just how hard is it chg timing belt 99 accord?

Being reasonably mechanically inclined and not to take anything away from
mechanics but it one has the proper tools, can this belt be replaced without
a phd in auto mechanics? 4 cyl. air etc.

thank you

Mango

 

Not an easy task at all. My neighbor repairs cars and he charges $250 for
labour to do this. It's a 4 to 5 hour job and that's if you know what you
are doing!

Deep

 

I am prepping to change the timing belt by myself (for the first time) in a year
or so on my 1991 Civic LX (152k miles right now). In addition to the archive for
this group, several resources I have bookmarked for this job are:

http://timingbelt.soben.com/ (specifically designed to help a person decide
whether to do the job him/herself, for a circa 1994 Integra)

http://www.cadvision.com/blanchas/54pontiac/honda.html

http://www.crxsi.com/resources/repair/change_timing_belt/index.htm

These are generally for older Hondas. I'd skim these sites and then get at least
a Chilton's manual for your 1999 Accord from the library and see if huge
differences from the sites are indicated in the Chilton's. Then make a decision.

Reports here indicate that a Helm manual is the very best for work on one's car.
It's far more detailed than Chilton's or Haynes manuals. Around $65 at
www.helminc.com or http://tinyurl.com/2c2tg , or try Ebay.

Based on reading here, I'm pretty much sold on buying a "harmonic damper pulley
puller" to ease the difficulty of getting off the crankshaft bolt. (Others will
say they got away without buying the $50+ tool.) I don't know if this tool is
appropriate for your Accord, but you might want to check. See for example

http://store.autotoolexpress.com/honachardamp.html

http://tinyurl.com/2vbtt

 

why do you want to remove the crank pulley? once the belt is
de-tensioned, it slides off the cam pulley easily, and then it comes off
the crank pulley no problems.

the /only/ thing that's a pita about the 91 is remembering to remove one
of the l/h mounting bolts from underneath, not try freeing up the welded
nut from on top. [speaks the voice of experience!]

other than that, a bit of patience and the right research, which you
seem to have done, you should be fine.

good luck.

 

Jim,

Right now, I'm just going by (1) what the Chilton's manual says; and (2) what
others have said about the biggest hurdles to changing the timing belt.

The online instructions for timing belt replacement on a 1990-94 Honda Concertos
at http://www.honda.co.uk/owner/ConcertoManual/62sk301/5-29.pdf are very similar
to those in my Chilton's manual. Note that on page 2, step 9, the directions say
to remove the crankshaft pulley.

So I have not put my hands on all this. I do follow what you mean: In theory all
it should take is for the tensioner to be loosened and the belt should slide
off. (And I see that it sounds like you've done as much.) So I don't know why
the manual says this. Yet many people have posted here in the past that the main
hurdle in this job often (like all the time?) is getting the crankshaft pulley
bolt loose. On my car at installation, the bolt is supposed to be torqued to 119
ft-lbs. Others here have noted that, after operation for a few years, it
tightens further (due to rust and heat cycling?). Speculation here has been that
the break-free torque of the bolt sometimes exceeds 500 ft-lbs, IIRC. I gather
this estimate is based on the air impact wrench rating people have used to get
the thing off.

So at this point I defer to others to explain why the crankshaft pulley bolt and
crankshaft pulley must come off when changing the timing belt.

I have put your other comments in my notes. Maybe I'll just throw a party I
change the timing belt and invite all the newsgroup regulars as well as any
newbies and lurkers over.

 

I can't speak to the '91 specifically, but on the '95 Integra and the '96
Odyssey, you have to take off the crank pulley to get the lower cover off in
order to get to the belt.

 

i lied! i swear i don't remember taking it off when i did my 89, but
checking back in the helm manual, it seems like it's necessary to allow
removal of the lower cover. senior moment obviously.

i guess i was thinking about it not being essential to remove the pulley
for timing. a lot of vehicles require removal of the pulley face so
that timing marks on the toothed cog can be seen & alligned with marks
on the belt, both for the cam & crank. this is particularly common with
dual camshafts. this is not the case with the 91.

wild goose chase. sorry.

 

No problem.

With someone else's hint, I looked at the drawing in my Chilton's and now get
it. Like you say, that lower timing belt cover must come off to get access to
the whole timing belt, and the cover can't come off unless one removes the
crankshaft pulley, etc.

Now with this I do have direct experience. I agree the timing on my 91 Civic's
and many other (all?) Hondas is checked without removing the crankshaft pulley.

The discussion got me deeper into the steps I'll be taking to do this in a
couple of years. That's always helpful.

 

Based on reading here, I'm pretty much sold on buying a "harmonic damper

By the way, save your money. That pulley holding tool won't work for a '91
Civic. Only a '92 and above. Honda changed the design of the pulley. The
'88-'91 models don't have the 50 mm hex opening in the pulley needed in
order to use that tool.

Note though that a pulley holding tool can be easily fabricated. For one
suggestion, see the post at http://tinyurl.com/33r5n.

Eric

 

Okay, thanks.

I read your post at this link but am not sure this is what I need. Or I am not
following your description very well.

From the Majestic parts site, The 1988 Civic LX manual trans. crankshaft pulley
and my 1991 Civic LX manual trans's crankshaft pulley are the same. See
http://tinyurl.com/23qjb and http://tinyurl.com/3dtb5 . Is this your crankshaft
pulley?

I did find a drawing of a crankshaft pulley bolt tool that might be "dead-on"
for my 1991 Civic. It's the one for the 1991 Honda Concerto SOHC. I think the
Concerto's 1.493 liter engine is identical to my Civic's 1.493 liter engine. For
the tool, see:

http://www.honda.co.uk/owner/ConcertoManual/62sk301/5-26.pdf

and

http://www.honda.co.uk/owner/ConcertoManual/62sk301/5-27.pdf

Does the tool above look anything like the tool you fabricated?

Obviously I need to get another look at my car's crankshaft pulley bolt, figure
out how this tool is going to work exactly, and keep researching this, though I
think I'm making progress. The first time I inspected and turned this bolt was
when I checked my valve clearance's a few months ago.

 

Yes, the pulleys are the same to the best of my knowledge.

That's the factory tool. I believe it will need to be special ordered from
a Honda dealership. It also has a price in the range of $200 if I remember
correctly.

It's similar. The tool I made uses two bolts which act as pins to go
through the holes in the crankshaft pulley. The bolts are attached to a
heavy iron bar. For this, I obtained a piece of scrap for free from an
ornamental iron works shop. It's a section of top railing about 2 feet
long. The bolts are inserted into the holes in the pulley and the bar
prevents the engine from turning by swinging up against the suspension as
the pulley bolt is loosened. The Honda tool only has one pin and uses their
special socket to provide a second pin. If you make a tool, you may want to
use high grade bolts, e.g., grade 8 or equivalent.

Eric

 

Thanks. Using your description, along with the photo and description at
http://www.cadvision.com/blanchas/54pontiac/honda.html , I think I have a much
better picture of how your tool works.

I appreciate your passing along the bolt hole dimensions. I'll try the bolts you
suggest next time I'm under the car around June. I'm going to try making your
tool or one a lot like it, first. For kicks, I'm wondering if I can squeeze a 2
x 4 in there (in place of your 2-foot length of steel which gets two holes
drilled in it, etc.) and if the wood can take the stress. I'll run some
calculations.

Worst case, sounds like I'll have to play around a bit to get the "home-made
pulley holder tool" and 17 mm socket wrench with long breaker bar properly
positioned. The guy at the site above says he did it with a 5-foot length of
pipe over the breaker bar.

I realize I can always try the air impact wrench route, too.

 

The pulley holder that I've made is somewhat similar in concept to the one
pictured in that link. However, I have the bolts going through the bar.
The bar is actually a shallow U shape that's flat on one side. The bolts
protrude from the flat side which is the side that's put up against the
crank pulley. I put nuts on the bolts on the back side of the pulley to
help hold the bar to the pulley. In my prior post I recommended using 7/16"
bolts since they were close to 12mm. However, I didn't have those around so
I used 10x1.25x40mm bolts which protrude roughly 36mm from the flat side of
the bar. The following rough sketches may give you a better picture (though
they are not to scale).

| _______ | | | <--3"--> | >
End view |\___|___|___|___/| Side view |____|__________|________>
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

Even if a wooden 2x4 will fit in the space available (which I doubt), I
don't think it will take the stress without cracking. Though, if you do
succeed with the 2x4 then I'm sure you'll post back to let us know.
Drilling in steel is not that big of a deal, just make sure that you use a
sharp center punch to mark your holes so your drill bit doesn't walk.

I only needed a two foot long breaker bar to loosen my crank pulley bolt
using the holder tool I made.

Yes, that's always an option as well. In my area it's possible to rent a
small air compressor from Home Depot for about $26/day though I don't know
what they charge for a 1/2" drive impact gun. If you're in a hurry and know
that you'll only need the compressor for a day or two, then this might be
the way to go. However, if you need it for a longer period of time, then
$26/day can add up pretty fast and it may be more economical to build a
pulley holder.

Eric

 

I turned my left front wheel and removed part of the splash shield yesterday and
studied the crankshaft pulley more closely. I likewise now am not optimistic
about the 2 x 4 working. I took some measurements and did some crude
calculations. They indicate that, if 500 ft-lbs of torque are required to break
free the bolt, then the 2 x 4 is likely going to hit its maximum tensile
strength (assumed around 1000 psi). No factor of safety built in, either. It's
not something I recommend at this time unless one knows what to expect with such
an experiment, proceeds with great caution, and has insurance.

I'm keeping my eyes peeled for scrap iron with dimensions like you suggest.
Maybe Home Depot sells bars of the stuff, worst case. I can swing a titanium
drill bit and have cutting oil, of course.

Alternatively, I'm thinking maybe it's not a big deal to do what the guy at the
web site did: Just take a couple of very long, high strength bolts, insert them
in two of the crankshaft pulley holes (one hole apart), and then take any old
pipe, bar, whatever steel or iron scrap is laying around and maneuver the bar so
the bolts push it against the car frame (or ground?) when one is turning the
crankshaft pulley bolt CCW.

Great! I happen to have a five-foot pipe that I think will work for me (a puny
person), worst case.

Okay.

George M., Tegger, Curly, and some others gave me some advice on the impact gun
earlier, so I think I'm set on this route.

Thanks for the additional detail on your tool. I put it in my notes.

 

You likely won't need a titanium bit. A standard high-speed steel bit
should work just fine. I happen to have a set of cobalt bits so that's what
I used but it was over kill.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++=

Just keep the laws of physics in mind when using an air tool.
'Something's gotta give' if the nut doesn't move, you'll (I'm joking)
tear your arms off if you're a skinny chicken like me

(having removed a few nuts by locking my arms under the bumper and
'standing' horizontally, on the breaker bar)

'Curly'

--

To REPLY: If there are a couple of underscores in my return address,
you must remove them to reply directly . . . . . . Thanks.

Regarding stage performances: When everyone else has finished playing,
you should not play any notes you have left over. -

 

have a decent impact on hand, i never use the holders. a 1990 timing
belt may take 45 min. at most if you know what you are doing. A 1999
accord 4cyl has so much more room it's rediculous.
Chip

 

I've changed a few timing belts on Hondas and the best tool I've used is a
chain wrench. I use an old a/c belt and wrap it around the pulley in the
groove then the chain wrench on the belt and pulley. Then I attach a S hook
to a foot long heavy duty chain and the another S hook on the toe hook. Then
I put a breaker bar on and push it off with my feet. The belt protects the
pulley from the bite of the chain wrench and the nut comes off pretty easy.
I'll take some pictures this week so you can "see" what I mean.

 

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

On a '99 He probably needs the 50mm hex tool to hold the flywheel pulley
steady. because there's a rubber harmonic damper built into the pulley,
you can't safely clamp it from the outside (at least not on the Gen 1
CR-V) They're easy to build (see Tegger's FAQ) or you can often get them
on eBay.com

'Curly'

 

I bought one of these
http://www.etoolcart.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=629
and it did a great job.

Mike