Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie to the forum and recently acqquired a 98 Accord V6 with 216,000 on the clock. I've been trying to search for timing belt info here but possibly the search function isn't working too well? Anyways, I'm considering switching out the timing belt myself on this badboy, but was wondering about a couple of things.

What's my best bet on manuals? Would a Haynes or Clymer be OK or is the factory manual a must? Also, do you need a scanner at all to finish the job? Would an inexpensive scanner be OK? Oh, one last thing, I've heard that the pulley, I believe, can be tough to pull off, what kind of special tools do you suggest?

Thanks for your time, any replies would be appreciated.

-Dan

 

I have no experience w/ the V6 Accords, but plenty w/ 2.2L and 2.5L (5 cyl TL). All are similar and probably V6 is also.

Honda manuals are the gold standard and I've always found you can't overspend on information. It's cheap compared to a mistake. The Haynes manuals are 2nd best IMO. I've never used a Clymer except for boats. Not too good there.

When you have 2 cylinder head banks (I have a 4 cyl Subaru boxer engine), it can be tricky to line up everything. There may be some special tools to hold the camshafts fixed. You want to know about any special tools before you get your car torn down. It's better if you don't have to have the car ready immediately, in case you run into problems and need to do some consulting (w/ HAF natch!). Check all DIY's for some help. Try googling for help. One little tip can make all the difference sometimes.

I would plan on replacing water pump. This may not last 2 TB changes, so better to replace while you have access.

You don't need a scanner for TB change, but they are handy. I have a laptop-based scanner from Harrison Engineering (OBDscan) that has paid for itself several times over. I wouldn't be w/o a good scanner that can graph key functions; O2 performance, coolant temp, timing, fuel mpg, air flow, etc. If something's wrong, this will allow you to home in the problem much quicker.

good luck

 

Texas,

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely find some type of manual, hopefully Honda, before I jump on this one. I'll for sure replace the water pump, tensioner, and whatever else would make sense at the time. I don't own any air wrenches, but would consider buying/borrowing one for this job in order to remove the hub/pulley.

I'll probably do this one first and then my Odyssey, as that one is approaching 105,000. Should be fun. That one I do have the Honda manual for.

-Dan

 

FWIW, I just bought a '98 four-cylinder that replaced an '85 Camry. I bought the factory manual for the '98 and so far, just thumbing through it, I am very impressed. It seems much more useful than the Haynes and Chilton manuals that I had for the Camry. The only thing that I have found slightly confusing in my minimal looks through it are that the drawings they use to indicate where things are can leave a little bit to be desired. I was trying to figure out where the water pump was and I couldn't figure out which side of the engine the drawing was referring to. So it might be helpful to have a Haynes or Chilton on hand just because they generally have photographs instead of drawings... I'm thinking of getting one just for that purpose.

 

Still having trouble finding the water pump? It's on the driver side of the engine, under all the timing belt covers. It's timing belt driven, look for a pulley with 6-8 10mm bolts surrounding it.