Hi,

You would think everyone would agree on this very simple issue. Nope.

Chiltons says rotate the motor counter-clockwise while looking for TDC. Haynes says clockwise. I did a search of this site and found about a dozen references to rotating the engine...and there are people saying both clockwise and counter-.

Ha.

So, I am at the driver's side of the car looking at the crank pully. Which way to I spin the crank pully as I rotate the engine to TDC?

Thanks,

Roy

 

You want to turn the crank bolt in the direction of tightening, which is clockwise from looking at the crank pulley.

 

Kris makes a good point. But highly unlikely that you can loosen up the crank pulley bolt by rotating engine by hand, those bolts are very tight ,....I must have turned it by hand ( rachet ) a thousand times and none ever came loose .
..
Go direction of engine,, counter clockwise... if the timing belt is loose and has some slack, going clockwise (against the tensioner) could cause belt to skip a tooth .. to be on safe side go with engine rotation .

 

I vote counter clockwise ........ then you see the 3 timing marks and keep turning about another 15 degrees to find the TDC mark.
Then you can look at the cam pulley marks to be sure you're at #1 TDC and not #4 TDC.

 

I vote counter-clockwise, which is the direction the engine spins when running.

Spinning the engine backwards can skip teeth in the timing belt. While that's not TOO likely, the consequences are bad.

Spinning the engine forwards can cause the crank bolt to loosen, but nobody has EVER found that bolt to be easy to loosen. Normally you need dynamite to get that bolt off.

 

After I posted the question I found Honda's take on the issue...in the valve adjustment section of the Honda shop manual they indicate counter-clockwise. Also, as I rotate the motor with the timing covers off, counter-clockwise just "looks" right; and clockwise "looks" like it wants to jump a tooth on the cam pully.

Thanks for the help. My timing belt job marches on.

Roy