Need some help tightening timing belt
 

my timing belt needs to be slightly tighten.... anyone with experience? Can this all be done w/o taking the valve cover off? And which way would be to make belt tighter... clockwise or counter?

RE: Need some help tightening timing belt
 

What year is your accord?

RE: Need some help tightening timing belt
 

sorry 1999 accord

RE: Need some help tightening timing belt
 

Do you already have the upper timing cover off? If not, how do you know it needs to be tightened?

The tensioner is spring-loaded with a relatively weak spring& the tensioner bolt locks it into place. The spring is intended to put the proper tension, but NOT intended to operate while the engine is running.

Take the spark plugs out so thecrank is easier to turn. Turn it forward (counterclockwise) a couple revolutions. Loosen the tensioner bolt & turn the crank pulley forward just a bit. You're only trying to move all the slack over to the rear leg of the belt so the tensioner spring can take up the slack.

Hold a bit of torque on the crank pulley, just to prevent it from relaxing backwards a few degrees. While holding it, tighten the tensioner bolt to lock the tensioner in place.

The timing belt isn't supposed to be TIGHT like an alternator belt. It's normal for you to be able to take the long (front) span of the belt & just barely be able to twist it 90 degrees.

RE: Need some help tightening timing belt
 

Which way would I turn the tensioner to tighten? Clockwise?

RE: Need some help tightening timing belt
 

Tensioner bolt is right-hand thread. Clockwise to tighten.

It's not in the best position to work, you've probably noticed that. People have rounded off the hex trying to get wrenches in there.

RE: Need some help tightening timing belt
 

I turned the tensioner closewise (less than a qaurter way)... started it back up and it made the belt screech a bit longer and louder. I think it tightens the bolt... but actually loosen the tension? I didn't have time to turn it the other way... it was tough and had to goto work.

RE: Need some help tightening timing belt
 

Did you do the procedure in post #4?Like I saidthe tensioner bolt locks the tensioner pulley into position.

You have to loosen the bolt, allow the spring to do it's job, then re-tighten the bolt.

Are you sure the screetching is the timingbelt? What about a noisy bearing in the tensioner pulley? Or waterpump? Or even screetching in one of the external drive belts?

RE: Need some help tightening timing belt
 

Assuming it is a 4 cyl engine,loosen up the 14 mm nut in the center of the lower timing belt cover,, get a 19mm socket, a long extension and a rachet,, once the 14mm nut is loose, insert the 19mm into the crank bolt, turn it toward the frt of the car ( counterclockwise) this will remove the slack, retighten the 14mm nut and you are done,,

But like Jim says . are tyou sure that noise is coming from t-belt?? usually t-belts when loose they do not screech or squeal , they make a rapping noise , ( like a belt hitting on the cover ) .

.I would chk the other items that Jim mentioned

RE: Need some help tightening timing belt
 

Is it possible it could be the Timing Balancer belt? I just started it tonight in cold and no screech.

RE: Need some help tightening timing belt
 

Balance-shaft-timing belt has teeth & runs on sprockets like the camshaft-timing belt. So it won't really slip like a friction belt.

But it DOES have it's own tensioner pulley which can have a noisy bearing.

RE: Need some help tightening timing belt
 

doesn't sound like a bearing noise... like nba players screeching thier fresh sneaks on the smooth hardwood floor. Does the belt rotate against the tensioner? I'm thinking its probably making noise from that.... But it shouldn't be a big deal if I just leave it alone?

RE: Need some help tightening timing belt
 

The tensioner pulley has no teeth & it rides on the outside smooth surface of the toothed belt. It hasvery little momentum & it doesn't extract power for anything,so the only way it'll screetch is if it's bearing is beginning to seize. Same for the balancer belt.

Bearings can make all sorts of funny noises when they fail. So the nature of the sound doesn't really prove it. If the tensioner pulley is squeaking against the belt I imagine there would be some visibleevidence on the outside of the belt (take off the upper timing cover).

If it's the timing belt tensioner, it's only gonna get worse & burn up the belt. Then you'll discover what it sounds like when pistons hit the valves.

You can completely remove the external drive belts & run the engine to rule them out as a source of noise. Until you do that, I'm gonna keep my suspicion that the noise is outside somewhere.