to be honest, only people know cars well dare to do this. Most of people just would like to get the "peace of mind" feeling by spending money.

I have to agree, although I have never heard such thing happened, that if the water pump freeze, the TB will be damaged. But what's the chance? I believe it's very very low, since there is not much the water pump can "freeze" upon. And for a sensitive driver like me, I would have sensed immediately if there is something wrong with water pump. I have to point out that for such an old car (82), the water pump should be driven by a v-belt instead of timing belt, which means it's external. Right?

Sorry, I didn't take any photos. Maybe next time.

By the way, I believe the engine is non-interference on 90-93 Accord. Even the shop manual doesn't say it's interference type and mention any warning. Anyone can find a formal document saying it's interference?

mitchell on demand 5 say that this is an interference type engine. nothing personal but of all 5 of the mechanical engineers that i have known in my line of work (Bus Mechanics). not one of them can tell their butt from a hole in the ground. and the aircraft engineer that i know can't change his sparkplugs in his CRV without calling the engineer at the factory and getting the exact procedures.

By the way, I believe the engine is non-interference on 90-93 Accord. Even the shop manual doesn't say it's interference type and mention any warning. Anyone can find a formal document saying it's interference?

Technically its a non-interference engine but if the timing belt lets go at a high enough RPM it will become an interference engine.

nothing personal but of all 5 of the mechanical engineers that i have known in my line of work (Bus Mechanics). not one of them can tell their butt from a hole in the ground.

I wont say they are all idiots but the ones I know and the ones that design cars have no common sense. Some of the most commonly replaced parts on cars are ridiculous to get to. For instance we had to replace a radiator on a 96 or 97 Ford Taurus and the front bumper had to come of, it was about 4hrs of labor . . . :shakehead Now a Honda I can replace one in less than 20 minutes. I could go on and on about all the stupid places these engineers put stuff but that's not the subject of this thread. Basically they make things easier & faster to install during production not worrying about repairs down the road. It's kind of a good thing for us people in the repair world, it's just more money but it does get frustrating at times when something simple takes a few hrs when it only should take less than an hour.

I agree 200% with Bullshifterfs comments. Design seems to be left to the most inexperienced right of college engineers who have never worked in the field. And if one of us maintainers gets asked and we make comments, they are quickly dismissed as it will cost too much to redesign the part.

I guess you have never had a water pump freeze up and rip all the teeth of a timing belt...Say bye bye valves!
Pro man,
You should have done the pump when you did the belt...actually if it freezes up, it melts or rips the belts not timing belt, my g-pa's concorde the water pump froze up and ripped a belt, thast it, yea if it freezes up u loose power steering, and break asist, but thats just cuz of the belts

actually if it freezes up, it melts or rips the belts not timing belt, my g-pa's concorde the water pump froze up and ripped a belt, thast it, yea if it freezes up u loose power steering, and break asist, but thats just cuz of the belts
Guess you dont know to much about Hondas... The timing belt drives the water pump on most Hondas... Alternator,power steering belts have nothing to do with the water pump!

on my honda i have 3 belts, one for power steering and a/c, one for alt and one for water pump, and it isnt connected to the timing belt

on my honda i have 3 belts, one for power steering and a/c, one for alt and one for water pump, and it isnt connected to the timing belt

:screwy: If you don't know what your talking about please dont add your opinion. honda's water pump is driven by a timing belt located under the timing covers!

I just replaced a broken timing belt on an Intrepid due to a bad water pump. A concorde is the same way.

:screwy: If you don't know what your talking about please dont add your opinion. EVERY honda's water pump is driven by a timing belt located under the timing covers!
Not true, my 89 Accord had an external water pump and was not drivin by the timing belt. As for the American cars I have no idea as I would never drive a pos.

My fault I thought 99 Accord was stated.

Technically its a non-interference engine but if the timing belt lets go at a high enough RPM it will become an interference engine.



How do you know? Based on what info do you make this statement? Can you tell us more?