1998 LX Broken Timing Belt/Bent Valves
 

Hello, about 2 weeks ago my timing belt broke. I had it towed to a shop who suggested 1. Replacing the head-said this would create an issue with the bottom end, and stress it out until it would burn oil. 2. Replace the entire engine, because it had 240K+ miles on it. Both those options would cost between $1100 to $2400.

So I have taken the car to a family friend who is a mechanic. He is saying that he can replace the bent valves, replace the timing belt and install a new head gasket, and we should be good to go?!? He is willing to do the work for cost of parts plus $350 labor. Is this a good deal???

That should be OK. Sorta low probability of damage to valve seats, but he should check for that.

Suggest you have the head machined for a flat surface (avoid headgasket problems later).

Thanks for the suggestion, I will check with him tomorrow. He doesn't plan to tear it down until Monday.

I wourd recommend the head be rebuilt, new stems seals, reseat all valves, pressure check for cracks, and shave flat as Jim recommends.

Make sure valves are adjusted to specification before startup.

Use OEM or Felpro head gasket kit.

good luck

After further thought...

How was the engine before the belt broke? Burning any oil? Low compression? Anything like that might lead you to get a new engine.

First step (duh) is take off the head. At that point you can evaluate possible damage to the tops of the pistons. In the unlikely chance a valve actually broke (not just bent) look for damage on cylinder walls. And make a decision whether to re-use the block.

I don't know why a new head would cause problems with the bottom end. But if your bottom end is already weak, then take that into consideration.

Well, I will pick it up later today. The car was in great shape before (no burning oil or other issues.), it has been well maintained. The mechanic says all the exhaust valves bent. Also had to replace the 2 sensors, along with the head and intake gaskets.

So got the car back. It drive way better than before. Still needs a Knock Sensor. I love my Honda!

Thanks for followup.

Could you share w/ us how many miles on this timing belt? First or 2nd Timing belt change?

thanks

yes thats a good deal. dont pass it up

I will be glad to follow-up. The belt that snapped only had 41k miles on it! This car was my wife's car before she got a 2007 Accord. She was religious about the maintenance. So I have all the service records. This is the 3rd timing belt change.

Wow, with that short life I'd be checking everything around that belt. Waterpump, tensioner pulleys, anything that might cause it to go so quickly. Oil leaking onto the belt?

Jim, I recall that the car used to have this high pitched whine when it started up, plus the power steering pump used to whine when the A/C was on and the car was cold when steering. I have not had any of these issues since the repair work. I think all this is evidence that something was wrong. Also this car was parked for about a year because we both had newer cars. It is my daily driver now!

Most likely the tensioner had never been replaced through 3 timing belt changes and the tensioner bearing siezed. That might be the whining you heard. Water pumps usually leak massively before failing, but I'm sure it's possible for water pump to sieze also.

regards

Parking for a year can certainly contribute to a tensioner bearing seizing up. Whining might also indicate the belt was over-tightened.

Update 2012-98 LX Timing Belt/Bent Valves
 

So I have put several thousand miles on the car since my last post. The car has started misfiring, and I noticed daily small puddles of oil on the driveway. Looks like the oil is coming from the valve cover gasket on the intake manifold side of the engine and from behind the timing chain cover. I also pulled the spark plugs and found the plug closest to the timing chain covered in oil, and the spark plug boot looked like it had started to melt at some point.
I am no mechanic, but I am thinking I need to replace the valve cover gasket, along with the 4 O rings for the sparkplug holes.
It would not piss me off, if I hadn't just spent money on new wheels and tires.
Any other areas I need to look at?

Valve cover gasket and spark plug tube gaskets are an easy repair. However, the LX engine has additional oring seals beneath the rocker arm assy that are also prone to leak w/ age.

Also under the timing belt cover, the rear balance shaft cover oring seal is a notorious leaker. Other leak possibilities are forward balance shaft seal, camshaft seal, and crankshaft seal, however these are less likely.

good luck

Well looks like my 1998 Accord has reached the end of the road. I replaced the valve Cover gasket. Then the car started stalling a low speed. Around the same time the Valve cover gasket I installed blew! Lost almost all the Oil. Had it repaired professionally... it kept stalling until one day it would not restart. Had the engine compression tested, along with fuel pump and injectors tested. According to the mechanic it has burnt valves.