90 integra broken timing belt

OK guys I finally broke my timing belt on my 90 integra LS while driving home
from work. Mechanic wanted $650 for new timing belt and water pump with no
guarantees since there could be more engine damage. According to the mechanic
the only way to see if there is further damage is if I paid for the replacement
of water pump and timing belt to diagnose serious engine damage which could
cost around $2000. Is there a way to find out if the engine is worth
repairing before I waste $650?

Thanks

 

You could have the cams pulled and run a cylinder leakage test. On the SOHC
engines, it's a little easier, you can just pull the rocker shafts off, and
run the test.

 

original belt? how many miles? just curious...

well, since youre at *that* point?

ask how much to take the head off and look. should be trivial since the
belt is already off, etc.

then you can decide of you want to:

junk the car
rebuild the head
get a used head
get a used low mile japanese engine


and if its good? you can have em clean it up a bit, put a new head
gasket on and reinstall... THEN do the belt and water pump.

shouldnt be more than $300 to take the head off to replace the head
gasket. maybe $150 just to get the head off and look?

why your mechanic didnt suggest this option suggests to me he either
really doesnt want your business, doesnt know what hes doing, or wants
to make the most money possible. or he just isnt very bright...

 

It was on my 2nd belt, it had 170,000 miles on it. It failed somewhat
prematurely since the waterpump gave out and it started to overheat often. It
got real bad when I went to Walmart for an oil change, they did something and
the water pump causing the water pump to leak water like a river, I had to fill
the reservoir up 2 times on the ride home.

The mechanic was a bit fishy, I told him since the engine was most likely a
goner I would probably give it to the junk yard, he then offered to take it off
my hands if I couldn't find a junk yard who will take it.

Since its a 90 model, the junk yard refused to pay for it, it has no rust, the
transmission is in great shape, but they were saying its too old and they have
too many cars like it in their lot already.

So now I have decided to give it to a friend in need. Most mechanics he had
talked to don't know how to test for damage before cashing out for the timing
belt and water pump. I will be sure to mention to him about the head removal
for inspection.

thanks

 

=====================

Goog . .

Turn the crank slowly by hand to put pistons to half-mast, rotate the
cam by hand, use feeler guages to check valve clearances. Some will have
terrific gaps, proving that several are bent.

Read this . . . . http://honda.lathi.net/faq.html#interference

If you're non-mechanical, then post an ad on a newsgroup, or in the Auto
trader to sell it, or eBay....

Sad news, sorry :-( 'Curly'

 

Being an interference engine, it is most likely that damage did occur.

Basically, bank on valve damage, and hope that the piston(s) aren't
damaged as well. Generally, this mishap will crater the head, and not
the rest of the engine.

Mine popped at idle, clutch in, turning a corner. Replaced the head
with a reman one, and it cost me $1500, whcih was from a friend,
so it was bare cost. Would have been $2500 or more had he not
done that favor for me.

Car has since run as new. 114K now, repair was done around 92K.

Belt change interval was 90K, so I wasn't far out of spec on replacing
it. Next time, I'd replace the belt early, by even 20K or so, just for
the preventative maintenance aspect. Also, change the water pump as
well at that time.

Even as it sits, that engine is worth money.

The prospect of getting a low-mileage replacement engine is not a
bad choice either, if the rest of the car is worthy:

http://www.powerpro2000.com/lb_acura.htm

 

If the waterpump gave out you should have had it towed at that point. The
most common failure mode for pumps is that they leak. That said, if you
found a replacement engine in the junk yard that was in good shape you could
either scavenge it for parts or swap it out. It seems encouraging that they
"have a bunch of them" at the parts yard. I am not sure, but I wonder how
interchangable the heads would be if there were one with a damaged engine
but which had a good head? (can't think at the moment what sort of damage it
would have sustained that wouldn't also mess up the head, unless it was
overheating, or getting partially mashed in an accident.

Good luck.

 

Just curious...wouldn't backing the valve adjuster out completely- close the
valves so that the leak test could performed without pulling the rocker
shaft?

If not...that would be the way to go.
Also.....my vtec just broke a belt and I suffered no damage at all..although
I've spent 550.00 so far and I'm doing all the labor.
270.00 valves and seat grinded/valve stem seals...cleaning.
150.00 timing belt/water pump...and other associated costs.
130.00 head gasket set and oil pan gasket.

Good luck.

 

On the valves that are most of the way open, backing the adjusters all the
way back would probably still leave the valves partially open.