Hi - about to face this, but the hyperlink is broken; might there be a static copy of the How-To available? I've done other brands; my first Honda and would like as many insights as possible...thx

 

YouTube has several good J35 timing belt videos. Suggest checking out videos by South Main Auto and realfixesrealfast.

good luck

 

If you watch the videos and decide the job isn't for you, many folks have found by shopping around, and even pre-buying the timing belt kit, can keep the overall cost for a shop to do the work to under $800.

If you decide to pre-buy the kit, the Aisin kit is considered by many in the know to be the best one available (it is also uses the OEM parts):

• Amazon
  Amazon

 

Great - thanks (and I'm about to pull the trigger on a Aisin/OEM combo kit). Also, to my delight, apparently Eric (ericthecarguy.com) has a bolt-by-bolt video - I've followed him for years - that i will pick up for extra details.

Last question - - I have access (~30 mi away) to a lift; so if it added sufficient ease for me to schlep my tools to my pal's pole barn, would that help the thru-wheelwell enough to be worth the bother?

Continued THX!

 

Just me but anytime I don't have the crawl around on the ground is nice......

I will throw one thing out there, not sure if any videos, how to's do this....... Before you remove the old belt, make marks on it from the belt to the gears - both cams and crank at least. Then once off transfer the marks from the old belt to the new one - count the number of teeth between the marks. So now when the new one goes on those marks on the new belt should line up to the gears. This really helps in being sure you get it back on in the correct spot and nothing moved.

 

i had the odious delight in doing this job on my 2000 Accord (J30A1), and immediately following, my '05 Ody (J35A6). and since Honda J-series engines live perty near forever, i take pleasure in the knowledge that i'll be performing this onerous, expensive job--twice--again.

you claim prior experience doing this job, so you probably know that a "timing belt job" 1) involves replacing nearly a dozen parts (including the water pump); and 2) it's an extremely involved job regardless of the number of jobs one has completed.

note: i'll update this comment with any add'l "oh, and..." items that come to me after i post this. that said, the following is my two cents...

basic stuff...
- watch more than one video on the process. pay close attention to the subtle differences between techniques. have your go-to video queued up on a tablet or laptop and have that device there with you in your garage.
- buy a good quality torque wrench. you're attaching bunch of fasteners that cannot be over-tightened (aluminum threads). and for the individual torque values, make certain you...
- reference the Honda Service Manual (HSM). use the torque specs in the HSM; if you need one or more specs, post here (or in any of the half-dozen) Honda-centric forums and request that information.
- purchase a Honda Genuine timing belt and tensioner and water pump--seriously, resist aftermarket for these parts.
- keep a journal of your progress; put all smallish parts in labeled zip-lock bags; keep all big components in discrete labeled piles.
- consider replacing other problematic parts. a "timing belt job" requires removing all accessories in the passenger-side engine bay, and disassembling the entire front of the engine. this is a great opportunity to replace other components that may be problematic: front engine mount; oil sending unit gasket; oil pressure switch; and, if warranted in your specific case, the alternator and power steering pump and accessories belt.

more detailed whatnots:
- loosening the camshaft pulley fastener. this is, arguably, the most difficult part of a timing belt job on a Honda. you cannot replace the timing belt until this fastener is removed, so plan on attacking it early in the job. a few videos show removing this bolt with an impact wrench, which i think is absolutely insane. i removed the fastener with leverage, which is the Honda-recommended procedure.
- prepare for the tools required to break the ~181ft/lbs holding the camshaft pulley fastener
- "honda crankshaft pulley removal tool"; some auto supply stores loan this tool for free--get it. the pulley is not coming off without it.
- two stout 1/2" drives (preferably one is a 1/2" breaker bar)
- 18" 1/2" extension bar
- 24" length of 3/4" i.d. black pipe (i.d. must sleeve over the handle of your 1/2" drive)
- 8' length of 3/4" i.d. black pipe (i.d. must sleeve over the handle of your 1/2" drive)
- two jack stands
- poorman212's recommendation to mark the old timing belt is important. don't forget to do this.
- tightening the camshaft pulley fastener to ~181ft/lbs. a few videos (including ETCG) show tightening this bolt with an impact wrench, which i think is absolutely insane. the HSM suggests a procedure to mark the bolt and pulley in degrees, and turn the bolt to the match the marks. i used this method using an 8' lever.

post-job stuff:
- perform a proper air purge of the coolant system. there are plenty of good videos on YouTube that demonstrate the process.
- possible idle hunting issue at engine start-up.
if the idle is high at engine start-up and then cycles up and down, don't panic. this happened to me, and i posted the issue and its resolution here.


the timing belt job is done from above, so a lift is superfluous for this particular work. additionally, there needs to be support at the head of the breaker bar and the extension, and a lift isn't going to help here. still, there are techs techs who claim to do this portion of the job on a lift--no doubt using an impact wrench. were it me, i'd take a raincheck on use of the lift--it's good policy not to squander the use of useful tools like that... like when you inevitably need to replace the BX7A transmission in that car!

 

First things first. Be sure to get yourself a quality timing belt kit. This way you won't be making multiple trips to the parts store. We get all of our kits from timingbeltkit.com. Their kits are complete and they use only quality Japanese parts- plus they ship for free.

 

I'll add that on the 6th gen Accord site, in the Accord tech sticky is a downloadable Honda Factory Service manual. Toward the last page (I think it's on the 2nd to last page has the V6 supplement (it's 312 pages long). That link was good as of last month (12-17). I only mention it, as I don't know if you have 1 or not.

 

(Cross posted from my feedback on ETG's site)
The job went perfectly (I used the crank-bolt "trifecta"; PBsoak/heat/weighted-impact-socket*). Props to EricTheCarGuy for the triple-check TAUT-front/SLACK-rear; I've done BMW's, but this was more "sneaky"...despite being locked all around when reinstalling, the heads remained spot-on, but the crank 'looked a half-tooth' off: In fact, getting the front of the belt extra taut, allowed me to nudge back the crank - pipewrench with plugs out works great - and DEAD ON. As good as ETG's video <for fee> was, the BundysGarage YouTube was equally as good (...I was happy to support Eric, however, for the few bucks to have a secondary reference...).

A couple of other hints: Get a bazillion wobble and flex extension 1/4" for the 10mm rear t/b covers (a real clearance P.I.T.A.); at least on this Accord, it required micro-fingers. Also, suggest you jot down disassembly order, being mindful of when the engine-mount block occurs. Don't try this after the covers, as its lip lies beneath the covers' seals...oops.

*the reference to the weighted socket (used only with a modest electric impact wrench) was this: To "simulate" the Lisle 'torque-enhancing' socket, I spun on a spool of lead solder to my 19mm impact. This gave it enough oooph to easily take off the nut, when the un-enhanced socket did not. TaDa!

 

What year is this on? I just did mine on my 97 2.7l -- Along with the water pump, valve seals, new head gaskets, new gaskets all the way around.. pulled engine to do a redo.. Its actually a pretty easy job