check timing belt

Discussion in 'General Motoring' started by wp51dos, Dec 11, 2006.

  1. wp51dos

    wp51dos Guest

    98 Civic DX. I want to check timing belt. Car has 60,000 miles. I
    checked online repair manual. Looks like I need to remove valve cover
    first then upper timing belt cover. Is this correct ? Thank you
     
    wp51dos, Dec 11, 2006
    #1
  2. wp51dos

    Gary Guest

    Needs replaced for the time factor, no matter how it looks
     
    Gary, Dec 11, 2006
    #2
  3. wp51dos

    Dano58 Guest

    Yeah, you won't be able to tell anything by looking. Maybe if you
    totally removed it, then you see whether it had cracks or any of the
    teeth were worn - but then you'd have most of the work done to just
    replace it! Not sure about the Honda recommendations but 60k - 80k is
    the usual replacement period.

    Dan D
    '07 Odyssey
    Central NJ USA
     
    Dano58, Dec 11, 2006
    #3
  4. wp51dos

    Tegger Guest


    7 years or 105K miles.

    You're past due for a belt change, period.

    A visual inspection will tell you absolutely zero. The car will run just
    perfect, right up to the moment the belt snaps and the valves get
    destroyed.
     
    Tegger, Dec 11, 2006
    #4
  5. What TeGGeR says - the belt must be replaced. It will probably look fine but
    it is not to be trusted with the life of your engine. There is no reliable
    visual indication of timing belt condition.

    Mike
     
    Michael Pardee, Dec 12, 2006
    #5
  6. wp51dos

    Speedy Pete Guest

    Just to echo that you cant always see if it needs checking- One car that
    when I looked at the belt, it looked ok. Then I took it off anyway. I
    found the "teeth" on the inside edge were GONE!

    -Pete
     
    Speedy Pete, Dec 15, 2006
    #6
  7. Yow! I changed a timing belt in a Volvo once (way overdue, but a
    non-interference engine) and although it looked okay the teeth could be
    picked off the belt with my thumbnail. I've personally never seen a broken
    timing belt, but I've seen belts fail because teeth were missing. Every one
    looked okay otherwise.

    Mike
     
    Michael Pardee, Dec 15, 2006
    #7
  8. wp51dos

    Erik Guest

    Missing teeth is the normal failure mode... even though people most
    often say 'broken belt'

    Erik
     
    Erik, Dec 15, 2006
    #8
  9. wp51dos

    wp51dos Guest

    thanks for input.

    I pulled cover anyway and checked belt as thorughly as I could
    including trying to pick teeth off of it.

    I don't have access to impact wrench so I will wait with crossed
    fingers until seals etc leak, then tackle job using old time tools.

    Who knows car might be sold or stolen before then.
     
    wp51dos, Dec 30, 2006
    #9
  10. wp51dos

    Tegger Guest



    Silly boy. Can't tell ANYthing that way.



    That's not smart.


    Hopefully before the belt snaps.
     
    Tegger, Dec 31, 2006
    #10
  11. It all takes us back to the question that won't go away: if the OP doesn't
    change the belt now, when will he do it? Waiting for the seals leak is
    certain to be too long since they should never leak. This car is too young
    to die of that sort of considered neglect and should be worth about 20 times
    the cost of having a shop change the timing belt.

    wp51dos - I see nobody has said so directly in this thread, but you do
    realize a failed timing belt is likely to do several thousand dollars
    damage, yes?

    Mike
     
    Michael Pardee, Dec 31, 2006
    #11
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