What are some ways to check n see if the timing belt has been replaced. I have heard various things from a seal being placed on the engine or if certain screws have been replaced, its clearly obvious.

 

best way is to remove the valve cover, the upper cover ( assuming it is a 4 cyl )( like i said my crystal ball is at the polisher shop at the moment ),,, Anyho.. take a look at the belt, chk for cracks,, make sure to spin the engine and chk the belt all the way around ..If the letters on the belt are faded , it is an indication that the belt is a bit old,,

 

I recently purchased a '94 Accord LX. The previous owner said the belt has been replaced, but he does not know alot about cars.... (said car was an EX when actually was an LX, said the AC worked... wrong... etc.) Is it pretty easy to remove the covers and inspect the belt?

Thanks.

 

HELLO Dshow........Welcome to haf......to remove the upper t-belt cover, you need to remove valve cover, remove the 2 10mm bolts holding the upper cover in place and you can remove the cover ,,,,,, you might want to get a new valve cover gasket ,and possibly upper spark plug seals when you put it back together after inspecting it ..

 

what is the milage on the car? belt was due at 90K

 

It has about 148K, which is why I asked when I bought it. (Regarding the EX vs. LX, I pointed that out and negotiated the price accordingly. The AC, it was winter so I could not check, but rechanging the freon fixed that.)

Great forum, very helpful. I just wish the DIY section had more pictures, it's easier to understand that way.

 

most likely it has been changed because it is very rare for a original timing belt to last 148K. Most of the failures I have seen have been around 115-130K at the latest

 

if you dont have the receipt of the work being done.......then just do it. its just a good piece of mind. get the water pump, accessory belts and hoses done at the time. then you know none of that stuff is going to break on you.

 

Dshow........... do the easy things...........remove the cover and look at it...........if it needs to be done do it, if not put it all back together ..

if it needs to be done parts you need to get

timing belt
balancer belt
valve cover gasket
upper spark plug seals ( 4 )
water pump
coolant
camshaft seal
balancer shaft seal
balancer shaft seal retainer
crank seal
oil pump seal
alternator belt
p/s belt
As for the tensioners i would spin them by hand and see if they are noisy if so, replace , if quiet reuse them..

if you have never done one and plan on doing it ,, i would suggest to get a service manual www.helminc.com

any questions ,,, ask away